Animated 3D Lettering with X-Particles
A course by Erich GordonArt Director
A course by Erich Gordon, Art Director
Learn to create simulations with the Cinema 4D plugin and bring your fonts to life
If you love simulations, animation, and lettering and would like to take a step into the world of 3D, start creating with Erich Gordon and X-Particles, the powerful plugin for Cinema 4D. As an art director, Erich’s projects for typography and digital lettering have been awarded by the Latin American Design Awards, receiving gold (2018) and bronze (2019) in the Typography category.
In this course, Erich teaches you to conceptualize and define an idea to start creating your own 3D lettering. Learn to use the right typography and how to customize individual shapes, using X-Particles to create letters and build a word.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 12 downloads
What will we do in the course?
2 minutes, 2 seconds
Why X-Particles?
17 minutes, 9 seconds
X tour: System Object
15 minutes, 9 seconds
X tour: issuers 1
10 minutes, 10 seconds
X tour: issuers 2
14 minutes, 33 seconds
Choosing sources
20 minutes, 23 seconds
What's included in this course?
Meet Erich, who shows you some of his work and introduces you to the people and things that inspire him most. Take a look at the possibilities of the X-Particles plugin for Cinema 4D and get a brief overview of your toolkit.
Then, start discovering the process for typographic selection and begin applying its concepts in preparation for your final project. Choose the right font and make the first sketch of your lettering in Photoshop.
Start working with X-Particles, a digital tool used to generate particles by applying noise to standard materials within Cinema 4D. Learn how to adjust the settings to give shape and volume to your typography.
Erich shows you a popular technique for creating a granular explosion simulation and how to apply it to a letter. Learn how to make your particles interact with each other by tweaking the density settings and properties. Then, discover how to fill a letter with different liquids.
Dive into art direction, lighting, and rendering with Redshift. Learn to apply tags and materials before moving your project into After Effects, where you discover how to add the final touches and export.
Erich also includes an additional lesson about how to streamline your workflow, showing his preferred settings and offering some tricks and tips for working with Cinema 4D and Redshift.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create different simulations with Cinema 4D and apply them to lettering, focusing on their construction and shape to achieve a natural look.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Graphic designers, art directors, animators, or anyone passionate about lettering or simulations who would like to explore the world of 3D. This course is also beneficial to anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of particles.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, basic knowledge of Cinema 4D, Illustrator, and After Effects is required.
It is essential to have a computer with the following software installed: Cinema 4D r21, X-Particles 884, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe After Effects CC 2018 or later.
Reviews
- 2 years ago
Excelente curso, explicaciones claras y resultados asombrosos!! Gracias!!!
- 3 years ago
Great course by Erich and definitely recommend it!
- 4 years ago
muy buen curso lo recomiendo.
- 4 years ago
Thank you so much Erich for this excellent course!
- 5 years ago
Muy buen curso, falta algunas cosas por mejorar pero en general muy bueno!
In 2011, he co-founded C4 Estudio Visual, a graphic design studio that develops projects for a variety of national and international brands.
Erich's work highlights a broad spectrum of cultural, industrial, and artistic references. As an art director, Erich’s projects have been awarded by the Latin American Design Awards, receiving gold (2018) and bronze (2019) in the Typography category.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Knowing X-Particles
- Why X-Particles?
- X tour: System Object
- X tour: issuers 1
- X tour: issuers 2
- U3
Bubble F by flow
- Choosing sources
- Sketch first
- Emitters + Noise: good formula
- Let's use the dynamics!
- U4
Liquid O
- Liquid O
- xpFluidFX and its logic 1
- xpFluidFX and its logic 2
- Checking our lettering
- U5
Postproduction
- Study set: theory and practice
- Art direction
- Color User Data
- Render 1
- Render 2
- FP
Final project
- Animated 3D Lettering with X-Particles
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to create animated 3D lettering using particle systems, fluid simulations, advanced lighting, and visual composition, plus integrate graphic design techniques, custom typography, and collaborative workflows into complete visual projects.
Yes, the course is designed for intermediate students and is perfect if you already have basic skills in graphic design, illustration, or design software.
It’s recommended to have some experience with Cinema 4D and general 3D design knowledge, but prior work with X-Particles is not required.
You’ll need Cinema 4D and the X-Particles plugin, along with tools like Illustrator, Redshift, and After Effects for some integration and rendering exercises.
Yes, the course provides step-by-step guidance on downloading, installing, and integrating X-Particles into Cinema 4D from scratch.
You’ll be able to create animated title sequences, rock posters, skateboarding visual identities, geometric illustrations, and 3D lettering with advanced particle effects and fluid simulations.
Yes, you’ll learn how to animate particles, simulate liquids, set up surreal lighting, and render 3D scenes using engines like Redshift and Cycles 4D.