TUTORIAL / DYNAMICS
Make it rain
in Cinema 4D.
This Cinema 4D money fountain tutorial shows how to launch bills from an emitter, add soft body dynamics and use turbulence and aerodynamic forces for a fluttering paper effect. Watch Make It Rain, follow the written setup notes and explore the downloadable scene.
Emitters
Soft bodies
Cinema 4D
This tutorial will show you the only guaranteed way to make money as a 3D artist 🙂 In this tutorial, we take a look at shooting money out of an emitter and explore the dynamics that go along with it inside Cinema 4D.
Soft body objects have come a long way in terms of speed and flexibility. This has allowed us to create setups that duplicate hundreds or thousands of soft body objects from an emitter and to even interact with each other and forces like gravity and turbulence. This setup could be used to make anything that has a paper-like structure such as confetti, photographs, etc. We still need to be mindful of the object segments, as they can multiply quickly or cause dynamic explosions (which are hilarious).
Head over to the freebie downloads and take a look at the scene for yourself and play around!
Cinema 4D money fountain:
step by step.
01
Start with flexible geometry.
Use simple rectangular bills with enough segments to bend. Keep the mesh light while testing the motion.
Setup notes
For this effect, the bill geometry matters. Soft body simulations use the object segments to calculate how much the paper can bend, so a lower segment count keeps the scene faster while still giving enough flex for a believable fountain.
- Use simple rectangular geometry for each bill.
- Start with a low segment count such as 4×3 or 5×4.
- Only add more segments once the motion needs extra bending.
02
Set the fountain in motion.
Place the bills inside an emitter and add speed variation so the movement feels less mechanical.
Setup notes
The bills are placed inside a Cinema 4D emitter and pushed upward so gravity can pull them back down. Rotating the emitter and adding variation helps the motion feel less mechanical.
Birthrate: Controls how many bills enter the simulation.
Emitter size: A wider emitter spreads objects out and reduces early collisions.
Speed variation: Adds natural randomness so the fountain does not look too uniform.
03
Make it feel like paper.
Combine soft body dynamics with turbulence and aerodynamic forces to create a natural flutter.
Setup notes
Soft bodies, turbulence, and aerodynamic forces are what make flat objects flutter instead of simply falling like rigid cards. Keep the setup simple at first, cache often, and increase detail only after the broad motion works.
This same approach works for confetti, photos, flyers, tickets, or any thin paper-like object.
PROJECT FILES
Follow along.
Find Money Fountain in the Freebie Downloads library. Your subscriber password is required. New here? Join the newsletter and confirm your email to receive access.
What you’ll learn
✓ Bill geometry
✓ Emitter setup
✓ Soft body dynamics
✓ Turbulence and aerodynamics
GOOD TO KNOW
Money fountain
questions.
What makes the bills bend rather than fall like rigid cards?
The lesson combines segmented bill geometry with soft body dynamics. Turbulence and aerodynamic forces add variation to the motion. Start with a light mesh and a small number of bills before refining the look.
Why does my simulation slow down or become unstable?
Each additional bill adds geometry and collision work. Reduce the emitter birthrate and bill segment count while testing. Check that bills have room to leave the emitter rather than starting tightly overlapped, then replay from the beginning after changing the dynamics setup.
How should I test the fountain before rendering?
Establish the broad launch and fall with a short preview first. Add bending and air forces gradually, compare the results, then cache the simulation using the controls for your Cinema 4D version once you are happy with the motion.
Can I use this for confetti or photographs?
Yes. The lesson’s paper-like approach can be adapted to other thin shapes and artwork. A different shape or segment count may need different dynamics settings, so test the motion rather than expecting every object to behave exactly like a bill.
Does the scene file work identically in every Cinema 4D version?
No all-version guarantee is provided. The video shows the original workflow, and newer simulation systems may use different controls. Open a copy of the scene, review any conversion messages and compare its behavior before replacing an existing setup.
Where can I get the scene?
Use the Project Files panel above to open the password-protected download library. Newsletter confirmation provides access; the tutorial video and written steps can be viewed here without that password.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Build the effect, then adapt it.
Once the bill motion works, adapt the paper geometry and artwork for confetti, photos, flyers or tickets. Test one change at a time: the launch direction sets the fountain’s shape, while bending and air forces shape the flutter.
Keep a lightweight test version before increasing the number of bills or mesh segments. This lesson uses the emitter and soft body workflow shown in the original video; dynamics tools, menu locations and results can differ between Cinema 4D releases.
