inevestenko

C4D to ComfyUI Plugin User Guide (Version 0.1.11)

The C4D to ComfyUI plugin integrates Cinema 4D with ComfyUI, enabling advanced rendering workflows by combining Cinema 4D’s 3D capabilities with ComfyUI’s AI-driven image generation. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing, configuring, and using the plugin effectively.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. System Requirements
  3. Installation
  4. Initial Setup
  5. Plugin Interface Overview
  6. Key Features and Usage
  7. Troubleshooting
  8. Support and Contact

Overview

The C4D to ComfyUI plugin allows Cinema 4D users to:

The plugin supports two modes:

System Requirements

Installation

  1. Download the Plugin:
    • Obtain the plugin files from the official source (e.g., Boosty: https://boosty.to/inevestenko).
    • Ensure you have the plugin ZIP file or folder containing the Python script and resources.
  2. Install in Cinema 4D:
    • Copy the plugin folder to the Cinema 4D plugins directory:
      • Windows: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Maxon\Cinema 4D [Version]\plugins
      • macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/MAXON/Cinema 4D [Version]/plugins
      • Linux: ~/.config/MAXON/Cinema 4D [Version]/plugins
    • Restart Cinema 4D to load the plugin.
  3. Install ComfyUI (if not already installed):
  4. Activate the Plugin:
    • Open the plugin in Cinema 4D (see Initial Setup).
    • Sign in with your Boosty email to activate the plugin. A 5-day trial starts upon activation, after which a subscription may be required. Paid subscriptions have a period as long as your Boosty subscription is active.

Initial Setup

  1. Open the Plugin:
    • In Cinema 4D, go to Extensions > C4D to ComfyUI to open the plugin window.
    • The plugin interface will appear with the title “C4D to ComfyUI (0.1.11)”.
  2. Configure Settings:
    • Go to Settings > Open Settings in the plugin menu.
    • In the Settings Dialog, configure:
      • Boosty Email: Enter your email for activation (if not activated).
      • Port: Set the port for the C4D to ComfyUI plugin (default: 8000). Important: Ensure this port is different from the ComfyUI server port (typically 8188 for ComfyUI) to avoid conflicts. For example, if ComfyUI uses 8188, set the plugin port to 8000 or another unused port.
      • ComfyUI Path: Specify the path to your ComfyUI installation (e.g., C:\ComfyUI on Windows).
      • Model Base Path: Set the path to ComfyUI models (e.g., C:\ComfyUI\models).
      • Input/Output Paths: Define where input and output images are saved (e.g., C:\ComfyUI\input and C:\ComfyUI\output).
      • Prefixes and Folders: Optionally set prefixes (e.g., C4D for inputs, ComfyUI for outputs) and enable project-specific folders.
    • Click OK to save settings.
  3. Activate the Plugin:
    • If not activated, enter your Boosty email in the Settings Dialog and click Sign in.
    • The plugin checks activation status via a GitHub Gist and stores it locally at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\C4DtoComfyUI\activation.json (Windows) or equivalent.
    • Check the session status in Help > About (valid for 30 days from activation).
  4. Start the ComfyUI Server:
    • Go to Server > Start Server to launch the ComfyUI server.
    • Verify the server status with Server > Check Server. A message will confirm if the server is running.

Plugin Interface Overview

The plugin interface is divided into several sections:

Key Features and Usage

Managing the ComfyUI Server

  1. Start the Server:
    • Select Server > Start Server or click the “Start ComfyUI Server” button.
    • The server runs at the specified port (default: 8000). The button toggles to “Stop ComfyUI Server” when active.
  2. Check Server Status:
    • Use Server > Check Server to verify if the server is running.
    • A dialog confirms the status (e.g., “ComfyUI server is already running!”).
  3. Stop the Server:
    • Select Server > Stop Server or click the “Stop ComfyUI Server” button to halt the server.
  4. Fix Server Issues:
    • If the server fails to start, use Server > Fix Server to update dependencies or resolve issues.

Selecting and Managing Workflows

  1. Choose a Mode:
    • In the Control Panel, select Pipeline or Workflow API from the mode dropdown.
      • Pipeline: Uses predefined templates for combined rendering and processing.
      • Workflow API: Directly uses ComfyUI JSON workflows.
  2. Load a Workflow:
    • For Pipeline Mode:
      • Select a pipeline type, task, and specific pipeline from the dropdowns.
      • The plugin loads workflows from C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\C4DtoComfyUI\pipeline_templates (Windows) or equivalent.
    • For Workflow API Mode:
      • Click Workflow > Open Workflow API or the “Open Workflow API” button.
      • Choose a .json workflow file from your ComfyUI installation.
      • The workflow is added to the dropdown and saved in comfyui_workflows.txt.
  3. Manage Workflows:
    • Update: Click the “Update Workflow API” button to save GUI changes to the current workflow.
    • Reload: Use the “Reload Workflow API” button to revert to the original workflow values.
    • Clear: Click the “Clear Workflow API” button to reset fields to defaults.
    • Remove: Select the “Remove Workflow API” button to delete the current workflow from the list.

Rendering in Cinema 4D

  1. Select Render Type:
    • In the Control Panel, choose a render type from the dropdown (e.g., Alpha, Beauty, Depth, Canny, Mask).
    • Each type corresponds to a specific pass (e.g., Beauty for full render, Depth for depth map).
  2. Set Render Parameters:
    • In the Settings Tab, adjust:
      • Width/Height: Set resolution (default: 1024x1024, range: 256-1280, step: 16).
      • Seed: Use -1 for random or specify a value (0-2147483647).
      • Steps: Number of sampling steps (default: 1, range: 1-100).
      • CFG/Guidance: Control prompt adherence (default: 1.0/1.0, range: 0-100).
      • Sampler/Scheduler: Choose algorithms (e.g., Euler, Normal).
      • Denoise: Adjust noise reduction (default: 1.0, range: 0-1).
  3. Start Rendering:
    • Click the Render button in the Control Panel.
    • The plugin renders the scene to the input path (e.g., C:\ComfyUI\input\[Prefix]_[DocumentName]_*.png).
    • Monitor progress in the Input Status Area (yellow during rendering, green when complete).

Image Input and Processing

  1. Select Input Mode:
    • In the Input Tab, choose an input option:
      • Pipeline: Uses predefined pipeline inputs.
      • Render: Uses a rendered image from Cinema 4D.
      • Render+Image: Combines a render and an external image.
      • Image: Uses an external image only.
  2. Load an Image:
    • For Render or Render+Image:
      • Select a render from the Render dropdown (lists recent renders).
      • The image appears in the Input Preview Area.
    • For Image or Render+Image:
      • Click the “Open Image” button or enter a path in the Image Path field.
      • Choose a .png, .jpg, .jpeg, or .bmp file.
      • The image loads into the Input Preview Area.
  3. Adjust Image Settings:
    • The plugin automatically updates Width and Height fields based on the loaded image or render.
    • Use the Input Preview Area to zoom, pan, or copy/paste images (right-click for options).

Drawing Masks

  1. Enable Drawing Mode:
    • In the Tools Tab, click Draw Mask to toggle drawing mode (available in Image or Render input modes).
    • The button text changes to “Stop Drawing” when active.
  2. Draw or Erase:
    • Adjust the Brush Size slider (default: 20 pixels).
    • Click Eraser to toggle between drawing and erasing modes.
    • Click and drag in the Input Preview Area to draw or erase on the mask.
    • A preview circle shows the brush size during drawing.
  3. Manage Masks:
    • Undo/Redo: Use the Undo Mask or Redo Mask buttons to revert changes (up to 50 steps).
    • Clear Mask: Click Clear Mask to reset the mask.
    • Save Mask: Use Save Mask to export the mask as a .png file.

Viewing and Managing Outputs

  1. Run Generation:
    • Click the Run button in the Control Panel to process the workflow.
    • In Pipeline Mode, the plugin renders the scene (if required) and sends it to ComfyUI.
    • In Workflow API Mode, the workflow is sent directly to ComfyUI.
    • Monitor progress in the Output Status Area (yellow during processing, green when complete).
  2. Preview Outputs:
    • Results appear in the Output Preview Area.
    • Use View Transform to switch between Input-only, Side-by-Side, Stacked, or Output-only views.
    • Zoom, pan, or copy the output image via right-click options.
  3. Save Outputs:
    • Outputs are saved to the specified output path (e.g., C:\ComfyUI\output\[Prefix]_[DocumentName]_*.png).
    • Enable Save to Output Project Folder in settings to organize outputs by project.

Troubleshooting

Support and Contact

For additional help, include error messages and steps to reproduce the issue when contacting support.

This guide covers the core functionality of the C4D to ComfyUI plugin. Experiment with different workflows, rendering options, and settings to unlock its full potential for your creative projects!