X-Particles in Redshift (Cinema 4D): Rendering Modes, Particle Attributes and xpCache

X-Particles and Redshift are a common pair for motion design and effects in Cinema 4D. This guide covers how Redshift draws X-Particles, which particle data you can use in materials, and why a cached simulation is the difference between a clean sequence and particles that pop or blur differently from frame to frame.

Checked against the Cinema 4D and Redshift documentation, November 2026.

Add a Redshift Object tag to each xpEmitter and choose how the particles are drawn in its Particles tab (Maxon Redshift: Cinema 4D Particles). Redshift supports X-Particles emitters, xpTrails through the Curve options, and X-Particles attributes in the Shader Graph.

Sources: Maxon: Redshift Object tag, Particles, Maxon Redshift: Cinema 4D Particles.

Settings checklist (copy or follow line by line):

xpEmitter › Tags › Render Tags › Redshift Object › Particles
  Mode .................. choose from the modes in section 1
  Scale Multiplier ...... start small, match the viewport

Redshift material (Shader Graph)
  User Data node ........ attribute, e.g. RSPAgeNormalized
  › Ramp › base color ... color over life

xpCache ................. folder next to the project › Build Cache
Redshift Render Settings  Motion Blur = On

Step 1: Tag the emitter

Right-click the xpEmitter, add a Redshift Object tag from Render Tags and choose a particle mode.

Step 2: Size the particles

Adjust the Scale Multiplier until particles match the viewport; start small and scale up.

Step 3: Build the material

Apply a Redshift material and add User Data nodes for the attributes you need, for example RSPAgeNormalized into a ramp for color over life.

Step 4: Cache the simulation

Add an xpCache object, choose a folder next to the project, and build the cache before any final render.

Step 5: Enable motion blur and check

Turn on motion blur in the Redshift settings and check a few frames in the RenderView, including the first frame of the range you will render.

Sources: Maxon Redshift: Particle Attribute Reference.

Because a particle simulation depends on everything that happened before the current frame. If each render machine, or each re-render, calculates the simulation on its own, the same frame can come out with different particles. The figure shows the difference a cache makes.

With a cache, every machine reads the same file for frame 51, so the particles match exactly. INSYDIUM notes that caching prevents discontinuity between frames rendered on different machines, and Maxon calls caching essential for consistent motion blur, because Redshift samples particle positions before and after each frame (INSYDIUM: xpCache). Useful xpCache settings:

• Cache Type External (Files): one file per frame in the folder you choose; internal caches are stored in the scene file and only suit short tests.
• Use Folders: gives each cached object its own subfolder.
• Cache Files as Assets: includes the cache when you use Save Project with Assets, which makes moving the scene to another machine easier.
• Skip Render Pre-Roll: avoids reading cache frames before the first rendered frame.

Sources: INSYDIUM: xpCache, Maxon Redshift: Caching Simulations and Motion Blur, INSYDIUM: Using X-Particles with Team Render.

X-Particles is a plugin, so the render machine needs it installed, and the cache must travel with the scene. A SaaS render farm works if it supports your X-Particles version and you upload the full cache. An IaaS render farm such as iRender gives you a remote machine where you install X-Particles with your own license, copy the project and its cache folder, and open the scene exactly as on your workstation, including rebuilding the cache there if needed.

These videos show a particle setup with Redshift and Cinema 4D jobs on iRender 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: MoGraph clones in Redshift. Real render times are in our Redshift benchmark, and plans are on the Cinema 4D Redshift render farm page.

How do I render X-Particles with Redshift in Cinema 4D?
Add a Redshift Object tag to each xpEmitter, open its Particles tab and choose a mode such as Optimized Spheres, Sphere Instances or Custom Objects, then set the Scale Multiplier. For xpTrails, add the tag and use its Curve options.

Why are my X-Particles not showing in the Redshift render?
Redshift needs a Redshift Object tag on the xpEmitter to know how to draw the particles. Also check the particle scale: Maxon suggests starting with a small Scale Multiplier and adjusting, because the right value depends on scene scale.

How do I color particles by age in Redshift?
Use a Scalar User Data node with the attribute RSPAgeNormalized, which goes from 0 at birth to 1 at death, and feed it into a ramp connected to the material color or emission.

Why should I cache X-Particles before rendering?
A cache makes every machine and every re-render read the same particle data, which prevents differences between frames rendered on different machines. Redshift also samples before and after each frame for motion blur, so Maxon calls caching essential for consistent motion blur.

Where does xpCache store its files?
In the folder you set in the xpCache object. External caches write one file per frame, Use Folders gives each cached object its own subfolder, and Cache Files as Assets includes the cache when you use Save Project with Assets.

Does a render machine need X-Particles installed?
Yes. X-Particles is a Cinema 4D plugin, and INSYDIUM notes that Team Render clients must also run X-Particles. On a remote server, install X-Particles with your own license and copy the cache folder with the scene.