20+ years building production-grade tools for Cinema 4D — procedural content generation, shaders, and artist-friendly GUIs. Ex-MAXON and INSYDIUM.
Specialties: C++ (cross-platform), Python, Cinema 4D SDK, procedural generation, shading/materials, performance & multithreading, UI/UX for DCC tools.
Availability: Berlin • Remote • Contract or Permanent
GitHub: github.com/fwilleke80
Curriculum Vitae / Lebenslauf
Reference letters
INSYDIUM LTD. (.pdf, English, 2025)
Confirms senior role, lead ownership of Terraform4D/FX concept/design/framework; praises code quality, reliability, collaboration.
Laubwerk GmbH (.pdf, deutsch, 2020)
Details SurfaceSPREAD/SplineSPREAD work, Arnold support, OBI prototypes, build/release ownership; rates performance “very good”.
MAXON Computer GmbH (.jpg, deutsch, 2016)
Senior Software Developer/Technical Manager; components for C4D (animation, GUI, shading, workflow); management/architecture duties; strong performance.
See also:
Client and coworker testimonials
Videos of recent projects
TerraformFX videos by INSYDIUM LTD.
Recent work samples
(Click on a heading to unfold)
INSYDIUM LTD.
Procedural terrain design, generation, texturing, and scattering in Cinema 4D.
Originally developed as “Terraform4D”, the project was acquired by INSYDIUM LTD., rebranded “TerraformFX” and continually developed by me.
Press
Press release on Insydium.ltd:
We are pleased to announce that INSYDIUM LTD has recently acquired Terraform4D. We are currently working to bring this software into our product line.
Terraform4D was created by Frank Willeke, an experienced Cinema 4D developer. Not only did we acquire his software, but Frank is now a member of the INSYDIUM Development Team. We are looking forward to a highly productive and bright future together.
https://insydium.ltd/news/latest-news/insydium-has-acquired-terraform4d/
News on CGchannel.com:
X-Particles developer Insydium has bought promising Cinema 4D terrain-generation plugin Terraform4D.
Its creator, former Maxon and Laubwerk dev Frank Willeke, joins the firm as senior software developer.
Just five months old when Insydium bought it
The buyout gives Terraform4D one of the fastest turnarounds from launch to acquisition in recent CG software history.Willeke only left his previous job at 3D plant specialist Laubwerk, where he developed the SurfaceSPREAD and SplineSPREAD scattering tools, to work on Terraform4D full-time last June.
Terraform4D shipped in December 2020, getting a single 1.1 update before Insydium snapped it up.
A non-destructive art-directable terrain generator that plays nicely with Cinema 4D’s native tools
A “versatile, art-directable terrain generation system for Cinema 4D”, Terraform4D enables users to build detailed terrains using a non-destructive layer-based workflow.The plugin provides a range of generators, making it possible to create terrain using procedurals, bitmap textures, guide splines or gradients.
[…]
https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/05/insydium-buys-terraform4d/
Concept, design, and full implementation of the framework + generators/filters, geometry generation, dynamic data-driven texturing system, and texture scattering.
Here are some test renders and screenshots of TerraformFX.
Laubwerk GmbH
Procedural scattering, in-house tools.
- SurfaceSPREAD
- SplineSPREAD
- OBI Garden Planner
- Custom renderer connections
(e.g. Arnold instances for SurfaceSPREAD) - Company’s platform-independent foundation library
Maxon Computer GmbH
Cinema 4D core features in shading, GUI, video post, expressions, and procedural generation.
Shaders / Materials
I wrote the following shaders that are all part of Cinema 4D:
Brick shader
Procedural shader that create brick walls with variable brick patterns, random colouring, and procedural dirt. The last image shows the additional displacement mode which creates realistically slanted bricks.
Cinema 4D user manual: Brick Shader
Wood shader
Procedural 3D wood shader. Originally based on a Renderman shader from the 80s, but it went quite some extra miles.
Cinema 4D user manual: Wood shader
More Cinema 4D built-in shaders I wrote:
- Normaliser shader
- Terrain mask shader
- Physical Fresnel shader
- Pavement shader
- Weathering shader
- MoGraph MultiShader
Motion Camera
Physically simulated handheld camera system with footstep simulation (see last video), shaking, and dynamics. Additionally, there was camera morphing and crane functionality.
Developed as “ScoobyCamTools”, the project was acquired by Maxon and integrated into Cinema 4D as “MotionCam”. Here are some example videos I created back then.
GUI
I designed and developed the Date/Time GUI element, including a very slick parser for date and time data in various formats.
3D Kerning for Text Spline and MoText object
I designed and implemented the complex 3D kerning system for the font section, including text selection and 3D viewport handles.
“Combine Scene” and “Combine ArchiCAD 18+ Scene” commands
These commands would take scenes exported from CAD applications (which, as we know, are almost always of a horrible structure, and with thousands of separate objects), and merge/combine them into a nicely organised and compact scene.
Watermark videopost effect
I designed and implemented the Watermark videopost effect and its token system.
Color Grading
I designed and implemented the color grading functions in the Picture Viewer.
Content Browser Base Preset
A framework to enable developers for easy, unified implementation of custom preset types for the C4D content browser system.