Cinema 4D Tip: Bake procedural animation into editable keyframes

Lock down procedural magic into dependable keyframes when you need stability, portability, or speed. Baking expressions converts XPresso, Constraints, Vibrate, MoGraph-driven PSR changes, and other evaluated motion into editable keys you can scrub, export, and render with confidence.

When to bake

• Exporting to other apps or game engines (FBX/Alembic) that expect keys, not expressions.
• Team/Net Render or cloud farms where evaluation order can differ.
• Final delivery: eliminate randomness and version drift.
• Complex rigs that stutter in the viewport; keys are lighter to evaluate.
• Motion blur and effects that rely on consistent per-frame deformation.

How to bake expressions into keys

• Select the animated objects.
• Open the Timeline (Dope Sheet). Choose Functions > Bake Objects…
• In the dialog:
  • Range: Use your project’s frame range (Project Settings define FPS and duration).
  • Include Children: On, if hierarchy motion is expression-driven.
  • Expressions: On (this is the key to baking XPresso/Constraints/Vibrate/etc.).
  • PSR: On to generate Position/Scale/Rotation keys.
  • PLA: On only if you need to bake vertex-level deformations (heavier, use for deformers and meshes that change topology/points over time). Consider Alembic for large meshes.
  • Create Copy: On to keep a non-destructive duplicate alongside your live setup.
  • Remove Expressions: Optional; disables original drivers to prevent double transforms.
  • Step: 1 for one key per frame (safest). Reduce later if needed.
• Click OK and test playback. The timeline should now show standard key tracks.

Tips for clean, efficient bakes

• Keep an unbaked backup. Put the original rig on a locked Layer or in a separate Take.
• Reduce keys post‑bake: Timeline > Functions > Reduce Keyframes to simplify curves while preserving motion.
• Prefer PSR keys when possible. Reserve PLA/point caches for true deformations.
• Dynamics, Cloth, Hair: Use their native Cache/Bake systems first; bake to keys only when exporting or when caches aren’t an option.
• MoGraph: Try a MoGraph Cache Tag for large cloner setups. For interchange, Alembic often outperforms PLA in size and playback.
• Random/Noise-driven rigs: Bake after you’re happy with a seed to lock in the look.
• Export strategy:
  • FBX: Great for PSR and joints; avoid PLA-heavy transfer.
  • Alembic: Ideal for complex deformation/PLA; compact and robust.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Double transforms: If you keep expressions active after baking, you’ll see additive motion. Disable or use “Remove Expressions.”
• Baking the wrong range: Confirm frame start/end in Project Settings before baking.
• Overbaking: PLA everywhere balloons file size and slows interaction. Bake only what needs it.

Workflow boosters

• Use Takes to maintain “Live” and “Baked” variants in one scene.
• Archive with “Save Project with Assets” before handing off.

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