ingvarai

The reason that Prorender does not show up is explained by MAXON in an e-mail to me today: The problem arises when the CPU supports SSE 4.2. We contacted AMD (the developer of ProRender) and are now waiting for solutions. Unfortunately, there is currently no way around the problem, and we first have to install a solution here. I don't use Prorender, so for me this is not very important. Hope the CPU suporting SSE 4.2 does not have any other side effects. And why Get Redshift is greyed out in the menu.. for all of us.. this is puzzling. -Ingvar

I found out how to do it - sort of. In the folder C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Roaming\MAXON\MAXON Cinema 4D R21_64C2B3BD\prefs there probably (not always) is a file named dark.col Tuck this away or rename it to dark.col.org, then replace it with a similar from R20. You will then get several errors on R21 startup. But when these are corrected, you get a sort of R20 look. I did the correction, and I have attached a file which works. Now - still some colors need to be tweaked. Question: Does anyone know what the color of objects / meshes is called? Like when you insert a cube in the editor, the color of the cube? To MAXON: After all these years, just changing the user interface like this without givings us an option to revert to the old trusted one, that is unacceptable. I literally get a headache out of this none contrast washed out black GUI. To replace all colors by hand is waaaaay too cumbersome for me. -Ingvar dark.col

Well, it is almost closed. There is something weird going on. Because Prorender does not show up in the Renderer menu. Not that I am going to use Prorender. But the fact that it is not there, should indicate an anomaly. -Ingvar

I am sure many like the new super-dark GUI in R21. I myself get a headache out of it. What is the easiest way to get the previous look and feel back? Other than manually tweaking each and every color, and still not get the very nice GUI that we have had for 8 years or more.. Perhaps someone has done it, and has a preferences file to share? As it is now, R21 will collect dust on the shelf, and I will use R20. Until I need one of the three new features in R21 😉 -Ingvar

Here is an update: Got an e-mail from Redshift today. They have released an upgrade, Redshift 2.6.47, "which includes a fix for an issue that might prevent the plugin from loading in certain types of CPUs" as they write in an e-mail to me. And guess what - now it works in Cinema 4D R21! So this issue is closed in my case, I can now work in R21! -Ingvar

It is very interesting why that would matter. Bacause Redshift runs fine on all ny C4D versions R16-R20. Now, I did contact Redshift immediately after purchasing it and discovering that it didn't like R21. ow, they have released an upgrade, Redshift 2.6.47, "which includes a fix for an issue that might prevent the plugin from loading in certain types of CPUs" as they write in an e-mail to me. And guess what - now it works in Cinema 4D R21! So this issue is closed in my case, I can now work in R21! -Ingvar

As a matter of fact - it is not unlikely that C4D won't support Redshift and Prorender in a VM. Because a VM allegedly will not use the host OS' GPU. But I do not know much about this, and have no time to investigate and simulate hardware in VMware. It is MAXON's job, so to say. As I see it, it is up to MAXON to solve this now. In the mean time I use R20. They have to come up with a R21 update which will fix this, "real soon now", IMHO. And our support tickets are open, and I am sure they work on this. I hope someone else who has a working R21 with Redshift an post a screen shot of their Renderer menu drop down list. It is pretty quiet in this forum, BTW. In 2012, when I first started with C4D, the Café was bubbling over with posts. -Ingvar

For the first time, a C4D release doesn't work out of the box. I have R13, R14, R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20 and now R21. All Studio versions. All paid by myself, I am a one-man business. And I don't even make money using C4D, to boot. I am a programmer, multimedia is a very expensive side activity for me. I use it for non-profit projects, to visualize environmental issues. We have a lot of them now, and it is getting worse every day. Now - I was on MSA several years, and now I got my R21 which I own. But it doesn't work properly. I also purchased Redshift directly from Redshift3D. This renderer works fine in all versions R16-R20. But not on R21. I have been in contact with Redshift support, which delivers super duper excellent customer service, can't be better than what they do. And I have posted to the bugs forum in the Café. And I have also submitted a support request to MAXON, an they have also been responsive, although now I think they won't be back before Monday. I post to this forum because I just wonder how you R21 menus look like. This is how my R21 Renderer menu looks, only three items! This is how my R20 Renderer menu looks like: The Get Redshift menu item is greyed out in R21. And Redshift does not appear on the main menu at all. How is it on your R21? -Ingvar

I made a new blank Windows 10 Virtual Machine (VMware) and installed C4D R21 to this. Exactly the same problem. So who knows. -Ingvar

I will try a VM (virtual machine), hope C4D installs in such an environment too. That will be interesting! -Ingvar

Yes, good idea. BTW, do you happen to be on MAXON's NDA team? The beta tester team? So than you have installed a beta version of R21 before the commercial released version? I am, and I just thought some file leftovers might cause the problem. -Ingvar

Yes, indeed! I wasn't even aware of this menu item. This clears it up. This proves that we have a C4D issue. I am convinced. FWIW, I have created a support issue with MAXON regarding this, and I already got a response from them, and have replied. So hopefully they will find out about it. When Porender does not show up, and the GetRedshift menu item is greyed out - we are definitely talking about a problem that MAXON needs to look into. As soon as I get a (useful) response from them, I will report back here. -Ingvar

I clicked the link in the e-mail I got from Redshift3D after I purchased it. More than this I cannot do. I assume I have the latest version. I have all C4D versions, from R13 and up, including R21. And I installed Redshift in all versions R16-R21, And Redshift works fine in the other C4D versions. The fact that not Prorender shows up in the list of Renders, in R21, is enough to tell me that something is wrong here. -Ingvar

I have purchased and installed Redshift. But it won't show up in R21. All is fine in the other C4D versions I own, R16-R20. And, as a matter of fact, Prorender is also absent in the Renderer list! What to do about this? I am eager to use Redshift, of course. -Ingvar

Hi guys, I have the same problem! Furthermore, my problem is that Redshift does not show up in render list either. Neither Prorender nor Redshift. Both appear in R20, and work fine there. -Ingvar

Hi Dave and thank you for this! Yes, it is a tough year, 2019, indeed. I have been on the MSA program for several years now. And now these two "surprises". First, this license jumble. Then a new repainted C4D version with new enamel and almost the same stuff under the hood. When it comes to my case, can you please confirm this: ===== Since I have been on the MSA program for several years, C4D Studio, I can sit down now, relax, and do nothing until the nex major C4D release. I have a license that is valid for R21, forever. At the next crossroad, when MAXON releases a major version, I can then chose between a subscription model, or purchase an upgrade (much money once), the good old fashion way. There is no point in me doing anything now for, perhaps, 11-12 months. ===== Is my perception of this right? I am the lucky one, in this license jumble, since I am an MSA oldtimer? When it comes to Blender, I am sure it is a viable option. For me, I have no time nor energy to learn another tool. But most important, I am a C++ programmer so I have developed several plug-ins for C4D for character animation. I am dependent on them when I do animations. (They perhaps will be marketed on day..). As it is now, I will purchase Redshift, my first 3rd party renderer. I made a test, and with two Gainward RTX 2070 GPUs, things render ridiculously fast, and very nice, regardless of added fog, depth of field, Global Illumination etc. Again, thank you for taking your time to give me such a comprehensive reply! -Ingvar

Thanks! I will print this out an put on the wall in my office.

This is what I fear the most. That MAXON will stop releasing yearly versions in September, and instead continuously upgrade the product. This is fine for subscribers, but in practice it will soon make the Perpetual version and upgrades to this obsolete. The chances that I will ever subscribe to software i zero. I make a living as a programmer. So I pay Microsoft a yearly fee for access to their MSDN subscriptions. Multimedia, on the other hand, I use for non.profit projects. I cannot subscribe to anything here. Because subscriptions means a steady flow of money out, which in turn requires a steady flow of money in. My non-profit projects has a pool of money, which can be spent in accordance with a budget. It is not compatible with subscriptions. -Ingvar

Adding the words offline, and reconnect to this License screen, in appropriate places, would have cleared everything up for retarded people like me. All I am pondering about now, is to what extent we also in the future will be able to buy regular "perpetual" upgrades. -Ingvar

I wholeheartedly agree. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. So why is it fixed? This User Interface change was probably not on the top ten wish list for R21. One can suspect that this change is there just to give people the "brand new feel" to compensate for the lack of new useful, and wanted, improvements. The $10.000 question now is: Can we get the old User Interface look and feel back? Under Preferences perhaps? -Ingvar

Does anyone here understand the new MAXON licensing system? 1. What does 14 days remaining mean? What if I start C4D after 15 days? 2. Has MAXON uttered anything regarding upgrades? Will we still be able to purchase regular upgrades? I have bought all C4D versions since and including R13. I will never subscribe to software. When Adobe started this subscription policy, I jumped the Adobe ship and took CS6 with me, which I had paid for. Have paid for and used Adobe products since 1994. 3. Having been on the MSA program, for several years now, I own my R21. So any subscription before September next year is not relevant. If I understand this correct. Do I? 4. But I want to start using Redshift, immediately. Does anyone know if MAXON has a special offer on Redshift, which applies to faithful customers like me? Or do I have to go to Redshift and cough up the $500 and get me a license there? -Ingvar

Same with me. I am.., i.e. was a die hard Windows 7 user. But the Magix Vegas video NLE requires Windows 10, C4D does, as well as some other applications eventually will. So I upgraded my machine to Windows 10. And I won't go back! Everything went very smooth, of my almost one hundred applications installed, just one old Windows XP application failed to run. But this also runs now, after I applied a hack. As if the Windows 10 installer is intelligent, I got a desktop after the upgrade which is almost identical to what I had in Windows 7. Start menu, task bar, icons on the desktop - everything is as it used to be in Windows 7, except that I like i even more. I recommend the upgrade.

Hi, yes a script would probably solve this. But I'd rather have MAXON add this functionality. Like this: An additional option named Bottom. So that when no object is selected in OM, the newly added object is added at the very bottom in OM. When an object is selected, the newly added object is added at the bottom of the selected objects sub items hierarchy. This is logical for me, and natural way for me to work. Likewise, when I write a document, and add a topic to my article, I add the new topic at the bottom of the document. -Ingvar

Ok, it does not work the way I want, after all. There is no Bottom option. For the objects to end up at the bottom, which I want them to do, always, the current object at the bottom has to be selected, and the Next option has to be selected. This is not what I want, this is no better than the default Top mode C4D comes installed with. So it is not possible to have the objects default always added at the bottom after all. I can't be the only one who likes the objects to end up at the bottom. -Ingvar

Blushing.. wonder how log this has been possible.. And I even write plugins for C4D in C++ Well - I just have to thank you! Edited: It wan't that easy after all. Se my post below. -Ingvar