Plugin for Cinema 4D

With the FeatValue plugin for Cinema 4D you work through your clients’ tasks right in Cinema 4D. You read the description and comments, change the status and send the current frame or a finished file for approval. Your client reviews in FeatValue in the browser.

What the plugin is for

3D and motion designers often agree on renders and animations by email. With the plugin you stay in Cinema 4D, and the approval with your client runs through the task in FeatValue:

• You choose the client and project and see the open tasks, the ones you opened recently at the top.
• In the task you read the description, acceptance note and comments and change the status as in FeatValue.
• You send the current frame of the scene or a finished file, for example a rendered video, for approval.
• Rendering and uploading run in the background, and Cinema 4D stays usable.
• Your client reviews and comments in FeatValue in the browser. They do not need a Maxon account.

For an overview, see the page about the plugin for Cinema 4D.

Requirements

• a FeatValue account for your agency with at least one client and project (see Creating projects)
• Cinema 4D 2024 or later on Windows or macOS

Install the plugin

1. Download the plugin

   Download the plugin as a ZIP file and unzip it. It contains the featvalue folder.

2. Copy the folder into the plugins folder

   In Cinema 4D, open Edit, Preferences (on macOS in the Cinema 4D menu) and click Open Preferences Folder…. Copy the featvalue folder into the plugins subfolder there.

3. Restart Cinema 4D

   Restart Cinema 4D. You will then find the FeatValue command in the Extensions menu.

Connect to FeatValue

1. Open the window

   Choose FeatValue in the Extensions menu.

2. Sign in in the browser

   Click Connect to FeatValue. Your browser opens FeatValue. Sign in and allow the app. You never enter a password in the plugin. The window waits and then switches to the selection on its own. If the browser did not open, click Open the sign in page again.

3. Choose the client and project

   Choose the client under Choose a client, then the project. If the client has only one project, the plugin selects it right away. The plugin remembers your choice, even after a restart.

Find tasks

After the selection, Client › Project is shown at the top. Use Change client or project to switch. Below are the tasks of the project in two sections:

• Recently opened: the tasks you opened most recently in this project, at most ten.
• Open tasks: all other open tasks, most recently changed first.

Each row shows the name, the status and when the task was last changed. Use Search tasks to filter the list. One click opens the task. Refresh at the top of the window reloads the data.

Work on a task

In the open task you see the name, status, description, acceptance note and comments. Open in FeatValue shows the task in the browser, for example to look at attachments. Back to the list takes you to the task list.

• Change the status: The buttons match those in FeatValue. More transitions are listed under or. If a transition asks for a comment, a comment field opens first.
• Write a comment: Type into the Comment or question field and click Send comment. With Attach file the current frame or the chosen file goes along. This option is off at first, because attaching usually means rendering.

Send for approval

1. Open the step

   Click Send for approval in the task. If your status workflow has its own transition for this, the button carries the name of that transition.

2. Choose what to send

   Under Send, choose Render current frame or Choose a file. The plugin renders the frame from the active document with its active render setting at the current time and sends it as a PNG. Render an animation in Cinema 4D as usual and choose the finished video as a file.

3. Add a note and send

   If needed, write a Note for the client, for example what to look at, and click Send for approval. The plugin attaches the file to the task and sets it to client review.

4. Your client reviews

   Your client sees the file on the task in FeatValue, comments on it and approves the task or requests changes (see Review and acceptance and File comments).

Rendering and uploading in the background

Rendering, uploading and sending run in the background. Cinema 4D stays usable, and the plugin renders the scene as it was when you clicked. At the bottom of the window and in the Cinema 4D status bar you see the progress, for example Rendering image … 40 % or Uploading … 40 %. Cancel stops the process, and nothing is sent. The plugin uploads large files in parts, up to the storage of your subscription.

Create a task or project

Click + New in the list. The name is prefilled with the name of the scene, the Description is optional. With Send for approval right away (with file) the current frame or the chosen file goes for approval at once. After Create task the new task is open.

To create a project, use + New project in the project selection: enter a name and click Create project.

Settings

Limits

• The plugin renders a single frame, not an animation. Render videos in Cinema 4D and send them with Choose a file.
• You see task attachments in FeatValue, not in the plugin. The plugin shows description and comments as plain text.

Troubleshooting

The FeatValue command is missing from the menu

Check that the featvalue folder sits directly in the plugins subfolder and restart Cinema 4D. Also search for the command in the Commander (Shift+C). Loading errors are shown in the console under Extensions, Console.

The image could not be rendered

The message names the reason, for example missing assets. If the renderer of the scene fails, the plugin renders once with the standard renderer and tells you so. Your scene stays unchanged. Details are in the console, marked [FeatValue].

The connection to FeatValue has expired

Click Connect to FeatValue and sign in again in the browser.

There is not enough storage

The file is larger than the free storage of your subscription. Send a smaller file, for example the video at a lower resolution, or upgrade your plan.