I concur with others who remarked on the sometimes awkward grammar. Yeah, sigh, it could have been cleaned up better. But if you have force yourself to look beyond this, then the sheer number of recipes [I guess I can use that term] is useful as a reference when you need to use Cinema 4D in its R13 version.
Yes, this is almost all about graphics and the way that you want your images to look well. The practicalities of producing books, even paperbacks, with colour prints are daunting. This is a guess on my part. But there may have been a tradeoff between the author wanting to publish as many recipes as possible, to provide a comprehensive list of solutions, and having colour illustrations. The author and publisher plumped for the former. What this means is that when you are looking at a recipe, you can replicate its steps on your machine, and then watch its screen for the results. The book's grayscale figures can be used before you run your machine, simply as a guide. You have to use your imagination before seeing your machine's output.
Of all the topics offered in the text, a very interesting one involved HDR [High Dynamic Range]. One recipe takes an HDR image and shows how Cinema has options that let you manipulate this into your final scene. Sadly, the book only has this single example. It does not explain why HDR is superior to conventional JPEGs. The book explicates no theory of imaging or shading. If you want the theory of HDR, look up this book - High Dynamic Range Imaging, Second Edition: Acquisition, Display, and Image-Based Lighting, and see my review of it.
One suggestion I have for the author, if he ever intends a second version, is to add more HDR examples. These can really demonstrate some stunning images [even if that second edition cannot render them well!] and show advanced functionality of Cinema. Going beyond trivial and elementary examples. Now granted, the book already has chapter 7 on rendering strategy. That chapter does delve into some sophisticated effects possible in Cinema. But adding more examples that explicitly invoke HDR images would be nice.
ElectricPalette
Posted March 31, 2012
This book is a very good resource for people new to Cinema 4D. It has some very clear directions on what to do and when, however in places it lacks underpinning information. The resources provided are appropriate and helpful. It appears to have been written by someone who has English as a second language, however, it is still clear and mostly easy to understand. The book covers a huge amount of Cinema 4Ds content. it would be good to see a second advanced book that covers the more advanced functions. I would recommend this book for people new to Cinema 4D and for more experienced users who want a reference for those hard to remember things!
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