Globe with Moving Tectonic Plates in Cinema 4D
12 May 2025
In this Cinema 4D tutorial we build a stylized 3D Earth with tectonic plates extruding from the surface. Each plate reveals textured, layered crust down the sides, giving a geologically inspired look. We explore two cutting techniques and show how to UV unwrap the sides for a detailed gradient texture. We also look at a nifty way of animating the plates you might not have thought about.
Fully animated and includes all models, textures, materials, lighting, and Redshift Renderer settings using and ACES workflow for better color. See our ACES guide here.
This tutorial was requested by Joanna (one of our awesome Lifetime Members) who needed to create a globe with separate tectonic plates for a project she was working on.
Project Files
Here’s how to set it up:
1. Create the Globe
Add a Sphere.
Change Type to
Hexahedronfor clean topology.Increase the Segments for more detail.
2. Add the Tectonic Plate Guide Texture
Drag in an Earth map texture showing red tectonic lines.
Set Projection to
Spherical.In the material’s Viewport tab, increase Texture Preview Size to see the guides in the viewport.
3. Prepare to Cut Plates
Select the sphere and press C to make it editable.
Rename it for clarity.
4. Cut Plate 1 Using the Spline + Line Cut Method
Switch to Sketch Spline Tool under
Spline>Sketch.Enable Snapping to
Polygons.Draw a spline along the red tectonic lines on the globe.
Use Connect Object with
Weldtolerance to close spline gaps.Press C to make the spline editable and fix any overlapping points.
5. Use the Line Cut Tool to Cut Out the Plate
Select the globe, press K + K to activate Line Cut Tool.
Hold Ctrl, hover over the spline, and click to cut it into the globe mesh.
Switch to Edge Mode, double-click the loop to select it.
Right-click > Disconnect, then switch to Polygon Mode and double-click inside the loop.
Right-click > Split to extract the new plate object (rename it, e.g.,
India).
6. Cut Plate 2 Using the Line Cut Tool Alone
Select the globe again, press K + K.
Enable Auto Snapping, then draw the cut line directly along the tectonic lines.
Press Enter to confirm.
Select and complete the loop if needed using Shift + Edge Selection.
Use Disconnect and then Split to separate the second plate (rename it, e.g.,
Middle East).
7. Add Thickness to Plates
Use a Thicken Generator and place both plates inside.
Adjust Thickness and use Offset to avoid bulging outward.
Increase Subdivisions to
4.In Selections Tab, enable
ShellandEnd Cap.
8. Finalize the Mesh
Press C on the Thicken Generator to make it editable.
Delete unused splines and hide the globe if needed.
9. Add Gradient Texture to Plate Sides
Select
Shellselection tag and switch to UV Layout.Apply Frontal Projection to that selection.
Switch to Edge Mode, select one vertical edge, and press UV Unwrap.
Use UV Rectangularize to straighten, then Fit to Canvas.
10. Apply Gradient Material
Create a new material and add a Ramp Node to the Color Channel.
Choose a color ramp (e.g., yellow-to-red) to simulate heat layers.
Apply this material to the inner faces of the plate.
In the Transform Tab, rotate the UV island
90°if needed for vertical gradient alignment.
11. Render and Final Adjustments
Use Redshift Renderview (or Standard Renderer) to preview.
Tweak materials and lighting as desired.