Cinema 4D to get iPad edition – and new generative AI features
Maxon has announced that it will be integrating new generative AI capabilities into Cinema 4D, its 3D motion graphics and animation software.
The firm will integrate Tencent’s HY 3D engine into Cinema 4D, making it possible to generate 3D models from text prompts or reference images.
The functionality will roll out in “late 2026”, initially in the new iPad edition of Cinema 4D – which Maxon also indirectly announced in its blog post.
Below, we’ve put together our FAQs on the announcments.
What generative AI capabilities is Cinema 4D getting?
Future releases of Cinema 4D will introduce an “AI-assisted workflow … that enables artists to generate base 3D and UV models from text prompts or image references”.
The underlying AI model isn’t developed by Maxon itself, but Chinese tech giant Tencent.
Maxon plans to integrate Tencent’s HY 3D (Hunyuan 3D) AI engine, commercially available through Tencent Cloud, into the software.
Maxon’s online FAQs about the deal say that use of HY 3D is “entirely optional”, contending that AI-generated content is “no different” to stock content from its own Capsules library.
How good are the models the HY 3D engine generates?
Maxon describes the aim of integrating the HY 3D engine as to “accelerate early stages of ideation and prototyping, not to replace skilled 3D modeling artists”.
The firm pitches generative AI as a way to quickly create base models that can later be refined manually during early-stage design.
Subjectively, we would say that the examples of generated models shown in the online gallery for the HY 3D engine are rather more detailed than those in the marketing material for the new generative 3D capabilities in Autodesk’s Flow Studio.
The teaser video at the top of the story also says that character models generated by the HY 3D engine inside Cinema 4D will come with “one-click UVs” and a character rig.
What data was the HY 3D engine trained on?
Maxon’s blog post announcing the deal with Tencent Cloud says that the HY 3D engine was trained on “Tencent’s vast library of games”.
However, Tencent’s research paper on its Hunyuan3D 2.1 AI model says that it was primarily trained on data from publicly available 3D data sets like Objaverse and ShapeNet.
We’ve asked Maxon for clarification, and will update if we hear back.
Will Cinema 4D users data be used to train new AI models?
Maxon’s FAQs state that “Maxon does not train proprietary generative AI models for this integration, nor does it use customer content to train AI systems”.
It doesn’t state that Tencent Cloud, which will operate the generative AI service, won’t train its AI models on data that Cinema 4D users submit.
Again, we’ve asked Maxon for more details, and will update if we hear back.
How will the new generative AI features in Cinema 4D be priced?
The price of Cinema 4D will not increase as a result of the new generative AI features, but the AI tools “may have their own pricing, given that they require cloud computing”.
Other similar services are credit-based, with users having to pre-pay for credits to use them.
Maxon says that the “pricing structure will be announced with the launch of the feature”.
How have Cinema 4D users responded to the idea of generative AI in Cinema 4D?
Maxon drew flak from its users on social media earlier this year with the announcement of Maxon Digital Twin, an upcoming product for generating marketing visuals from 3D models.
As with Cinema 4D, Digital Twin integrates with third-party generative AI models.
On X, the response to the partnership with Tencent isn’t quite as negative – there are few replies welcoming it – but it is still predominantly so.
One motion designer and animator comments: “There are so many areas in the software where you could better direct your resources and attention.”
So what about this new iPad edition of Cinema 4D?
For generative AI sceptics, the more interesting part of the announcement will be something that is only mentioned in passing: Cinema 4D is getting a new iPad edition.
The generative AI workflow will be rolled out initially in Cinema 4D for iPad in “late 2026”, and subsequently in the desktop edition.
The move makes Maxon’s second major product to be ported from desktop to iPad, following the release of ZBrush for iPad in 2024.
Maxon’s blog post doesn’t go into any detail about Cinema 4D for iPad, but the ZBrush version features the core functionality of the desktop app inside a UI adapted for use on a smaller screen, with touch and stylus controls, and is available with standard ZBrush subscriptions.
Price, system requirements and release dates
The HY 3D engine will be rolled out in the new iPad edition of Cinema 4D in “late 2026”, and subsequently in the desktop edition of the software.
Cinema 4D is compatible with Windows 11 and macOS 14.0+. It is available rental-only, with Cinema 4D subscriptions costing $109/month or $839/year.
Read Maxon’s announcement of the iPad edition of Cinema 4D and integration of HY 3D
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