Redshift Motion Blur in Cinema 4D: Transformation Steps, Deformation Blur and Shutter
Redshift renders camera, transformation and deformation motion blur. The main points from Maxon's documentation:
- Curves need steps: Redshift draws motion as straight segments. Fast rotations and curved moves need more Transformation Steps (2 to 31); deformation uses 2, 3, 5, 9 or 17 steps.
- Deformation blur is opt-in: It tracks every vertex and can be memory-intensive on high-poly or displaced geometry, so it is off by default. Enable it only where meshes deform.
- Per-object control: The Redshift Object tag can use the global setting, disable blur, or add deformation blur with its own steps; Pyro volumes use velocity grids.
- When vertices change: Deformation blur follows each vertex, so meshes whose points change from frame to frame need a different approach, such as a Motion Vector AOV for compositing.
- Rendering blurred animation: Motion blur adds sampling work per frame; iRender 2x, 4x or 8x RTX 5090 or RTX 4090 servers split each frame across all GPUs, and you can test steps and samples in the RenderView first.
Real motion blur sells speed and weight in an animation, but in Redshift it also costs memory and samples, and a wrong setting gives straight streaks on spinning wheels or missing blur on deforming meshes. This guide explains the three kinds of Redshift motion blur, the settings that control them, per-object overrides, and what to do when deformation blur cannot follow your mesh.
Checked against the Cinema 4D and Redshift documentation, November 2026.
1. What kinds of motion blur does Redshift render?
Redshift renders camera blur from camera movement, transformation blur from moving objects and lights, and deformation blur from vertices that move because of skinning, morphing or simulation (Maxon Redshift: Motion Blur). Camera and transformation blur can use up to 31 steps; deformation blur uses 2, 3, 5, 9 or 17.
2. Why do fast rotations need more steps?
Redshift represents curved motion with a series of straight segments, called steps. The figure shows a point on a spinning wheel during the shutter.
With two steps, Redshift only knows where the point starts and ends, so the blur cuts straight across the arc. With more steps the segments follow the curve. Maxon notes that more steps mean more accurate trajectories but more memory: its three-dragon example used 1 KB for transformation matrices at 2 steps and 13 KB at 31 steps, which only matters when there are hundreds of thousands of animated objects.
Redshift motion blur settings in Cinema 4D
From the Motion Blur tab of the Redshift render settings, as documented by Maxon.
| Setting | What it does | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Enabled | Turns motion blur on. A Motion Vector AOV in the scene disables motion blur in the beauty automatically. | Use either 3D blur or a motion vector pass, not both. |
| Deformation Blur | Tracks individual vertices; off by default because it can use a lot of memory on high-poly or displaced geometry. | Enable only for skinned, deformed or simulated meshes. |
| Transformation Steps | Linear steps for the paths of cameras, lights and objects, from 2 to 31. | Raise for spinning wheels and curved camera moves. |
| Deformation Steps | Linear steps for moving vertices: 2, 3, 5, 9 or 17. | Raise only if deforming parts blur in straight streaks. |
| Frame Duration | How many frames the virtual shutter stays open; larger values give more blur. Depends on the frame rate. | Match the shutter of live footage when compositing. |
| Shutter Start / End, Frame Position | Trim the blur within the frame duration, and place it before, around or after the rendered frame. | Center keeps blur on both sides of the frame. |
| Efficiency | How fast the shutter opens and closes; lower values give softer trails. | Lower it for a softer, film-like trail. |
3. How to set up motion blur in Redshift (step by step)
Settings checklist (copy or follow line by line):
Redshift Render Settings › Motion Blur Enabled ............... On Frame Duration ........ match the shutter you want Deformation Blur ...... On only if meshes deform Transformation Steps .. raise for rotations / curved paths Deformation Steps ..... raise only if deforming parts blur in straight lines Object › Redshift Object tag › Motion Blur per-object override ... disable blur, or own Deformation Steps Unified sampling ........ check noise in a blurred frame
Step 1: Enable motion blur
In the Redshift render settings, enable Motion Blur and set the Frame Duration to match the shutter you want.
Step 2: Decide on deformation blur
Enable Deformation Blur only if meshes deform; rigid animation and camera moves do not need it.
Step 3: Set steps
Raise Transformation Steps for rotations and curved paths, and Deformation Steps only if deforming parts still blur in straight lines.
Step 4: Override per object
Use the Redshift Object tag’s Motion Blur tab to disable blur on objects that should stay sharp, or to give one deforming object its own Deformation Steps (Maxon: Redshift Object tag, Motion Blur).
Step 5: Check noise
Blurred areas need more samples; Maxon’s example shows heavy noise around blur with low unified sampling, so check a blurred frame before the final render.
Quick check: if a spinning wheel blurs in straight streaks, raise Transformation Steps; if a deforming character blurs straight, raise Deformation Steps on that object only.
4. What if deformation blur cannot follow my mesh?
Deformation blur follows each vertex from one step to the next, so it needs the same vertices on neighbouring frames. Meshes whose points change over time, such as meshed fluids or some fracture setups, cannot be tracked that way. Practical options:
- Disable deformation blur on that object with the Redshift Object tag, so it does not produce broken streaks.
- Render a Motion Vector AOV and add blur in compositing; Redshift disables beauty motion blur automatically when this AOV is on.
- Volumes: for Pyro and VDBs, enable Motion Vector in the tag and enter the velocity channel names.
- Simulations: cache them so every frame, and the samples around it, read the same data.
5. Where should you render motion-blurred animation: SaaS or IaaS farm?
Motion blur raises the work per frame, so GPU count matters. A SaaS render farm suits shots whose steps and samples are already set. An IaaS render farm such as iRender suits shots you still need to tune: you open the scene on the render machine, test steps, samples and per-object overrides on the blurred frames, and render on the same GPUs.
These videos show Cinema 4D and Redshift animation jobs on iRender multi-GPU servers.
On iRender you rent a whole server with 2x, 4x or 8x RTX 5090 or RTX 4090 GPUs, with Cinema 4D and Redshift pre-installed; Prime members get activated Cinema 4D and Redshift licenses. Related: caching X-Particles for consistent motion blur. Real render times are in our Redshift benchmark, and plans are on the Cinema 4D Redshift render farm page.
6. Redshift Motion Blur FAQ
How do I enable motion blur in Redshift for Cinema 4D?
Open the Redshift render settings, go to Motion Blur and enable it. Transformation blur for moving cameras, lights and objects then works immediately; enable Deformation Blur as well if meshes deform, such as skinned characters or cloth.
Why does my spinning wheel look wrong with motion blur?
Redshift represents motion with straight segments, so a fast rotation rendered with only a few Transformation Steps blurs straight across the curve. Raise Transformation Steps, up to 31, until the blur follows the arc.
Why is deformation motion blur off by default in Redshift?
Deformation blur tracks the motion of every vertex and can use a lot of memory, especially on high-poly or displaced geometry. Maxon recommends leaving it off if your scene’s motion comes from rigid objects or the camera.
Can I turn motion blur off for one object in Redshift?
Yes. Add a Redshift Object tag, open its Motion Blur tab, enable Override and choose Disabled, or choose Transformation and Deformation with its own Deformation Steps for that object only.
Why does motion blur disappear when I add a Motion Vector AOV?
Redshift automatically disables motion blur in the beauty render when a Motion Vector AOV is enabled, because a motion vector pass is meant for blurring in compositing and should come from a sharp image.
How do I get motion blur on Pyro or VDB volumes in Redshift?
Volumes are stored frame by frame, so Redshift uses velocity grids. In the Redshift Object tag’s Motion Blur tab, enable Motion Vector and enter the velocity channel names, or a single vector channel such as velocity in the X field.
