Virtual vinyl

The vinyl toy is a medium that has flourished in the past three years with designers such as Pete Fowler and Tado exhibiting their creations worldwide. If you're looking to show the full potential of your concept, but feel limited by software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, then this tutorial is the answer.

3D applications can give you the freedom to create any shape without the mess and technical aspects that come with clay and plastic prototypes - you can also make as many as you want.

I'm going to show you how to build a virtual vinyl toy using Cinema 4D. By employing just one simple technique you'll be able to create a virtual representation that captures every angle and detail of your design.

The technique I'm going to use is called point-to-point modelling and it enables you to mould any conceivable 3D shape. To do this you'll need to work with three tools: Add Points, Bridge and the Structure Manager. Using these tools you'll be able to draw the outlines of each shape and convert them into a 3D polygon. When the basic model is built, you can finish it with a slick graphic texture.

Click here to download the support files (254KB)

Click here to download the tutorial for free