JANUARY 26, 2004
Cinema 4D Double Bevel
A look at Extrude NURBS, spline data and texture shortcuts
 by Ko Maruyama
In previous tips, we've taken a look at the HyperNURBS objects available in Maxon's Cinema 4D. NURBS, of course, can be used to make complex geometry from simple splines, and there are several varieties to work with. One of these is Extrude NURBS, the most common use for which is the creation of depth from text or custom splines. This week we'll look at some simple steps that you can take to reuse the data created by C4D's Extrude NURBS.

If you're not familiar with NURBS, you may want to take a quick look at the quick look on the Creative Mac Tutorial Archive: NURBS Review. If you need some assistance importing splines created in Adobe Illustrator into C4D, take a look at another archive: Illustrator into C4D.[an error occurred while processing this directive]Creating a Double Bevel: Extrusion
In this example, we'll take a look at an "M"-shaped spline, though you could use any vector artwork you choose.





First, create a new Extrude NURBS object. You can do this by selecting it from a toolset or from the pulldown menu (Objects > NURBS > Extrude NURBS). This will show up in the Object Manager. Simply drop the spline object onto the Extrude NURBS object. Voila.





Reviewing the Extrusion Attributes
This function results in a pretty boring extrusion, but there are other variations that you can apply to your new geometry by simply editing the attributes of the Extrude NURBS. In your Attributes window, you can manipulate the name of the object, whether it is active or not, the object's coordinates, the object's extrusion movement, and also its "caps."



"Caps" are the polygons that make up the geometry, closing the spline at the start and end of the extrusion. A companion to the Cap is the Rounding, also known as a bevel or the fillet. Cinema 4D allows for four different variations of closing the extrusion.

  • None: Allows you to leave the extrusion open at either end
  • Cap: Creates a flat closure at either end
  • Fillet: Creates an open ended rounding from the edge of the spline shape.
  • Fillet Cap: Creates a rounding with a cap




There are seven types of fillets you can use. Testing each will help you become familiar with which ones can work for your project.

The tricky bits come at the end of this attribute: Hull Inwards, Hole Inwards and Constrain. Hull inwards is the most common way I use extrusions, creating a bloated object. Hole inwards will pinch, or punk the object, based on the spline's hole segments. It's best to play with these options to see which might come in handy.

Constrain is perhaps the most important, and sometimes most difficult. This option determines whether or not the new geometry will preserve the boundaries of the original spline shape. Without constrain checked, the resulting extrusion will grow beyond the original artwork. Note: If you intend to deform the resulting geometry, especially through animation, you'll want to create a regular grid. The smaller the grid size is, the more integrity your model will keep through deformation.






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