To get the most out of Python scripting in Cinema 4D, you'll want to have a solid grounding both in the Python language and in the Cinema 4D Python SDK. Fortunately, Python is a well established and widely used language, so there are plenty of excellent resources available. The Cinema SDK is still quite new, but also has some great resources. I've pulled together some of my favorites in this post.

Books

In my very short career as a programmer, first for iOS and now Python, I've consistently found that starting with a good book is the best way to get up to speed with a new language. For Python, the book I recommend is Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python. It's intended for students with no programming experience, so it starts with the very basics. The authors do an excellent job of explaining concepts and illustrating them with clear examples. It's also a very concise book weighing in at a little over 300 pages. The time you spend reading through it will pay you back many times over as you begin to write your own scripts. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning Python, whether it's for Cinema 4D or any other purpose.

Python is a powerful, easy to learn programming language that is deeply integrated with Cinema 4D. But if you're a designer, chances are that you've been hesitant to dive into the world of code. The following videos don't assume any programming background, so you should be able to follow them even if you've never written a line of code. I use a series of simple projects to introduce you to the basics of Python and show you how it opens up a whole new world of possibilities in Cinema 4D.

These videos are based on the talk I gave at our September Chicago C4D meeting. I've included the sample code used in each video. This is the first in an ongoing series of Python tutorials. So if you have any questions, or a request for a specific tutorial, let me know in the comments below. And to hear about new tutorials as they're released, follow me at @BuiltLight. Have fun!