Signal 3.0 User Guide
Signal 3.0
- Easing
- Looper Modifier
- Additional Noise Types
- Fields Integration
- EZ Swap Min/Max Button
- Driven Signal to Keyframes
This guide is explaining core features of Signal plugin. Please also check our training and tutorial videos for more features and use case scenarios.
Easing
A list of common easing settings were added to the Base Tab.
- Left Click in Signal to bring up the Easing dialog
- As you hover over an Easing, it will run a 1.5 second simulation of the easing by animating a little circle.
- In the dialog, Right Click on the easing to run the simulation again.
- In the dialog, Left Click on one of the Easings to select it and make it active. The dialog will then close.
- Right Click in Signal to give it focus.
- When it has focus it will have a yellow border.
- Use Up/Down buttons to go through ALL the Easing types.
- Use Left/Right buttons to go through all the Easing types that are using the same "mode" as the currently active one. It will cycle through all the In, Out, or In Out versions.
Set Linear Button
There is a new button (Set) under the Time Spline that when pressed will set the Time curve to Linear. When it is linear then the easing will behave exactly as it is shown. You can then edit the Time Spline to alter how the easing is sampled.
Looper Modifier
This new modifier works much like the custom modifier, but allows for the following:
- Individual loop points and time offsets for all parameters
- Time Offset.
Additional Noise Types
You can now use Cinema 4D's built in noise types with the Noise Modifier.
- New Bias/Contrast parameter to further customize the noise effect.
- When set to None, it will behave the same as the current version of Signal.
- None is the default type when this modifier is added.
Fields Integration
Integrate fields to control a signal tags overall strength. Imagine a bouncing ball animated with signal tags. A linear field is added and when the field is moved out of the range of the field, the ball stops bouncing.
Internally, this samples the position of the object in the field and then multiplies that against the Base Strength and each of the Modifier Strengths.
Add New Field As Child
- When unchecked, if you double-click in the field it will find the child fields object, pull it out and add it back in at the top of the Object Manager.
- When checked it will work using the default behavior of C4D, which is to make it a child of the object.
Adjustable Field Strengths
- The Base Tab and Modifier Tabs can each individually adjust the influence that the field has on its strength value. ("Fields Strength")
- The Field tab allows you to turn off this influence on All Modifiers or the Entire Signal Tab. ("Apply To Modifiers")
Field Triggers
Use fields to trigger signal animations using the "Trigger Mode" dropdown:
Off
Will use the full effect of the field immediately on play.
On Intersect
Will start the signal tags animation as soon as a field value is sampled that is greater than 0.
It will then multiply the sample value from within the field against the strength values on the Base and Modifier tabs as usual.
Once triggered the signal animation does not stop.
On Intersect (Ignore Falloff)
Will start the signal tags animation as soon as a field value is sampled that is greater than 0.
The field will NOT be sampled. The Base tab and Modifier tab will have their Field Strength values greyed out.
Once triggered the signal animation does not stop.
While Intersecting
Will start the signal tags animation as soon as a field value is sampled that is greater than 0.
When the sampled value is equal to or less than 0 then the signal tag will stop animating the parameter. It stores the last values used and will start the animation up again from that same value when the field intersects the object again.
The field will NOT be sampled. The Base tab and Modifier tab will have their Field Strength values greyed out.
While Intersecting (Ignore Falloff)
Will start the signal tags animation as soon as a field value is sampled that is greater than 0.
When the sampled value is equal to or less than 0 then the signal tag will stop animating the parameter. It stores the last values used and will start the animation up again from that same value when the field intersects the object again.
When active it will multiply the sample value from within the field against the strength values on the Base and Modifier tabs as usual.
EZ Swap Min/Max Button
A button near the min and max entries that swaps Min/Max values.
Driven Signal to Keyframes
If Signal has dependences in the scene, so it plays each frame then records the value.
(Takes longer time in complex scenes)
