Creating a realistic vinyl record with Cinema 4D

experience level beginner

1. Search some vinyl record reference image with google “vinyl record”

2. go to top viewport and load image for the background -you can press SHIFT+V and select “Back” tab from the bottom right menu.

You may have to scale image down to fit the work area and your

disc object . (picture 1a and 1b.)

picture 1a.

picture 1b.

3. Create a disc object with inner radius of 1 cm and outer radius of 30cm (picture 2.)

In this part you also may have to scale the reference image to fit the disc object.

picture 2.

4. You can help your modelling work by creating a temporary transparent material

for vinyl record object. Create a new material, activate transparency and adjust transparency

value (brightness) to 50 percent. Add material to the disc object. picture 3a and 3b

picture 3a

picture 3b

Creating a label for record. (not a record label, lol)

5. Create a label for the record. Create another disc object with inner radius of 1 cm and outer

radius of 10 cm. pic 4.

pic 4.

How to create a realistic shader for a vinyl record?

6. Create a new Nukei shader (SLA shader in Cinema versions of 6-7).

We need to change the settings a bit to create a realistic material for the vinyl record object.

7. Change the projection type into flat in “Fusing” tab. Change color to black in “Diffuse A” and

“Specular 3 A”. Activate the “Anisotropy A” tab and change the Projection into Radial Auto Planar.

Adjust roughness level into 1250% ; roughness Y into 50% ; amplitude 50% ; scale 50%.

See picture 5 and 6.

picture 5.

picture 6.

8. Add hypernurbs object and the vinyl record material to your object.

You may want to add some lights and background or whatever you like and that fits

your style and taste.

Here’s what I’ve got in my setup.