GUIDE: Installing the Cinema 4D Importer for After Effects

The C4D Importer is a plugin for AE that allows After Effects to open .AEC compositing files exported from Cinema4D. They help AE find the rendered files, imports them for you and creates a comp with cameras and lights, animation and all.
They are extremely useful for advanced compositing, but before After Effects can read these files, you need to "install" it.

For this, you'll need admin privileges. The process outlined is for Windows, but can easily be translated to Mac (it's just coping a file).

Go to your Cinema 4D installation. Usually at C:\Program Files\MAXON\Cinema 4D

Under "Exchange Plugins" go to After Effects > Importer > Win.

There's two folders here. Open the one corresponding to your version of After Effects. I'm going into CS_CC. There you'll find C4DImporter.aex

Copy it.

Now, go to your After Effects installation. Usually at C:\Program Files\Adobe\After Effects

In Support Files go to Plugins.

Paste it.

And you're done and ready to go. If you already have AE open, you'll need to restart it to get it working.

NOTES

• When installing a newer version of C4D, remember to copy the new .aex in case there's a new update and it doesn't work with the old one anymore.

You're welcome :)