9.5.2

302 • CHAPTER 7
OBJECTS MENU • SPECIAL MODELING TOOLS • 303
In addition, three commands are available for the Instance object. To reach these commands, click the
triangle next to the Reference Object box.
Clear
Removes the reference to the original object.
Show In Manager
Scrolls the Object manager if necessary to make the original object visible.
Select Element
Selects the original object.
An instance object is a special duplicate of an object that does not have its own geometry. As a result,
instances require far less memory than conventional duplicates, but the advantages do not end there.
Imagine that you have created a street scene with over 40 street lamps (all instances of the same original
object). By adjusting the brightness of the original lamp’s light, you can change the brightness of all lamps
in one go. You may even edit the original with the modeling tools and the instances will follow suit. Material
properties are adopted as well. Only the position, scale and rotation are independent of the original.
An instance object will not signicantly increase the size of the saved CINEMA 4D le. However, the
CINEMA 4D editor will still need to allocate additional memory as if the instance object were a non-
instance duplicate. The Scene Information dialog shows instance objects to consume as much memory
as duplicates.
Metaball Object
Think of the Metaball object (Objects > Modeling submenu) as an elastic skin that can be stretched
over spheres, splines and points. The skin becomes active the moment you make such an object a child
of the metaball object. If you move any of the child objects, the skin — called the hull — updates in
realtime.