Nebula shader
This plugin generates a 2D nebula effect, intended for use as a backdrop, perhaps in combination with the StarScape background. (It isn't a 3D nebula you can fly through.)
Here are some examples of what the shader looks like. Click the small image to see a larger version. The starfield present in the images is generated by StarScape, also available from this site.
- Default nebula
The nebula with default settings.
- Red nebula (Redshift)
A red nebula, rendered in Redshift.
- Stretched nebula
A nebula stretched horizontally.
- Nebula with thin gas clouds
A heavily distorted nebula showing mainly as thin clouds.
- Bright nebula
A hot, bright nebula using all four rings in the shader.
- Thin shell
A nebula manifesting as a thin shell, made by setting inner and outer falloffs to extreme values.
This is the shader interface:
Availability
This shader is free to download and use, and you can download a copy from the links below.
Important: the shader is available for Mac on both C4D R2024 and R2025. However, the Mac version for R2025 requires C4D R2025.2 or later. This is due to changes in the build system for macOS - see the articles here and here for more details.
Compatibility
The shader is compatible with the following versions of Cinema 4D:
| Cinema 4D version | Compatible? |
|---|---|
| R2024 | Yes |
| R2025 | Yes (but see the note above for use on a Mac) |
There are no versions for C4D R2023 or earlier.
Download
Download Nebula shader for R2024
Download Nebula shader for R2025
Page last updated June 10th 2025