Installing Plugins



Use the Installers

If your plugin comes with an installer then please use that. It will install the plugins directly into the plugins folder for your copy of Cinema 4D.

Some plugins also come with the PluginManager, which helps by creating a Plugins 4D menu.

When using the installers they expect to find Cinema 4D at its default install location.

For windows users you have the option to select a different root folder to tell the installer where it should look for the Cinema 4D folders. By default this is set to "C:\Program Files\"

  • On Windows
    • C:\Program Files\MAXON\Cinema 4D R20
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R21
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R22
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R23
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R24
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R25
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R26
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D 2023
    • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D 2024
  • On macOS
    • /Applications/MAXON/Cinema 4D R20
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R21
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R22
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R23
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R24
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R25
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R26
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D 2023
    • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D 2024

If the installer can't find Cinema 4D at these locations then you will not be given the option to install the plugins for those versions.


Manual Installation for Individual plugins

Note: Make sure to do the following to both the main plugin as well as the PluginManager included in your zip file.

  1. Unzip the folder onto your computer.
  2. Go into the folder and delete all the *.xdl64 (on windows) and *.xlib (on macOS) files except for the one you need for your version of Cinema 4D.
    • IE on windows if you have R20 then keep the file pluginname_R20.xdl64
    • IE on macOS if you have R20 then keep the file pluginname_R20.xlib
  3. Find the folder that contains your version of Cinema 4D and make sure you have a folder called 'plugins/Plugins4D'. If it doesn't exist then please create it.
    • On Windows
      • C:\Program Files\MAXON\Cinema 4D R20\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R21\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R22\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R23\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R24\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R25\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R26\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D 2023\plugins\Plugins4D
      • C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D 2024\plugins\Plugins4D
    • On macOS
      • /Applications/MAXON/Cinema 4D R20/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R21/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R22/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R23/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R24/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R25/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R26/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D 2023/plugins/Plugins4D
      • /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D 2024/plugins/Plugins4D
  4. Copy the contents of the folder, that you unzipped, to the Plugins4D folder.
    • For example, if the plugin was called "DICOM" then you would now have a folder called DICOM inside the Plugins4D folder that contains the plugin
      • IE on Windows: C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R23\plugins\Plugins4D\dicom\
      • IE on macOS: /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R23/plugins/Plugins4D/dicom/
    • As well as the Plugin Manager
      • IE on Windows: C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R23\plugins\Plugins4D\pluginmanager\
      • IE on macOS: /Applications/Maxon Cinema 4D R23/plugins/Plugins4D/pluginmanager/
  5. Restart Cinema 4D
  6. You will now see a Plugins 4D menu appear in C4D. Under this menu you will find your plugins. If you do not see this menu then you need to also install the Plugin Manager

Licenses

GameLogicDesign grants you the right to install and use a copy of the plugin on up to two computers, as long as only one installation is used at any given time. The plugins must be installed on a computer running a validly licensed copy of MAXON’s Cinema 4D. If you wish to use the plugin on more than one computer, at the same time, you must purchase an appropriate number of additional licenses.

Our plugins do not come with any license keys or license server checks.


Layouts for 4D Paint and 4D Publish

  1. For 4D Paint and 4D Publish you will also need to install the layouts. Copy everything from the 'layout' folder to either of the following locations
    • If R24 or below place them in your 'Maxon Cinema 4D XXXX/library/layout' folder
    • If R25 or above place them in your 'Maxon Cinema 4D XXXX/library/layout/new' folder
    Or open Cinema 4D, Open the Preferences, Press the 'Open Preferences Folder'.
    • If you are using R24 or below then place the l4d files in the 'library/layout' folder
    • If you are using R25 or above then place the l4d files in the 'library/layout/new' folder
  2. Restart C4D and you will see the new layouts in the layouts drop down in C4D.

Help

  • Choose Show Help from the Plugins 4D menu to find out more. Or visit help for the most up-to-date help.
  • If you don't want the Plugins 4D menu then you can hide it by unchecking the option found at "Edit->Preferences->Plugins 4D->Show Top Menu".