In MODO 801, nearly every element of the end-to-end 3D workflow has been improved upon and tweaked in response to extensive customer feedback from a wide range of industries.
This version provides even more out-of-the-box functionality with the introduction of large new features like Nodal Shading for complex shader building, and a completely rewritten Referencing workflow for large scene management. There are also huge updates to core content creation workflows like animation and particles.
Shane Griffith, MODO Product Marketing Manager at The Foundry comments:
“MODO is being used in so many industries now by creative and technical users of every level. The advances in 801 will appeal to users in the design world, and we have specific updates for games customers and great improvements to VFX workflows.”
Other MODO 801 highlights:
- Powerful node based texturing with built-in presets making complex tasks accessible to less technical users
- Enhanced dynamics for large scene handling and destruction
- Improved scattering tools for scene layout and environment creation
- New baking and modeling tools specific for games artists
- Big updates to the animation framework, making it easy for users to animate believable characters
- OpencolorIO integration and improved data exchange with the The Foundry’s COLLECTIVES
Griffith continues: “With highly intuitive workflows that focus on simplicity and mass usability, 801 will be a delight for artists and designers at every level. With this release we’ve looked closely at MODO’s architecture and re-developed key parts based on what we know users want. This is a massive update for MODO and we can’t wait to let artists and designers get their hands on it.”
Olivier Drion, Freelance artist and 3D trainer comments:
“MODO 801 is an amazing upgrade to the MODO ecosystem. I am already using it in production and the new workflows and features have really helped me to improve the quality and turnaround time of my work. I am a big fan of the lattice deformer, vector maps for fur, and all the new fur enhancements in 801”.
Features in detail
The character animation improvements in MODO 801 not only provide greater control when loading and editing an animation but also provide a framework for users to animate believable characters – a framework that has existed in 2D animation for many years.
Updates in 801 to MODO’s dynamics and particles system make even the most ambitious ideas possible. Effects artists can now simulate flexible ropes and chains, shatter objects to create realistic destruction animations or use the new Glue system to simulate layers with breakable constraints.
Other exciting additions include enhanced snapping that adds precision and intelligence to the modeling process and allows users to create complex sets of snapping conditions, Nodal Shading to let artists create more complex shaders and materials, Rigging and deformers have been updated to add the new Wrap, Lattice and Bezier Deformers. Referencing in MODO 801 ushers in efficient collaborative workflows and practical, effective asset reuse.
New COLLECTIVES workflows have been introduced bringing more advanced relighting capabilities in NUKE with the addition of Diffuse Coefficient Outputs. MODO 801 also includes a fully integrated color management pipeline, built on the industry standard OpenColorIO library, ensuring colour consistency across all applications in the COLLECTIVES. As part of this work, the data exchange between MODO and MARI now features UDIM import as well as other improvements for working more efficiently with UDIM tiles.
Hair and fur has been dramatically improved in the release. New hair guides can be generated from the base geometry or interpolated from existing guides. Artists can even sketch guides directly on the screen guide and relatively constrain them to the base surface. With these updates, managing complex hairstyles is now a much easier process.
Painting and sculpting enhancements let you paint curved lines across a surface with greater control. The new Auto Scale and 2D/3D curve options for brushes also adds to the powerful painting and sculpting workflows. These painted curves could be used as part of the design’s look, guides for modeling or elements of a sculpt.
Texture baking tools have been upgraded to provide exactly what games artists need. UV Unwrapping can now be handled with better results in less time when editing complex UV layouts. Performance of the UV selection, camera navigation and paint selection processes have all been significantly improved along with new UV unwrap and relax tools that support an Angle Based flattening method. The GL Measures in 801 give artists the ability to expose relevant information in the viewport display, making scenes more readable in a collaborative environment.
Artists and designers will also find a variety of new materials and textures in MODO 801 allowing artists to more easily add realism to scenes containing complex, yet natural phenomena out-of the box. Examples include the ability to simulate the oil-on-water look or the colorful swirls often observed on a soap bubble with the new physically based Thin Film material and much more.
As well as all these key updates, the product has undergone drastic updates and advances across the board. For further product information and details, visit www.thefoundry.co.uk/modo
About The Foundry
The Foundry develops award-winning computer graphics and visual effects (VFX) software used globally by leading artists, designers and creative professionals. The portfolio lets users create inspiring and technical high-end visuals across a wide range of industries including product and concept design, marketing & advertising, media & entertainment and game development.
In September 2012, The Foundry added MODO, a 3D software package that combines modeling, painting, animation and rendering, to its portfolio. In addition to MODO, the product line includes NUKE (industry standard compositing), HIERO (shot conform and review), MARI (3D digital painting), KATANA (a look development and lighting framework), FLIX (collaborative visual story development), OCULA (a stereoscopic correction toolset) as well as a range of plug-ins.
MODO enables the creation of a huge variety of things from designing consumer products, packaging and advertising materials to games assets, animation projects and beyond.
All of the company’s products, including MODO, are used to created create breathtaking visual effects sequences on a wide range of feature films, television projects and commercials. High profile examples include Gravity, Pacific Rim, World War Z, The Hobbit and the 2013 Oscar® winner, Life of Pi (Best Visual Effects). In television examples include Once Upon A Time, Falling Skies, Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones.
Clients include major feature film studios and post-production houses such as Pixar, ILM, Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company, Walt Disney Animation, Weta Digital, Framestore and Sony Pictures Imageworks.
In 2013, The Foundry made the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 for the fourth consecutive year, ranking in 92nd position. This year, the company has also been shortlisted for categories in the UK Tech Awards and the National Business Awards. The Foundry’s CEO Bill Collis was recognized as the UK Technology winner for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
© The Foundry, its logo and product names are registered trademarks in the UK, USA and/or other countries. MODO is a registered trademark in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.