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Getting started

  1. To connect Death Rays to C4D, install our Cinema 4D Bridge from Settings -> Install C4D Bridge…
  2. Restart Cinema 4D.
  3. Add your HDRI libraries with Add HDRIs. Death Rays will automatically find and add any HDRIs in your libraries.
  4. Click any HDRI preview to apply it to your scene.

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Bridge install options

  • Update All: Install or update the bridge for all detected Cinema 4D versions.
  • Install to Selected: Install the bridge to one specific Cinema 4D version.
  • Save to Desktop: Export the bridge package for manual installation.
Death Rays detects installed Cinema 4D versions automatically and installs the bridge where needed.

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Plugin install paths

# macOS
~/Library/Preferences/Maxon/Maxon Cinema 4D [VERSION]/plugins/death_rays_bridge/

# Windows
%APPDATA%\Maxon\Maxon Cinema 4D [VERSION]\plugins\death_rays_bridge\

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How Death Rays applies HDRIs

Death Rays uses a clear priority order when you click an HDRI.
  1. If you selected a Dome Light in Cinema 4D, Death Rays updates that Dome Light.
  2. If no Dome Light is selected and at least one exists, Death Rays updates the first Dome Light in the scene hierarchy.
  3. If no Dome Light exists, Death Rays creates one and links it to the HDRI.
If a Lights group exists, Death Rays places new Dome Lights inside it. Otherwise, it adds them at the scene root.

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Automatic naming

Death Rays renames the Dome Light to match the HDRI filename after each apply. Examples:
  • Dome - Crossfit Gym
  • Dome - Music Hall 01
It strips common resolution suffixes such as 2k and 4k.

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Key features

  • Smart search for fast HDRI lookup.
  • Folder-based organization.
  • Live HDRI thumbnails before applying.
  • One-click apply to Cinema 4D without manual tag setup.

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Troubleshooting

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Cinema 4D is not connected

  • Fully restart Cinema 4D after bridge install.
  • Reinstall the bridge from Settings.
  • Restart Cinema 4D again.
The bridge connects automatically on launch.

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No assets found

  • Confirm your source folders contain supported files: .hdr, .exr, .hdri.
  • Refresh the asset list.

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Thumbnails are slow or not visible

Large HDRI files can take longer to process. Check progress in the app status bar.