Wavefront OBJ

Function available in CINEMA 4D Prime, Visualize, Broadcast, Studio & BodyPaint 3D

Wavefront OBJ

Wavefront OBJ (in the following referred to as OBJ) is one of the most commonly used 3D formats. This is why a new OBJ import/export feature has been integrated into Cinema 4D R17, which also supports materials. This feature also offers numerous options to ensure that objects are imported to Cinema 4D (e.g., to the correct coordinate system) and exported.

This feature imports/exports the following:

Geometry, including UV coordinates. Splines (Lines) can currently only be imported.
Materials and textures: OBJ and Cinema 4D material systems cannot be matched 1:1 but as many material channels as possible will be converted upon import/export. Textures will also be assumed.

The OBJ format is an ASCII format, i.e., the files can be opened in a normal text editor. The OBJ files to be imported must have an *.OBJ extension, otherwise Cinema 4D will not be able to read the file.

Most OBJ import and export settings have identical nomenclatures and also have similar functions.

Tip for exporting color values:
Don’t be surprised if you get RGB values that are different from those you defined when exporting the Color channel. The Brightness values might be converted directly to RGB because the OBJ format itself does not recognize brightness values.