How to Create Realistic Neon in Cinema 4D
How do you make convincing neon in Redshift without simply cranking up the emission? Chad breaks down his approach to building a neon material from scratch. Plus Nick and Chad chat about the value of industry events and mentorship.
With so much of the 3D community happening online, Nick and Chad take a moment to talk about the value of getting together in person. From SIGGRAPH and NAB to smaller industry meetups, Chad points out that there’s something different about being in a room with other artists, sharing problems, swapping stories, and getting a sense of where the industry is headed
With that same spirit of learning from other artists, Chad and Nick turn to a practical example in Cinema 4D. Chad starts with a set of neon letters from Cargo and shows Nick how to build the material from scratch in Redshift. Instead of simply cranking up emission, he uses a Fresnel-based setup to recreate the way real neon appears brightest when viewed straight on and falls off toward the edges.
From there, they add color, emission, glass-like properties, and bloom to push the material toward a more convincing neon look. Chad also explains why you generally don't want the neon geometry actually lighting the entire scene, and shows how a little reflection or a strategically placed light can sell the effect without introducing unnecessary render noise.
The result is a flexible neon material that can be customized for different colors, signs, and scenes. And, as Nick discovers during the process, learning from someone who's been doing this for a while is still one of the best ways to pick up new tricks.
Watch the full tutorial above to follow Chad's neon material workflow and learn how to build your own in Redshift.