The HUD

You can record keys directly in the HUD using the circles next to the parameter names. You can drag the Frame element (bottom right) to move forwards or backwards through the animation.

The term ‘Head-Up Display’ (HUD) has its origins in aviation. In an aircraft, the HUD refers to the projection of readings onto a windscreen that enables the pilot to see them without looking down.

The HUD does a similar job in CINEMA 4D, displaying parameters directly in the view, where you can also edit or animate them.

The HUD can display two types of information:

Object parameters. You can add any object parameters displayed in the Attribute manager to the HUD. You can adjust these parameters directly in the HUD with realtime optical feedback (drag the value). You can also record keys directly in the HUD.
General information. You can instruct the HUD to display a variety of general information, such as how far away the active object is from the camera, the number of points that are selected and so on.

You can switch the HUD on and off in the viewport settings on the Filter page. To open the view-port settings, on the view’s menu, choose Edit > Configure.

HUD elements can also be included in rendered pictures and animations — in the render settings, on the Options page, enable Render HUD.

Using the HUD

Object parameters

To add object parameters to the HUD:

In the Attribute manager, select the parameters. (To select all the parameters, choose Select All from the context menu).
Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) one of the selected parameters and choose Add To HUD from the context menu.

You can adjust the parameters directly in the HUD. Click-drag a parameter to adjust its value. In the case of parameters that have drop-down menus, click the parameter to open its menu. Options that have two states (on and off) are colored yellow when on — click an option to toggle its state.

You can also record animation keys directly in the HUD. This works in the same way as recording parameters in the Attribute manager (see Chapter 21, ‘Attribute manager’): To record a key, Ctrl-click the parameter’s circle. Ctrl-click again to remove the key. Ctrl-Shift-click the circle to delete the parameter’s track including any keys assigned to it.

You can choose to display the same parameter multiple times in the view if you wish.

You can use the following keys in the HUD:

Shift-click to multiple select HUD elements. Selected HUD elements are highlighted with yellow boxes.
Ctrl-double-click on a HUD element (name or value) to open a text box that allows you to enter a new name or value for the element.
Ctrl-drag to move a HUD element.

General information

The HUD tab in the viewport settings allows you to choose which types of information will be displayed in the HUD. To access the viewport settings, from the viewport’s menu, choose Edit > Configure.

You can change some of the general information parameters directly in the view. To do this, double-click the parameter (while simultaneously pressing the CTRL-key) and enter a new value into the text box that appears.

HUD Settings

Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on a HUD element to access the following settings (the settings that appear may differ depending on which type of element you clicked on):

Show

These settings primarily control when an object’s HUD elements will be displayed:

Object Active: when the object is active.

Same Active: when any object of the same type is selected. For example, a light’s HUD elements will be displayed when you activate any light in the scene. This allows you to adjust the parameters of multiple objects — such as the brightness of multiple lights — using a single HUD element.

Parent Active: if any object higher up in the same hierarchy chain is active.

Chain Active: if any object in the hierarchy chain is active.

Always: always.

Lock To View: in the window from which this option was enabled.

Render: in the rendered image (provided that Render HUD is enabled in the render settings, on the Options page).

Display

Object: Displays the object name in front of each parameter.

Name: Displays the parameter name.

Widget: Displays a triangle that you can click to open or close parameter groups. In the case of individual sliders, the triangle displays or hides the slider.

Frame: Displays a frame around the parameter group.

Key: Displays the circles that allow you to record animation keys for parameters.

Symbol

If a HUD element has been defined with 2D Vector Field, the Symbol menu will be made available, from which you can select the shape of the small cross.

Slider

These options control the look of the slider.

Layout

Here you’ll find numerous options that control the arrangement of multiple selected parameters within a parameter group.

Group Remove

Removes the parameter group from the HUD.

Remove

Removes the selected elements from the HUD.

Absolute: Locks the HUD element to its current on-screen coordinates. If you then change the size of the view, the HUD element will stay in the place where you locked it.

Follow: Locks the HUD element relative to the object’s position. If you then move the object, the HUD element will move with it.

Vertical: Rotates the HUD element by 90° counterclockwise.

Refresh: Choose this command if you notice a discrepancy between the display in the Attribute manager and the display in the HUD.