The Pixel Lab
The Pixel Lab
The Pixel Lab is an online motion graphics resource
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  • 3 Tips to Make Your Bokeh Blurs Epic
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    3 Tips to Make Your Bokeh Blurs EpicIn this tutorial, Ill share three quick tips for how to make your bokeh DOF blurs pop in 3D. This is in Cinema 4D and Octane, but similar options are available for Redshift, Arnold, Blender, etc. You can even do this in After Effects!These 3 Cinema 4D Tips Will Make Your Bokeh Great!Get this free interior 3D model in our freebies section. Its part of the Hard Surfaces Freebie.Head to the FreebiesWhat Cinema 4D Quick Tips will we learn about?In this tutorial, well go over settings like Bokeh Roundness, Aperture Edge, Aperture Aspect Ratio, and also how to add a custom Bokeh Lens or Aperture Map for even more realism. I hope you learn something new!Want to add even more realism to your Bokeh? Check out Bokeh Pro!Learn More HereWant More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • Blender Octane Texture Pack 3: Procedural Edition
    www.thepixellab.net
    Procedural EditionOctane Texture Pack 3 for BlenderOctane + Blender Texture Pack 3: Procedural Edition has 100+ incredibly detailed and 100% procedural textures. We gave ourselves the challenge of making every texture procedural so there are zero bitmaps or image textures! This means you can scale everything without limit and everything is customizeable. The textures are all set up to be seamless and tileable and most are prepared utilizing Triplanar Mapping so everything is simple for you to use. Every texture has smudges, dirt, flecks and subtle variations to make them incredibly realistic.
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  • Blender Octane Texture Pack 2: Architecture
    www.thepixellab.net
    Architecture EditionOctane Texture Pack 2 for Blender (Includes .orbx)Over 100 incredibly detailed and high-resolution textures for stunning interior or exterior scenes. These would be perfect for any mograph work also, not just arch viz. Every texture has smudges, dirt, flecks, and subtle variations to make them incredibly realistic. This pack is a must-have for pro-level texturing!Incredible RealismAttention to detailEvery texture has incredible detail to make them ultra-realistic.VarietyExtremely VersatileThis pack includes all the .orbx files in a separate download. This means you can use the pack in Octane Standalone and other apps that use Octane!Professional DesignBeautiful DetailsThese assets are a must-have for professional archviz, architecture, interiors, or motion graphics pieces.BUY NOW (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)This pack has 114 incredibly detailed architectural 3D textures for Octane Render and BlenderBUY NOW (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)18 Blender Octane Metal Textures(Renders below by Pierre Magnol using these shaders: bphoton.com)BUY NOW (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)10 Blender Octane Glass Textures9 Blender Octane Fabric Textures4 Blender Octane Ornamental Textures27 Blender Octane Mineral Textures25 Blender Octane Plastic Textures21 Blender Octane Wood TexturesBUY NOW (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)Versatility with .orbxWe included the .orbx files which means you should be able to use this pack in any other software which has Octane. Your mileage might vary depending on the software, and the way you use them might be different, but having access to .orbx files means that Octane can read these materials in any platform, including Octane Standalone!A Octane Texture Pack for the professional 3D Blender artistA .blend file with 114 shaders. All textures are procedural or 4K quality because every detail is important.Really nice pack and very accurate. I really like this pack because theyre efficient and especially for this production because it was very short in term of delays, just a few days, and I needed good based materials that I could tweak the way I wanted in order to produce the exact look the client wanted.P MAGNOL About Octane Texture Pack 2 for C4D. WWW.BPHOTON.COMBUY NOW (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)I was new to Octane for a big project and was approaching a tight deadline. The Pixel Labs texture packs helped elevate the project quickly and beautifully and at a reasonable price. Since then, I have snatched up just about every one of Pixel Labs Octane texture and materials pack. Theyre vast and versatile. They add a ton of production value to all of my projects. And they give me a greater understanding of how to build and customize my own textures. The new architectural pack is astounding. Now, the only hard part is I find myself obsessing over which texture looks best.Matthew Wells on Octane Texture Pack 2 for C4Dinstagram.com/postman_officialBUY NOW FOR ONLY $69 (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)RequirementsOctane 2024.1.2_29.18.0_stable +Blender 4.1 +GuaranteeWe believe in what we create and want you to be 100% happy. We offer a 60 day money back guarantee if we dont meet your expectations!Your Biggest SavingsC4D Octane Texture BundleIf you use Octane + Cinema 4D, then check out our Octane Texture Bundle. It has all nine of our C4D Octane texture packs with a 20% savings!Learn more hereRecommended Products
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  • Free C4D 3D Model Pack: Video Production Assets
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Fluid Effects: Water Splashes 4 Slow Motion
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    The post Fluid Effects: Water Splashes 4 Slow Motion appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • Octane Texture Pack 1: Blender + Orbx
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    The post Octane Texture Pack 1: Blender + Orbx appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • Huge 3D Packshot Design Contest! Free Pack Plus Prizes!
    www.thepixellab.net
    New Contest! Download a free asset pack and create a render of a 3D packshot.I hope you will join this super fun contest. Its a great way to practice some new skills. Were doing 3D Packshot as the theme. If you look up 3D Packshot on Behance, Pinterest, or Google, youll get some inspiration. You can create a packshot of any product or object. It can be an actual product or item, or a fake one. You could make one for beauty products, food, watches, shoes, technology items, or anything else. By joining this contest youll get a free mini-pack of assets to use for your design elements, youll get some great practice, and you can use the result on your social media or reel. The winners will get some rad prizes too. I hope you enjoy the contest, I think it will be TONS of fun!PrizesFirst Place: VDB Bundle from The Pixel LabSecond Place: 10 Free Products from The Pixel LabThird Place: 5 Free Products from The Pixel LabRules1. Download the mini-pack with 8 types 3D Assets: Cloth, Splashes, Cloud, and Abstract Splines(FYI, The full products on our site have complete animation sequences, but for this contest, Im giving you one of the frames from the animations for free).2. Make sure to use at least some of the assets in your render. You can use as many of them as you want, its up to you!3. Create a 3D Packshot of any real or fictional object or product. It could be anything. Search Behance for 3D Packshot to get tons of inspiration!4. Make a still render and send it to joren@thepixellab.net5. The deadline will be March 15, 2025.Our internal team of judges will look at all of the entries. We will pick the top three entries based on creativity/originality/design and we will announce the winners in early April 2025. We will fulfill the prizes shortly after.Note 1: This artwork must be created for the contest. It cannot be a previous piece you have already created. No AI is allowed.Note 2: If you want to purchase any of our products, and you end up winning, we will refund your purchase, so dont worry about buying them if you want to.Here are the included elements in the contest download:Free Mini Pack of 3D VFX Motion Graphics Design ElementsReady to roll? Download the free asset pack I prepared for this contest and lets go!
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  • Free C4D 3D Model: Railroad Crossing Sign and Tracks
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Vegetation Assets: 3D Animated Willow Trees
    www.thepixellab.net
    The post Vegetation Assets: 3D Animated Willow Trees appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • VFX Elements: Fireworks 2
    www.thepixellab.net
    The post VFX Elements: Fireworks 2 appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • Free C4D 3D Model: Industrial Warehouse Hangar
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Cinema 4D PolyFX Transition or Reveal Effect!
    www.thepixellab.net
    Cinema 4D PolyFX Transition or Reveal Effect!In this tutorial Ill show you a really fun transition or reveal effect in Cinema 4D using the PolyFX. A perfect transition for sci-fi, HUD elements, Logos and moreHuge shoutout to Arturo. Check him out here: www.arturowong.comGet this free model, used in the tutorial, in our freebies section.Head to the Freebies Cinema 4D PolyFX Transition or Reveal EffectWell learn about the Cinema 4D PolyFX which will break your object into little pieces which will grow on for the reveal. Its perfect for sci-fi style stuff, or technology animations, or HUD items, or you could reveal logos with it.The other important part of this tutorial is showing you how to use a proxy object to apply the animation onto first. This will allow you to dial it all in quickly before adding the effects to your high resolution object. I hope you learn something new!Want More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • VFX Elements: VDB Fire 4
    www.thepixellab.net
    Want More?VDB Fire BundleGet VDB Fire Packs 1 & 2 and VFX Fire Packs 1, 2, 3, and 4 together for huge savings!Learn MoreWant More?VFX Elements BundleGet thousands of professional VFX elements for your next project and snag a tasty 25% discount with this bundle!Learn MoreWant More?VDB BUNDLEIf you want to save 25% off the thousands of assets in our VDBs lineup, check out our VDB Bundle!Learn More
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  • Animated 3D Flags Pack Volume 2
    www.thepixellab.net
    The post Animated 3D Flags Pack Volume 2 appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • Cinema 4D Speed Hacks: 5 Must-Know Tips V2
    www.thepixellab.net
    Cinema 4D Speed Hacks: 5 Must-Know Tips V2In a previous video, I gave you 5 simple but powerful tips to speed up your Cinema 4D workflow and save you valuable time on your projects. Today, were going for V2, with 5 brand new C4D hacks to speed up your work!These 5 Cinema 4D Shortcuts Will Save You Hours of WorkGet this free model, used in the tutorial, in our freebies section.Head to the FreebiesWhat Cinema 4D Quick Tips will we learn about?In this tutorial youll learn:How to select hard-to-reach objects, like ones hidden behind other objects or behind glass. If you want to highlight this object you can hold down Ctrl and right-click while hovering over it. A dropdown menu will show up and include everything that is behind where you clicked. This is a fast way to select an object that is behind a pane of glass or obscured by anything!If youve ever wanted to move a Cinema 4D parent object but dont want the children to move or rotate you can easily and temporarily disconnect the parent/child relationship by simply holding down the number 7!If you have a massive scene or a very small scene and your objects get cut off in a very strange way you are probably reaching the end of where your scene is being calculated. This is the clipping area. You can easily change the clipping in C4D by hitting Ctrl+d to open your settings. Then under display, you can change the View Clipping setting to Large for a huge scene or Small for a tiny scene. This will solve your issue!Learn how to drag ANY parameter onto your Viewport as a HUD slider. Its super useful and a great way to quickly animate any property without digging around in your hierarchy.And for the final tip, Ill show you how to store any object selection with the Selection Object. Its another really hidden but powerful workflow item you should know about.I hope these tips help you in your work!Want More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • C4D Designers Kitbash Pack: FREE!
    www.thepixellab.net
    The Ultimate Kitbash PackDesigners PackIntroducing the 3D Designers Pack a comprehensive kitbash collection featuring nearly 300 curated models. These are perfect for rapid prototyping and building out your scenes. This versatile pack combines steampunk, industrial, and sci-fi mechanical elements to help bring your creative visions into the third dimension.And the best part: its 100% free!! We decided to give away this entire $89 pack at no cost as a gift to you.To get your download link, simply subscribe to our newsletter. Already a subscriber? Check your emails for the password to access our exclusive download page.
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  • Why You Should Use the Cinema Track Modifier Tag
    www.thepixellab.net
    Why You Should Use the Cinema Track Modifier TagHave you ever heard of the Cinema 4D Track Modifier Tag? Its hidden, and its a gem.Why You Should Use the Cinema Track Modifier TagWhat is the C4D Track Modifier Tag Used For?You can do so much with it: stretch out animations without touching keyframes, change the start range procedurally, make a stop motion or posterized time effect without touching keyframes, make secondary animation boing and spring and delay effects, and even add random motion to an object.Its a tough tag to explain, so let me walk you through it in this short Cinema 4D tutorial! Be sure to like and subscribe Want More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • Free 3D Model: Industrial Truss Beams
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • The Ultimate Guide to 3D Fluid Simulation in 2025
    www.thepixellab.net
    3D Fluid SimulationsHave you ever received an email from a client that sent shivers down your spine? It might include this paragraph: Hey, I need you to create a fluid animation effect for me; heres a reference photo of a beautiful (insert photo of waves, ocean, splashes, beer pour, etc.). You have till Tuesday.True story, I have a friend who received the exact email above, asking him to create an animation of a wave splashing back and forth in a container. He spent 30 hours trying to simulate it, and in the end, his client hated it, and my friend didnt get paid a penny.In this blog post, I want to help you avoid this situation. While the email will still give you the shivers, at least you will have a better understanding of the best practices for making fluid simulations in 3D.This guide isnt going to give you the specifics but instead will provide you with a general overview of the available tools and the best ways to get the results you want. Lets dive in; the water (fluid) is warm!Why Fluids?If youre a motion designer or VFX artist, then you cant go long without a request to make fluids. It has become a key part of our job as artists, from creating crown splashes to motion design water elements to pack shots with liquid exploding around them to realistic oceans to rain effects.Above render using our Water Splashes 2 PackWhy is this so hard? (Avoid joke here). Fluid sims are among the most complex tasks you will face. Why? Because fluid dynamics is a mathematical hellscape of complexity. If you go in too far, you will likely hear the term Navier-Stokes equations, which will immediately be followed by equations that look like maybe the alien language has been discovered.Graphic from this post.If you consider the properties youll be dealing with, then you will understand why the math behind the physics is so intense. Were talking about parameters like viscosity, flow, density, pressure, surface tension, turbulence, and vorticity. And this isnt even getting into lighting and texturing accurately! Fluids are REALLY tough. Because of this, you will be challenged with a daunting quest.What will you learn in this Fluid Guide?In this guide, youll learn the current landscape of tools and plugins you can use to achieve 3D fluid simulations. Youll learn which to use and which to avoid, and even discover some shortcuts you might consider along the way.Understanding Fluid Simulation BasicsThere are a few different types of fluid simulations. There are standard Liquid Simulations that simulate the behavior of liquids like water, oil, or lava. They often use methods like FLIP (Fluid-Implicit Particle) or SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics).There are also Gas Simulations used for simulating smoke, fire, or gaseous-type phenomena. You can usually create these with Pyro effects. There are Particle-Based Simulations that use particle systems to represent fluids and let you create splashes, foam, and spray. There are also more specialized fluid simulations, like ocean and wave simulations. Lets first figure out what software is equipped to handle these best.Software recommendations for 3D Fluid SimulationSome 3D software handles fluids incredibly well, and some fail quite spectacularly. Lets start with the BEST, and proceed to the worst.The biggest takeaway for you is that if you want professional, top-shelf sims, then you have to learn Houdini. It is BY FAR the most capable, realistic, powerful, and accurate software for making simulations. The downside is that it has the steepest and most aggressive learning curve of all software!3D Fluids in HoudiniAbove render by Emmett MikitaHoudini specializes in multiple aspects of VFX, from modeling to final rendering. This software RULES film, television, advertising, and gaming industries by handling everything from rigging and animation to visual effects and lighting. It handles massive projects and crazy pipelines with no issues.Houdini uses the sophisticated FLIP (fluid-implicit particle) solver to give you both speed and precision in fluid simulations and creates realistic atmospheric effects, including mist, foam, spray, and bubble elements.Houdini also has Ocean FX tools for making seas, beaches, small oceans, large oceans, wave tanks, beach tanks, waves, and much more.Mastering Houdini requires significant time investment, but it can be well worth the effort when it comes to fluid simulations. Houdini is the leading solution for 3D fluid simulation in our industry.3D Fluids in 3DS MaxAbove render by Hammer Chen using Phoenix3ds Max boasts Chaos Phoenix, which is a powerful fluid dynamics system that can create various liquid effects, including bubbles, foam, and splashes.Phoenix is famous for making fire and smoke, but it has a fully featured fluid dynamics system as well. It works with the same principles as when it creates gaseous volumes and is unusual in that it works with voxels rather than particles, generating the surface at render time.Phoenix for 3ds Max and Maya can produce ship waves on the ocean, dribbling chocolate or frothing beer, and when rendered with global illumination using V-Ray, the results can be quite incredible!3D Fluids in MayaAbove render by BlendarianMayas Bifrost is capable of handling large-scale fluid simulations with tens of millions of particles. Bifrost is a procedural framework that can create simulated liquid and aerodynamic effects using a FLIP (fluid implicit particle) solver.The technology was employed as a dedicated tool for VFX studios and was used in films including Avatar, X-Men: First Class, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.Its capable of handling tens of millions of particles for large-scale fluid simulations. It has the ability to produce fluid sims like foam particles, bubbles, spray effects, and rolling waves.3D Fluids in Unreal EngineAbove render by Jesse PitelaIf youre riding the Unreal train of real-time delight and you want to experiment with the watery world, they have their own built-in fluid simulation system for real-time fluid effects. Its called Niagara Fluids. It can be used to create complex fluid simulations for games and cinematics, including smoke, fire, and liquids.UE also has add-ons you can explore, like Fluid Flux, which is a third-party plugin available on the Epic Games Marketplace that offers real-time water simulation capabilities for rivers, oceans, and shorelines.3D Fluids in BlenderAbove render by CG GeekBlender has native tools for fluids that you can use without additional plugins or addons.It includes a system called Mantaflow, which lets you create various fluid effects. You can also dig into quite a few Blender add-ons for fluids, including FLIP Fluids, which is quite popular. Its a tool designed to help users set up, run, and render high-quality liquid simulation effects within Blender.TLDR, Blender has some great options for fluids!3D Fluids in Cinema 4dAbove render by Redila Media using PyroAnd now we come to the software many of us know and love, Cinema 4D. At this point, we wonder collectively why C4D is at the bottom of the list when I mentioned we would go from best to worst.Collectively we accept the reality: Cinema 4D kind of sucks at fluids.A handful of years ago, there was an exciting and enticing race to the top between X-Particles and Realflow. Sadly, X-Particles went off the rails with apparent corporate greed (not my opinion, but the opinion of all of the forums I have ever read), and Realflow mysteriously went inactive.This leaves us with the native C4D fluid tools. Oh wait, there are none. Crap.In Cinema 4D there are a few ways of approaching fluids that are AWESOME for motion design or static frames. They definitely are slow, and they dont look very good in many situations, but for certain applications, they work well. These include:1. Using C4D Pyro to generate the animation and then a volume mesher and builder to turn it into the required blobby geometry. This process allows for the creation of various fluid-like effects, including watery and slimy vibes.2. Using the 2024+ Cinema 4D Particle engine to create particle animations that are then fed into a volume mesher and builder to create the geometry. This method involves using emitters, field forces, turbulence, and friction to simulate fluid behavior. The particles can then be connected using a volume builder to create a fluid-like appearance. The downside is that its fairly slow to work with. Heck, I even made a tutorial on this process you can check out!3. Other dumb options: umm metaballs.Dont get me wrong; particles or pyro + volume builders are great ways to get by but most certainly wont generate anything with real-world perfection!The Ultimate Cheat CodeI have good news. Say you need a beautiful, photo-real, perfectly simulated fluid effect, and you open up the Houdini door and quickly shut it as the mathematical formulations tumble and gather at your feet.You go to door two; it has Cinema 4D in there, but its just not gonna get you to the finish line where the client triumphantly hands you the check.I would like to introduce a 3rd door. You open it and what do you find? Pre-simulated, pre-cached assets for all sorts of fluid effects that are pre-made with love just for you.This is the part of the blog where I shamelessly plug our Fluid Effects lineup of 3D assets in case you want bubbles, water splashes, crown splashes, rivers, and more. Weve done all the hard work (in Houdini of course) to make the perfect assets, which you can simply drag and drop into your next project. Theyre .abc Alembic files, so you can use them in any render engine or 3D app you want.With this shameless plug out of the way, lets talk about the future!Future of Fluid SimulationI dont have any insider knowledge about this, but I have heard rumors of C4D working on a fluid system behind the scenes, which makes a lot of sense because they recently introduced Pyro and Particles. Keep your eyes open for that.There are also other plugins in development, like LiquiGen, which are not quite perfect yet but are getting better all the time. And who knows what AI tools will come out with next?Currently, though, your choices are Houdini, 3ds Max + Phoenix, Maya + Bitfrost, Unreal Engine Niagara, or Blender.Or our assets, of course (which are better than anything you could dream of). Things change quickly, but for now, we are here at the end of this incredible journey.Conclusion and SummaryAbove render from The Pixel Lab Rivers PackI hope you have learned what you need from this overview, and youre ready to tackle the problems head-on. Whatever your client asks of you, I wish you the best of luck.Happy simulating, happy rendering, and Im here if you need anything. Good luck with your projects!Recommended Products
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  • Free 3D Model: Cargo Shipping Container
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Cinema 4D Pyro Pack
    www.thepixellab.net
    Want More?VDB SimulationsIf you want tons of fire and smoke simulations, but dont want to spend all of the time rendering them procedurally, check out our VDB packs. We did all of the simulating, and you will receive a file that you can drag-and-drop into your project. Theyre much faster to use, much more detailed, and the results are incredible. We have almost 2,000 of them in our store, so check them out!
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  • Free 3D Model: Video Film Clapperboard
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Motion Design Elements: Abstract 3D Splines
    www.thepixellab.net
    Want More?VFX Elements BundleGet Glass Explosions, Ground Destruction, Destruction Debris, Portals, Blood Hits, Smoke Plumes 1-4, VDB Fire 1-3, Fireworks, Aerial Shockwaves, Ground Shockwaves, Atmospherics 1-2, Smoke Trails 1-3, Wispy Smoke, Smoke Bursts, Sparks, and Meteors together and save over 25%! Get thousands of professional VFX elements for your next project!Learn MoreWant More?VDB BUNDLEIf you want to save 25% off of ALL the VDBs check out our VDB Bundle. It includes everything: VDB Clouds Packs 1-11, Smoke Packs 1-4, Explosions Packs 1-8, and VDB Fire Packs 1-2 with a savings of over 25%.Learn More
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  • Cinema 4D Tutorial: VDB Volume Workflow Hack
    www.thepixellab.net
    Cinema 4D Tutorial: VDB Volume Workflow HackWhats the difference between the RS Volume object and the Volume Loader Object. Have you ever been confused as to why there are two ways to load a VDB? Which one should you use?The VDB Volume Hack That Will Change Your Redshift Workflow Forever!What is the Difference Between the RS Volume and the Volume Loader Object?I found a workflow for VDBs that seems to be WAY better! Am I missing something? Let me know!Well go over how to use VDB Volumes in Cinema 4D and Redshift and how to optimize import, usage, scale, and more. I hope you find it useful!If you want over 2,000 VDBs and VFX Elements check out our store now!Get your VDBs HereWant More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • Interview with Professional 3D Artist Darrien Murphy
    www.thepixellab.net
    One 3D artist I have been a huge fan of is Darrien Murphy. Hes an incredible designer.I recently saw a piece he did called Superheroes and Villains Trapped in the Egyptian Temple of Hathor and I really loved it. The vibe is sick, the camera moves are great, the music is spot on, and the whole thing is just really clean and well-made.I wanted to ask him about this video and his process so we can all learn a little about his workflow. Lets go! But before we do, lets watch the video, so we know what were discussing:Tell us about yourself! What do you do?My name is Darrien Murphy and Im a freelancer. Ive been in 3D/motion design for 20 years. My favorite and most used software is Maya in conjunction with Redshift.Tell me about this particular project. Was it for a client, or personal project? A bit of both. My friend started an online toy store called Lost City Toys and she hired me to create the brand and the website. I knew she would need a promo video and this project is the outcome. I have also been rebuilding my reel and felt like I needed one more project.What was the goal of this project? This is a promo to launch the website www.lostcitytoys.com & hopefully bring some eyes to it.What software/engine/plugins did you rely on for this project? I used Maya, Redshift, After Effects, and Davinci Resolve. No plugins.What was the most challenging part of pulling off such a great project? This project was the first time I really dove heavily into the new Redshift Standard Material with Subsurface Scattering. I knew the marble material would be in almost every shot so I spent a lot of time on it fine-tuning. For a long time, Ive had some sculptures in my mind that I wanted to emulate. The Bust of Octavian when he was a boy and the ivory miniatures from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna which I visited about 15 years ago. Here are some images that I used for inspiration:What was the timeline, how long did it take you to create?I took about 9 months including about 2.5 months of rendering. This was on top of my normal work schedule.Did you work with a team on this, or do it all yourself?I did work with purchased sculpts from some ZBrush modelers such as Vasiliy Poryagin, Zafar Hussain, and Dragun Studios. Other than that I did everything, hence the 9 months.What was the most fun part of it?The most fun part was the look development and lighting. My background is film directing so even though this is just 2 minutes I treated it like a film production.Do you use VDBs much?Yes, on two of my last three project I have used VDBs and I plan to in the future. The Pixel Lab VDBs are really great.I love using VDBs because they allow me to get directly into look development. For example, on this project, after I created the volume material for the fire I didnt even have to do a test render sequence because I already knew the sim was great. I also like the versatility and ease of use.(Learn more about VDBs in this article)Above fire asset is from VFX Elements Fire 3 PackDo you have any tips for using VDBsThe primary tip I would give for fire is finding the delicate balance between the gradient and other attributes in the material versus the (Redshift) Postfx Bloom. Getting the balance right will allow it to behave properly on screen meaning seeing detail in the flames when close and an overexposed flame from a distance with no adjustment.(Above render is Darrien using our Fire VDBs)Do you have any suggestions for people who want to join the industry now? Yes, if you use 3rd party assets, use high-quality assets. Pay attention to lens sizes in your 3D scene. Its as much a part of the creative process as anything else. Be ambitious in your projects, particularly while youre young and have extra time. Get in the habit of being outside your comfort zone. This will accelerate your learning pace.Ill also share a bit of my process. I chose music early (before my shot list). I edited the music, and then I made a video edit with just solid color backgrounds and text (see video below). I tailor my shots to the music, and then when I render I have an exact frame length with 10 extra frames of heads and tales.Where can we find your work and learn more about you?YouTube: www.youtube.com/@theimperiumstudioArt Station: www.artstation.com/darrienmurphyPixel Lab VDB 3D AssetsI hope you enjoyed this interview with Darrien! If you want to use the same assets that he uses in his renders, check out our VDB Packs!Check out Our VDB Products Here
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  • Free 3D Model: Low Poly Earth Globes
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Cinema 4D Particle Pack
    www.thepixellab.net
    The post Cinema 4D Particle Pack appeared first on The Pixel Lab.
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  • Cinema 4D 2025.1 Updates: WOW!
    www.thepixellab.net
    Cinema 4D 2025.1 Updates: WOW!Here are my favorite 3 (or 4) additions to Cinema 4D with their new 2025.1 Winter Release, which just dropped. These are absolutely Quality of Life updates, which are very useful. Maybe not the most shiny and exciting updates, but incredibly handy day-to-day!My 4 Favorite Updates in Cinema 4D 2025.1 Winter ReleaseIn this C4D tutorial you'll learn:New Boolean Object. The update allows you to stack anything inside the boolean, including Cloners, in a very intuitive and fast way. It also adds the new Boolean Tag under the Modeling Tags. This allows you to add a tag to anything inside of the Boolean and change the operation of that object by overriding the main Boolean settings. Very handy! Overall, it is a fantastic update.Custom Templates. Now you can create a custom scene and add it to your home screen so when you start up Cinema 4D you can quickly open a custom template. This is perfect for creating scenes for various project types to give you a jump start. Something like a perfect 3-point lighting setup with cyc and textures and HDRI which you keep coming back to would be perfect to add as a custom template.A new Denoising engine called OIDN. Its Intels latest Open Image De Noiser which is GPU accelerated and AI based. It allows you to navigate your scene and get a very quick response. A huge quality-of-life boost for texturing and lighting since it resolves so dang quickly!And finally, the Custom Frames option in the render settings. This is a perfect way to render select frames in your sequence, or even render only missing frames. Its not too flashy, but its SO HELPFUL!Want More Quick Tips?If you want more of these, head to our YouTube channel, leave a comment, and subscribe!Leave a Comment and Subscribe Here
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  • Free 3D Model: Animated Palm Tree
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
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  • Free 3D Model: Billiard Pool Table
    www.thepixellab.net
    To download, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·155 Views
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