Maxon’s Cineware for Unreal Engine 2025-2 update, released on April 2, 2025, represents a significant evolution in bridging Cinema 4D with Unreal Engine. As confirmed by the official support article, this version goes beyond simply transferring static scenes—it now robustly supports character animation workflows by exporting fully rigged and skinned characters directly from Cinema 4D into Unreal Engine. The plugin leverages Cinema 4D’s native rigging system, ensuring that joint hierarchies, bone matrices, and associated skin weight data are faithfully interpreted, meaning that rigged characters arrive in Unreal with all the technical nuance intact. For seasoned production artists tired of the traditional FBX workaround and endless baking processes, this update is a welcome injection of efficiency with a side of cheeky defiance.

Detailed Animation Data Transfer and Real-Time Preview

Digging deeper into the technical specifics, Cineware for Unreal 2025-2 now includes support for exporting full animation data. This covers keyframe-driven motion and time-based transformations with careful preservation of interpolation types—be it linear or cubic—ensuring that the intended dynamics in Cinema 4D are directly reproduced in Unreal. Advanced users will appreciate that the plugin reads complex rig hierarchies natively, which translates into smooth integration with Unreal Engine’s Sequencer. Moreover, real-time preview capabilities mean that as you tweak your Cinema 4D scene, you can see immediate feedback in the Unreal viewport. This tight integration not only accelerates the iterative process but also minimizes the risk of translation errors—a technical safety net for projects where every frame counts.

Native Integration with Unreal Engine’s Workflow

For those already deep into Unreal Engine’s ecosystem, the 2025-2 update introduces enhanced blueprint connectivity. The plugin now supports direct integration with Unreal’s native blueprint system, allowing developers and technical directors to quickly incorporate imported animations and rig data into their game logic and cinematic sequences. This seamless coupling means that the rigged characters and animated scenes are not only imported intact but can also be manipulated in real time using Unreal’s familiar control systems. The integration capitalizes on the engine’s new Skeletal Mesh Component system, ensuring that even intricate character rigs maintain their structural fidelity and perform reliably under the engine’s real-time constraints.

Technical Requirements and Considerations

While Cineware for Unreal Engine 2025-2 offers an impressive leap forward, it does come with technical prerequisites. The plugin requires a recent version of Cinema 4D (R25 or later) and is fully compatible with Unreal Engine 5.0 and above. It supports only Cinema 4D’s native rigging system, meaning that those employing third-party rigging tools or mocap retargeting systems should verify compatibility before diving in. Additionally, the update incorporates advanced parameter optimization techniques, ensuring that even complex rigs—with multiple layers and constraints—are processed efficiently without bogging down system performance. It also supports morph target data for facial animation, a feature that will certainly delight character animators looking for precision in lip-sync and expression work.

Integration, Experimentation, and Production Readiness

Maxon has been transparent about the fact that Cineware for Unreal Engine 2025-2 is still under active development. While the update brings substantial improvements to the character animation pipeline, it remains essential that users perform thorough testing in their specific production environments. This is particularly crucial for projects with strict deadlines or high-stakes deliverables. As with any innovative tool, rigorous validation is advised before integrating it fully into a production pipeline. The promise of a streamlined, FBX-free workflow is enticing, but seasoned professionals know that the devil—and occasionally the delightful quirks—lie in the technical details.

Final Thoughts

Cineware for Unreal Engine 2025-2 stands as a bold step toward a more integrated, efficient production pipeline, offering native support for rigging, skinning, and animation data transfer from Cinema 4D directly into Unreal Engine. By eliminating the need for intermediate baking and FBX exports, this update not only simplifies the workflow but also maintains high fidelity in rig and animation data. For digital production professionals, VFX artists, and game developers, this is an opportunity to reimagine the production process—provided that thorough testing is carried out before deploying it in a live environment. To dive deeper into the technical specifications or to download the free plugin, visit Maxon’s Cineware for Unreal page and review the official support article.

The post Cineware for Unreal 2025-2: Rig, Animate, and Roll—No FBX Fuss first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Maxon One 2025 brings extensive new features to Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant and Cineware. Of particular note is the introduction of ZBrush for iPad, which fully integrates touch control and Apple Pencil without limiting the performance of the desktop version.

Cinema 4D users will benefit from improved simulation capabilities, and Redshift offers new tools for controlling toon renderings and light refraction. However, each new feature should be tested carefully before use in current projects.

ZBrush for iPad

ZBrush for iPad allows artists to use the award-winning sculpting software on the go, modelling and painting their creations in real time. The mobile version includes many of the features of the desktop version, including over 200 digital sculpting brushes and a customisable user interface that makes working even more efficient. In addition, the latest iPad generation can handle meshes with up to 92 million polygons without compromising performance.

In addition, ZBrush for iPad offers the following functions:

• ZRemesher: Creates a new mesh with an even distribution of polygons while preserving the important details and texture of the surface.
• Sculptris Pro: Automatically adjusts the density of triangle meshes with each brush stroke, making modelling easier without technical limitations.
• DynaMesh: Retopologises the model during sculpting, allowing the digital “clay mass” to be stretched or enlarged without losing detail.
• Array Mesh: Enables real-time creation of duplicates of the geometry in different patterns and shapes.
• Dynamics System: Allows surfaces to be draped over other surfaces to create realistic effects.
• Live Boolean: Combines, subtracts or crosses different geometries to achieve unique results.
• PolyPaint: Facilitates simultaneous modelling and painting without the need to assign a texture map.

ZBrush for iPad is included in the Maxon One subscription or can be subscribed to separately. It offers artists full creative freedom on the go. A free version with limited functions is also available in the App Store. For beginners, ZBrush offers a free version with limited functions and 28 brushes. The paid version offers over 200 brushes and a comprehensive package of functions, which already has practically all the features known from ZBrush – minus a few little things that are to come soon.

ZRemesher, Live Booleans, Sculptris and Dynamesh are already included, ZModeller and the layer system will hopefully be coming soon.

Cinema 4D

Every Cinema 4D subscription renewal now includes Redshift GPU. Simulations and particle effects are easier to control with new tools (Art-Directable, as it is called in English). The Follow Spline modifier allows particles to be routed along vectors, which should please MoGraph people in particular. Finally run PArticles within the vector graphic!

Rigid Body simulations offer improved weight and force settings, while Pyro offers new ways to fine-tune visual effects. A new field driver tag lets you control procedural animations more precisely. Improvements in OCIO colour management ensure consistent colours and the exchange format supports integration with Substance 3D and USD workflows.

Redshift
Redshift 2025 enables GPU and CPU rendering, both photorealistic and stylised. Toon renderings have been enhanced with global contour options that allow precise control of lines and shading.

Brute force caustics allow you to detail light refractions through glass or gemstones. In addition, Redshift now offers procedural shaders as inputs for sprites and a new Volume Depth AOV pass for compositing clouds, smoke and explosions.

Red Giant
Red Giant 2025 brings new features to After Effects, including support for 3D objects and rigged animation features. Improvements to Particular Designer streamline preset handling and colour grading with the new Parametric Curve tool that can precisely control HDR video.

Cineware
Cineware 2025 improves Cinema 4D integration with After Effects and Unreal Engine. With performance optimisations and seamless integration, you can easily work between different host applications.

Capsules
Maxon Capsules expands its library with new scanned materials for Redshift. New additions include scans of outdoor materials such as rock and grass, as well as a large selection of plants from Laubwerk and textures for roof shingles from Fuchs & Vogel.

Maxon App
The Maxon App makes it easier to work on multiple computers by allowing you to quickly switch between licences without having to use the MyMaxon portal administration.

Prices and licences
Maxon One is available as a subscription. Prices vary depending on the chosen package and licence duration, but a monthly subscription of Maxon One costs €195 per month, an annual licence €1425. This package includes access to Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant, ZBrush and other tools. Prices may vary slightly depending on VAT and any exchange rate adjustments. The ZBrush for iPad app is available in a free version with limited features; the full version can be purchased at any time.

Product documentation | Maxon

The post ZBrush for iPad and new updates for Cinema 4D first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.