Creating a Cinema 4D Asset Browser Database
A Cinema 4D Asset Browser Database is a folder on your hard drive that Cinema 4D uses to store and organize your custom assets. Here's how to create one.
- In the Asset Browser, go to Databases > Create New Database.
- A folder picker window will open (OS specfic folder picker instuctions below). Navigate to where you want to store the database, then create or select your folder using the steps for your operating system below.
Click your operating system below to expand the steps.
Windows
A File Explorer window opens. Navigate to the location where you want to store your database. You can select an existing empty folder or create a new one by right-clicking inside the window and choosing New > Folder. Once you've selected your folder, click Select Folder to confirm.
macOS
A Finder window opens. Navigate to the location where you want to store your database. You can select an existing empty folder or create a new one by clicking the New Folder button in the dialog. Once you've selected your folder, click Open to confirm.
Once complete, Cinema 4D will connect your custom database and be ready to use right away!
Pro tip: How to verify your database was added
You can confirm your new database is connected by opening the Databases panel in the Asset Browser. Click the stacked-discs icon in the top-right corner of the Asset Browser to open the panel, then look under the User Databases section. Your newly created database should be listed there.
Sharing or migrating a Cinema 4D Asset Browser Database
Under the hood, a Cinema 4D Asset Browser Database is just a folder on your hard drive or network, which makes moving or sharing one straightforward.
This guide covers two common scenarios. The steps below work the same way for both of these situations:
- Sharing a database with teammates or across machines so multiple users can access the same library.
- Carrying a database forward to a new major release of Cinema 4D, for example, moving a database from Cinema 4D 2025 into Cinema 4D 2026, so your asset library follows you when you upgrade.
There are two options below. Pick the one that fits your situation.
Option 1: Basic Transfer
This copies the database as it is at the time of the transfer. Any changes made afterward will not be synchronized between machines. This is also the simplest way to move a database from one major version of Cinema 4D to another (for example, Cinema 4D 2025 to Cinema 4D 2026), whether on the same computer or a different one.
- Copy the database folder to the target computer as you would any other folder.
- In Cinema 4D, open the Asset Browser and go to Databases > Connect Database.
- Select the copied folder and click Select Folder (Windows) or Open (macOS).
Option 2: Network Sharing
This gives multiple machines live access to the same database over your local network. Any asset added or changed by one user is immediately visible to everyone else connected to it.
- Share the database folder on your local network. Follow the instructions below if you need help enabling folder sharing on your operating system.
- On each workstation, open Cinema 4D, go to the Asset Browser, and select Databases > Connect Database.
- Once connected, all users with access to the shared folder will see updates and changes automatically.
If you're rolling this out across many workstations, see the Automating the Connection section below for a way to skip the manual connect step entirely using an environment variable.
How to enable a folder for sharing across a local network:
Click to expand:
Windows
- Right-click the database folder and select Properties. On Windows 11, you may need to choose Show more options to see the full menu.
- Go to the Sharing tab and click Advanced Sharing...
- Enable Share this folder and assign a share name (for example, C4D_Assets). Click Permissions to set who can access the share. For a typical studio setup, give Read access to everyone who needs to use the database, and Change access only to users who should be able to add or remove assets.
- Click OK to confirm, then close the Properties window.
- Other users can now connect to this folder by opening File Explorer and entering \\<your-computer-name>\<share-name> in the address bar, or by going to This PC > Map Network Drive and entering the same path. To find your computer's name, go to Settings > System > About.
macOS
- Right-click (or Control-click) the database folder and choose Get Info.
- In the Sharing & Permissions section at the bottom, click the lock icon to make changes, then add the users or groups who should have access. Set their privilege to Read & Write if they need to add or remove assets, or Read only if they should only be able to use the existing assets.
- Open System Settings > General > Sharing.
- Turn on File Sharing, then click the (i) info button next to it. Click the + under Shared Folders and add the database folder to the list. Confirm the user permissions match what you set in step 2.
- Other users can now connect to this folder from Finder by selecting Go > Connect to Server (or pressing Cmd + K) and entering smb://<your-computer-name>/<share-name>. You can find your computer's name at the top of the Sharing settings window (it's listed as your Local hostname).
Automating the Connection:
You can use an environment variable to have Cinema 4D automatically connect to a local or network-shared database every time it launches. This is especially useful when deploying a shared database across multiple workstations, since you won't need to manually connect it on each machine. Review this article for setup instructions.
If you are still experiencing issues after following these steps, please submit a support ticket, and our team will be happy to assist you further.
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.