Despite its ease of use Maxon’s Cinema 4D is an incredibly powerful and diverse package. The Cinema 4D X Handbook teaches how to harness this power and flexibility through a project-based approach that allows users to create impressive projects as they learn C4D’s array of tools and functions. This is a completely updated edition of this popular guide to the ins-and-outs of C4D that provides new C4D users with a complete introduction to the powerful and affordable C4D program, while teaching the fundamental principles of 3D. The book is best for beginners. It explores the most powerful and frequently used aspects of the program and explains how best to use them. Through intensive tutorials, users will learn ideas and techniques not covered in the manuals, and they’ll learn about the theory behind why things work the way they do. The book is also for users of earlier versions of C4D who need to get up to speed with the new features. For those just learning Cinema 4D and new to 3D graphics, this book provides the one resource they’ll need to get up and running!

Good for a Beginner

I recommend this book especially for a beginner. The way it was written is really kind to a beginner and the book tries to cover most but some serious animators may be disappointed for some important animation techniques are missing. I have purchased some books I had to spend hours and hours to figure out the directions to complete the tutorials, but the tutorials from this book are easy to follow and user-friendly. This is a good book!

No help with Mograph whatsoever.

I bought this book because I am coming from Maya and want to learn C4D’s Mograph features- the biggest reason I was interested in Cinema 4D. This book doesn’t even MENTION the Mograph features let alone help, which is a huge disappointment. In addition, I’ve turned to this book 8 times so far for help with specific tools and 6 of those times I couldn’t find the tool listed in the index.

I gave this 2 stars because what portions of the software the book does cover seems helpful so far.

Great Book ! Probably the best


Very organized and didactic always based on examples with exercises evolving really useful topics. Covers in detail, lighting, character rigging and body paint.

Essential for beginners and useful for not beginners. I would recommend to anyone interested on cinema 4d.

Excellent C4D R10 book

Very well explained. Good examples and example files to illustrate concepts. Very highly recommended.

Doesn’t explain anything...

The material covered in this book is fair and plentiful, but the writing is poor and it seriously lacks any explanation. Why am I doing this step? Figure it out on your own if you buy this book.

C4D book highly recommended

I’ve been gone for a few months from working in C4D and this book has really helped me to jump back into modeling and animation. This book has coverage on new additions and changes from C4D R9 that I’ve found extremely helpful. The layout makes it easy to sift through the book and discover these new updates according to what you’re working with currently. The tutorials are easy to follow and some graphics have additional bold text and arrows to help clarify what is being attempted in the tutorials, a really great idea for beginners who may not know all the terminology and layouts! I highly recommend the book to beginners and experts, especially, if you’re attempting to learn on your own, rediscover old skills, or update your knowledge of C4D.

Great 3D Resource

This is the second book in the series that I’ve owned. The new content is very useful for even more experienced users.

The book introduces the fundamentals of 3D modeling which will translate well to any 3D work, not just C4D. The chapters on HDRI, materials, and lighting are all great for the intermediate to advanced users. The tutorials are all well written and help improve your work flow, not just how you use the program.

C4D is a great 3D program, and this book makes it that much easier to learn and get the most out of the program.

Comprehensive introduction to the world of 3D

I wish I’d had this book four years ago when first making the transition from 2D to 3D. Cinema4D is a surprisingly powerful 3D modeling tool with less of a learning curve than many of the other packages on the market, and this most current iteration in the Cinema 4D handbook series covers everything from basic polygonal modeling to high-dynamic range lighting to character rigging. It’s an excellent choice for beginners, but the breadth of topics covered makes it a logical choice for those who familiar with Cinema4D but perhaps not up-to-date with the most recent changes in revision 10. Many of the tutorials will be familiar to those who have read previous versions of the book, but some (the lighting tutorial in particular) have been updated and vastly improved. Recommended.

I appreciate the challenge:

An excellent overview of C4D for those new to the software. If you had C4D 9.1 and Mr. Call’s previous Handbook, you would recognise some of the tutorials.

helpful and clear

I have the r9 version of this book that i used in college and it was great.

This newer version is just as helpful and I think the style of communication makes it really easy to understand what the author is teaching you. It does a great job covering all the new parts of r10

I agree with Mark7th... One of the most helpful c4d books out there. Tutorials are good for beginners/experts alike. Even taught me some special tricks that I would never have thought of.

*****! (that’s five stars)

Unfair review

Normally I never write reviews on anything, but this time I think the previous review is an unfair one. I have been working in 3D for some time, I bought this book searching for a good C4D reference "Bible". Probably I wouldn’t say its a total "Bible", but the tutorials are great, very well explained. The moments that something went wrong, I went back and realized I was the one that made the mistake, not the book. And trust me, I have passed page 55. The book is very well written, and has a lot of useful "tricks". Definitively one of the BEST C4D BOOKS out there!

helpful and clear

I have the r9 version of this book that i used in college and it was great.

This newer version is just as helpful and I think the style of communication makes it really easy to understand what the author is teaching you. It does a great job covering all the new parts of r10

I agree with Mark7th... One of the most helpful c4d books out there. Tutorials are good for beginners/experts alike. Even taught me some special tricks that I would never have thought of.

*****! (that’s five stars)

WORST BOOK ON THE MARKET TODAY!!!

BUYER BEWARE!!! DO NOT PURCHASE THIS UNLESS YOU ENJOY STICKING PINS IN YOURSELF -- FRUSTRATION ABOUNDS! This book is utterly riddled with tutorial mistakes! I made it to page 55 and finally gave up after the third blantant mistake! Out of the 3 mistakes -- 2 were unrecoverable - meaning, even as someone with some 3D experience, I could not figure out the solution.