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Table of Contents

This page provides information on the Live Link feature from Cinema 4D in Chaos Vantage.


Overview

The Live Link feature makes it possible to instantly see changes made in Cinema 4D without the need to export and import .vrscenes in Chaos Vantage.





Live Link Setup

For Live Link to function properly, please follow the steps below.

Live Link works only with officially released V-Ray 5, update 2 or later versions.

1. Download and install the latest official V-Ray for Cinema 4D build from the download button. Make sure you have appropriate licenses. If you experience problems, please contact Chaos Support using the online form.





Download VRay for Cinema 4D

2. Download latest Chaos Vantage build from the download button. Make sure you have appropriate licenses. If you experience problems, please reach us using the Support Form.




Download Chaos Vantage

Initiating Live Link from Cinema 4D

Live link can be initiated from the V-Ray menu > Chaos Vantage > Vantage Live Link button.

This initializes a live link session between Cinema 4D and Chaos Vantage.  It automatically:

    • Starts Chaos Vantage if it is not already running;
    • Sends the scene to Chaos Vantage on 20701 port

Always make sure you are using the same port in both Cinema 4D and Chaos Vantage! In Cinema 4D, you can set it from the Vantage Settings () menu option.

In Chaos Vantage, go to Live Link > Change Port... and open the Enter Live Link Port window.







Once a Live Link session is started, the scene is transferred to Chaos Vantage. A thick blue contour line appears around the viewport and the status message in the lower right changes to [LIVE LINK].

In Cinema 4D's viewport, the Vantage icon (C4DR25_52000_VantageLiveLink_Viewport.png) appears in the lower right corner.

To stop a Live Link session, click again the Vantage Live Link button in the V-Ray menu.




Vantage_Hero

Vantage Live Link supports animation from Cinema 4D. 

From the Chaos Vantage menu, select the Vantage Animation option (). It sends the current animation range to Vantage. 


Supported Features

The following changes made in Cinema 4D are propagated through Live Link:

  • Editing, creating and deleting of:
    • Camera
    • Geometries
    • Lights
    • Materials
    • Textures
    • Environment



Known Limitations

The following actions can be done Inside Chaos Vantage during Live Link :

  • create cameras;
  • create camera animation in the animation editor;
  • edit environment and fog
  • add post effect (LUT, Bloom, Highlight burn)
  • Render:
    • snapshots;
    • HQ still image
    • HQ sequence
  • save .vantage file with the changes from above.



The following actions cannot be done inside Chaos Vantage during Live Link:

  • transform objects;
  • hide/unhide objects;
  • reassign materials;
  • edit lights;
  • import external(including cosmos assets) files;
  • animation playback



The following requires a restart of the Live Link Session in order to be updated properly.

  • Updating of:
    • animated V-Ray Proxy files (.vrmesh)

When the Live Link Session is closed, the scene is still loaded inside Vantage but it is considered dirty and the aforementioned limitations are still in effect. A .vrscene file from the host application needs to be exported and loaded inside Chaos Vantage to enable full manipulation, editing and playback.

If a .vantage file is saved in an active Live Link session, it can be loaded in a next session or applied to a loaded .vrscene.

  • Live Link is not supported on macOS