What It Does
TakeMatPass solves a limitation in Cinema 4D: the software doesn’t natively output materials as separate passes. The plugin generates additional takes with your materials isolated as either color-coded IDs or white masks against black backgrounds, which you can then render for compositing.
Key Features
White matte mode. Creates individual takes for each selected material, object, or texture tag. Each take shows the target as white, with everything else forced to black through material override. Useful for creating clean alpha mattes in post.
Color ID mode. Generates a single take where each selected material gets a unique color. Standard workflow for object selection in compositing apps like After Effects or Nuke.
Batch assignment. Hold SHIFT while clicking Create to assign the same matte pass to multiple selected objects at once, rather than creating separate takes for each.
Third-party renderer support. Works with non-standard Cinema 4D materials and external renderers like Octane and V-Ray.
Clean removal. The Delete button removes all plugin-created data (takes, materials, render settings) in one click.
Who It’s For
Motion designers and 3D artists who composite Cinema 4D renders in After Effects or other compositing software. If you need to isolate specific elements for color correction, effects, or selective adjustments in post, this handles the technical setup.
Limitations
The plugin doesn’t support visual geometry deformation effects (like displacement) created by third-party renderer materials. Also, since each take operates independently, you’ll need to bake any simulations (dynamics, particles, MoGraph animation) before rendering takes.
Pricing
$15 one-time purchase. Supports Cinema 4D R17 through 2025.