After Effect vs Cinema 4D | Which Animation Tool is Better?

Difference between After Effect and Cinema 4D

Adobe After Effect is software which is used for creating motion graphics, special effect, visual effects, and compositing application and computer animation. This is developed by Adobe Systems in the year 1993. After Effect support both platform Windows as well as Mac Os. Cinema 4D is a software that is used for 3D modeling, rendering, animation, motion graphics painting, etc. This software is developed by Maxon computers in the year 1990, its German-based company. Initially, it was developed for Amiga computers only and up to three successive versions works on this particular platform. Maxcon start to develop it for Mac and Windows platforms from its version four (V4.0).

Applications of Adobe After Effect

The application of this software in the film industry for the post-production of filmmaking and television production. It’s used for keying, tracking. Compositing, animator, nonlinear editor, audio editor, and media transcoding. This software most widely used by artists, filmmakers, video producers. Graphic designer, animator, social media and digital media designer.

Version

The first two versions of this software are launched by the Company of science and art in 1993 version 1.0 and 1.1. Aldus launches its version 3.0 in the year 1994. Adobe launches its version starting from version 3.0.In 1997. The first-time window supporting version was released in 1997 with version 3.1 after then version 4.0 first time launch for Mac and Windows in the year 1999. Version 5.5 was released in the year 2002 with the first OS X support. From July 2007 they start to launch its new series CS came with CS3.0 and continue with this series up to CS6.0 (2012). Later on, Adobe starts its new series with the CC (12.0) in the year 2013 and continue till the latest release CC(16.0) in Oct 2018.

Plugins

After Effect has various plugins support. These plugins create an extra effect such as a particle system for realistic effects for rain, snow, fire, etc. With the help of these plugins, we perform the following effects

Workflow improvement and visual effects
Adding high-end color correction
Translating timelines from FCP or Avoid
Eliminating flicker, noise or rigging
Calculating 3D movement of the camera in a 2D video shot
Creating animated charts, graphs, and other data visualization
A particle system, slow motion
Simulating fire, smoke or water

Applications of Cinema4D

Cinema 4D is flexible and robust software which provide a superb result to 3D artist. The main area of application is the procedure and polygonal modeling, animating, Movies/VFX, lighting, texturing, rendering, architectural design, games, broadcast, visualization etc. These are the few popular movies in which lots of seen molded and rendered with Cinema 4D for e.g. Furious 7, Iron Man 3, Where the dead go to die, Inception, War of the worlds and many more.

Cinema 4D comes with four variants.

Cinema 4D Studios:-This module optimizes the capability of a 3D artist. Its offer advanced 3D graphics.
Cinema 4D Broadcast:-This module helping to create dynamic broadcast graphics easy approach. It’s basically 3D motion graphics-rich module.
Cinema 4D Visualize:-This module add better visualization effect and add realism to your imagination
Cinema 4D prime:-This module is a fully professional module and a perfect selection for graphics designer and 3D artist.

Versions

The first version launched in 1990, later on, they launched successively newer version year by year.

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In 1996 first time launch multiprocessor version for Cinema 4D. Body paint 3D is made available as integrated with cinema 4D from its version V6.0 by the year 2000. Cinema 4D became first 3D professional 3D graphics application from its version R 10 by the year 2010.Cinema 4D R11.5 fully compactable with Mac Ox and Windows 7. The last version of Cinema 4D is R20 launched in September 2018.

Rendering Plugins

Redshirt
Final Render stage 2.0 sp4
Furry Ball GPU render
Fry and indigo render
Maxwell Render
Mental and V ray ray
Krakatoa from Thickbox
Mental ray & Iry
Octane Render

Head To Head Comparison Between After Effect and Cinema 4D (Infographics)

Below are the top 13 differences between After Effect Vs Cinema 4D

Key differences between After Effect and Cinema 4D

Both are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major differences:

After Effect Feature

Advanced puppet tools for mesh sculpting
Native 3D depth passes
Easier and faster expression
Responsive design time
Selective color grading with lumetri color
Display color management
Improved motion graphics templates files exchange with premiere pro
Native mocha AE plugins for after effect
Create in VR 180, preview in the headset
Performance and GPU optimization
Master properties refinements
Learn Panel
Tighter integration with animate and XD
Group invite for team projects
Format support improvements
Creative cloud improvements
Selective color grading with lumetri color
Display color management
Create in VR 180, preview them in the headset
Performance and GPU optimization
Master properties refinements
Learn Panel
Tighter integration with animate and XD
Group invite for team projects
Format support improvements
Creative cloud improvements

Cinema 4D Feature

Enhanced modeling Kernal
Faster picture viewer playback
Speed and memory optimization
Installer command line interface mode
Node base material
One node multiple connections
A material overview
Custom interface
Reusable assets and versioning
Mograph falloffs
Fields and deformations modifiers
Filed as VDB source and filters
Modify selections and maps
Field object
Radial field
Sound field
Random field
Filed Layer
Spline object
Variable Tag
Point object
Field modifiers
Decay
Quantize
Freeze
Cad data import
Easy, Flexible and reliable import
Volume Modeling
Subsurface Scattering
Motion Blurr
Multipass rendering
Motion tracking
Multi instances

Comparison Table between After Effect vs Cinema 4D

Below are the Topmost Comparisons:

The Basis Of Comparison	Adobe After Effect	Cinema 4D
Definition	Its 2D animation software with some 3D plugins	Its 3D modeling and animation software
Rendering	Adobe after effect used for creating post rendering effect	It is not used for post-rendering
Time Consumption	More	Less
Ease of use	Comparatively tough	Easy
3D Editing	Yes	No
Learnability	Hard	Easy
Compositing abilities	Better than Cinema 4D	Not Good as After Effect
Compatibility	Good	Comparatively not Good
Cost	Costly	Cheaper
Visual effect	Good	Not Good as After Effect
Modeling	Not Good as Cinema4D	Good
Strength	Good for visual effects and compositing videos	It’s good for 3Dmodelling and animation
Integration	Better than C4D	Not Good

Conclusion

Adobe After Effect software is good for some Application like compositing videos, adding visual effects, rerendering whereas cinema4D is good in modeling and animation so After Effect Vs Cinema 4D software are good enough for some specific fields. The use of After Effect Vs Cinema 4D depends on you for which type of application you want to use. After Effect Vs Cinema 4D software has mutual integration with one another. Adobe After Effect initially developed by the company of science and art in Ireland. This company launched its first two versions 1.0 (Jan 1993) and 1.1., After then this software is acquired by Aldus Corporation in July 1993, which is further acquired by Adobe in 1994. So Adobe’s first version launch of this software was Adobe After Effect version 3.0.