modo Modeling

Production-ready polygon/SubDivision surface modeler for organic and hard-surface modeling

modo has the fastest, most advanced polygonal and subdivision surface 3D modeling environment available, specifically designed to help you accomplish more in less time than ever before. The modeling and selection tools in modo are honed by years of experience to work just as you expect them to. Superior navigation controls in modo and ray-traced OpenGL views make the visual experience of modeling in modo as rich as the toolset. Integrated Sculpting Tools right in modo make it easier than ever to fluidly create characters, terrain or to add high frequency detail. Snapping tools are combined with modo’s Action Center and Falloffs to let you model with precision and control. And in modo, UV editing is no afterthought – it is at the core of the package.

Polygon/Subdivision Surface Modeler

Whether you require precise rigid body models or character models with perfect “flow,” modo has you covered. The vertex, edge and polygon tools you need to create world-class models are ready to work for you the way you want them to. At any time you can convert to Subdivision surfaces using modo’s classic representation – or to Pixar Subdivision surfaces which offer semi-sharp creasing and multi-resolution sculpting at whatever level of detail you need. Intelligent selection tools anticipate what parts of the model you want to work on and a system of action centers and falloffs modulate how the tools work. Snapping and workplane functionality is so flexible that it lets most modo users model in a single perspective view.

Examples of modo modeling in action

Precision

modo lets you construct geometry with precision by allowing you to snap to existing geometry or to points on the modo workplane. You can also easily align your workplane to any selection set. Consider the most basic of drawing tools in modo, the Pen tool, which lets you place vertices to form geometry. As you are drawing, modo displays ghosted guidelines that allow you to draw at right angles or continue on the same angle to create a straight line from the last two vertices. Similarly, you can move or rotate existing points in your model to snap to another vertex, edge, mid-edge, polygon, or polygon center. Want to type in a value? You configure modo to work in whatever units you want and you can type in strings like 4m+6in and modo does the math (4 meters plus 6 inches) for you!

Sculpting

For some modeling operations you don’t want precise bevels and beautiful curves, you want a more organic approach to modeling, be it terrain or any other freeform shape. Two kinds of sculpting tools are provided in modo: mesh-based and image-based. Mesh-based tools let you modify the overall shape of an object and act on the limit surface itself. You can use mesh sculpting to gently nudge the shape of an object or to radically affect its shape.

And when you want to carve a wrinkle or a gash across the surface, image-based tools are at the ready. With image-based sculpting you are creating a displacement at any level of subdivision you want. There is incredible freedom in having sculpting tools that work right alongside traditional modeling tools. Learn more by viewing the modo 501 Features Tour section on Multi-Res Sculpting.

Profile Modeling

Profile modeling enhances operations like extrusion or sweeping via the use of 1D and 2D profiles. As you model, you can select from various profiles to easily create things like handrails or crown molding in a house. You can also build your own profiles from lines and curves for later re-use.

Replicators

modo has a new way to replicate geometry across your scene to create trillion polygon detail in your renderings. Use this to add barnacles to the hull of a ship, or create a forest of trees. Any mesh can be replicated along a surface with additional controls over scale and orientation.

Retopology

modo can help you create efficient new meshes with perfect data flow on top of dense CAD or scanned datasets. As you create or transform new geometry it can be constrained to the dense background mesh.

World-Class UV Editing

To create perfectly textured models, you need easy access to world-class UV editing tools and the legendary UV editor in modo gives you the ideal environment for the job. In many cases, it is as simple as Click. Unwrap. Done. And with modo, you can build your UV map then create morphs with topology changes and not be concerned with wrecking your UV’s.

Need more UV control? An interactive UV Relax tool will adaptively relax your mesh, minimizing angular and area distortion. Even holes in your mesh (like eyes) are correctly handled in most cases. When there is overlap, those areas are easy to spot with modo’s highlighting feature. UV editing has become – dare we say it – almost fun.

Ramjet UV Example

Toolpipe (Custom Tool Creation)

modo’s Toolpipe lets you create an infinite number of specialized modeling and selection tool variants that you can assign to hotkeys or other parts of the user interface. With the Toolpipe, you are able to combine modo’s robust set of powerful modeling tools with falloffs and action centers in new combinations to customize the way a given tool feels, looks and affects geometry. You can either use modo’s tools as supplied, or leverage the Toolpipe to create a tailored set of tools that work exactly the way you want them to.

Cutting Edge Toolset

modo’s robust modeling toolset provides you with simple and intuitive solutions to the most complex modeling challenges. Here are some examples of the modo tools that will make 3D modeling a more creatively inspired experience for you.

See more modeling, UV editing, and sculpting video tutorials at Luxology.tv.

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