Les Blocs is a set of Cinema 4D files that can be used to produce buildings based on regular tiles or bloc(k)s similar to the popular game Minecraft. To aid this process, they have been rigged with XPresso and make good use of MoGraph functionality. Since the Element 3D plug-in from Video CoPilot is able to use the files, you can use these files inside After Effects. To help you getting started even if you are not an active user of Cinema 4D I have provided a package with examples based on these templates that can be used immediately. It contains all the models illustrated in the pictures.
While only one variant is illustrated in the images, many of the models come with different material setups for night and day situations or alternate colors. In addition the initial Appetizer package is still available and contains the following models:
To use the models, unzip the files after the download and copy the Les Blocs folder into your Element 3D model library. On Windows this is the Video Copilot\Models folder inside your user account’s My Documents folder. Please refer to the included PDF file for detailed instructions.
Note: The above downloads only contain the basic setups and the examples as already converted polygon models. If you make a donation of 15 Euro or more to support this site and my others, you will be sent the actual parametric Cinema 4D files of the refined models. They contain additional rigging that allows you quick turnarounds to produce even more buildings.
Important Disclaimer: Everything provided here is meant as a toolset to produce your own buildings, explore techniques and have a little fun. While the quality of the examples may be okay when viewed from a distance or for your own pleasure, they may not be sufficient for professional commercial productions. In such cases you are advised to look into commercial products like the Metropolitan pack for Element 3D or model libraries and individual models you can buy from web sites.
