Luxology modo 102
by Polycarpo
Over the past two years or so a lot has been discussed about Luxology and their product modo. Impassioned users the world over have voiced their opinions on the vast range of LightWave centric forums about what the product would or would not bring to the marketplace. Well, after all the talk and hollering things have gotten a little quiet. Not because the zealots were right, but because people have seen what modo is and can do, and they have seen the future of modeling and are using it to do some amazing work.
In the summer of 2004, Luxology premiered its modeling package to an excited Siggraph audience as well as online readers. The buzz on the forums was amazing. A thousand chattering voices going all at once about the amazing things they were witnessing. As a fairly hardened and dedicated LightWave user, I tried to maintain my objectivity, but at times I was blinded by my existing toolset. But, when I stood there at the AMD booth with no one manning the dual AMD workstation I saw modo running on, I approached the keyboard and mouse and was immediately transfixed. It felt strangely familiar to me and it was very approachable, which cannot be said but for a handful of 3D tools on the market. A lot of the familiar LightWave controls and tools were there, but they felt more solid, as if they were built for the purpose of creating an optimal modeling workflow.
Built from the ground up, modo represents to the artist, the perfect tool for Subdivision Surface modeling. While quite a few SDS modelers have hit the market recently (and of which I have used) none can come close to the powerful and well thought out UI system modo possesses. The Luxology team has done a wonderful job of really thinking about the modeling workflow from a purely UI centric standpoint while also creating one of the most beautiful UI interfaces belonging to a 3D software. I have jokingly stated to colleagues, that while LightWave is a workhorse and gets a lot of great work done, it's like driving an old reliable 1987 Chevy S-10, while on the contrary, modo represents an evolved experience which is more akin to driving a 2005 BMW M3 convertible with the top down along the coast line of California. What is so ironic about this statement, is that the creators of modo are in fact the creators of LightWave. I guess with their freedom from their former place of employment they were finally able to spread their wings and embrace and develop the product they knew they were capable of and wanted to share with the world. I for one think this was the best move they could have made, because we, the artists and creators are going to benefit from their vision and dedication to arming us with the tools we need to get things done quicker and more efficiently in a workflow environment that is artist centric in its approach.
Upon first opening modo, you will notice its dark gray interface and lightly colored icons and well layed out interface. One of the cool features of modo is the dynamic Help system. When active, almost every component in the UI becomes accessible to the Help system, and clicking on that particular component you want to know more about takes you to the information about it in the Help System. The definitions provided are sometimes text based, while at other times are 720x480 training videos with voice over covering the uses of the tool.
modo comes with a great library of high end content, ranging from highly detailed inorganic models, to beautifully modeled organic models, such as gremlins, rhinos, and male and female models. Having access to such detailed content really aids in furthering ones development as a modeler because you can analyze first hand the high quality meshes designed for modo by talented artists who are top modelers in the industry. With these highly detailed models, modo does a great job of handling them via its fast and well implemented OpenGL support. Models just seems to overtake you within the modo UI. I know it sounds silly, but models just look gorgeous in the modo UI, and this in turns makes me feel more empowered while modeling, because what I am seeing in the viewport just looks so amazing. The overall experience is so sublime and it is somewhat difficult for me to put into words, but once you use it, you will know what polygonal and SDS modeling should be like (note to the readers: it looks like a demo of modo 1.02 will be made available in issue 85 of DIGIT magazine, so be sure to look for it on the shelves at your local bookstore: http://www.digitmag.co.uk/magazine/cd.cfm).
With any good software experiences, one must also have good training experiences. The training material which ships with modo (both in hard copy and digital format) is some of the best around. The content for training (Quick Tips and Tricks and tutorials) at the Luxology site as well, just keeps getting richer and richer with each passing month. The offline and online material is designed to get the novice up to speed quickly and also to get the seasoned modeler up to speed and modeling faster than they thought possible. I think anyone regardless of their skill level will benefit from the free training Luxology provides its users. The stuff just makes sense and the direction they have taken with the video based training makes using modo that much easier. It's a trend we will see more of from others in the industry.
A lot of the tools within modo will be familiar to LightWave and other 3D package users. However, what makes modo truly unique is how everything has been integrated into a unified experience. All of the tools an artist uses in modo feel like they were designed with a purpose and just weren't slapped in because a popular plug-in was finally tossed in with the latest upgrade. I think the guys over at Luxology have had years to think about how a 3D package should be designed, and I think they finally realized their vision in modo. modo has been designed on an extensible platform called Nexus. Nexus is a sort of 3D Operating System in which many varying types of tools can be built and seamlessly integrated into the workflow experience. It gets kind of strange and very geeky when you start thinking about what this really means for the future of modo and 3D (Luxology has built a platform from the ground up for the sole purpose of becoming a Digital Content Creation Solution, which to me is truly revolutionary...Nexus isn't about solving the modeling problem, it's about creating a platform for developers to create highly effective tools with the end goal of quality and speed in mind - well, that's just my humble opinion of course).
I think some of my favorite tools in modo are the Action Centers, the Tool Pipe, Falloff Tools, and the highly customizable interface. With the addition of Action Centers to the modeling process the user can define what and where they want their axis of control to be. This makes tweaking and modeling so much faster, because you can use varying origins to model from. The Tool Pipe is at the core of functionality within modo in the sense that it is the place where the user can combine basic tools with action centers, falloffs and other tools which can be modified to suit a particular modelers needs. With the Tool Pipe, a modeler can create custom tools by combining tools and modifiers and so much more. With the Falloff Tools, you get a sense that modo really understands that modeling isn't a linear process of creating, but is about having the ability to create nuances in your meshes. Imagine having the ability to add a radial falloff to a Rotate tool, or to use a Vertex Map as a falloff for your Move Tool. It's kind of weird to read about, but it's great to use. Just look at this example: http://www.luxology.com/modo/toolpipe.aspx
One of my favorite things in modo isn't a modeling tool, but it is of vital importance to anyone getting work done. It is the UI. The UI of modo is the best interface I have used to date. The UI is intelligently built so that it collapses to still be usable at smaller screen resolutions while expanding to take advantage of higher monitor resolutions. One may not think of it as something they would need in their day to day workflow, but once it is experienced, you'll wonder why all software isn't designed like this.
As a side note, LightWave users will be happy to hear that modo fully supports LW endomorphs (endomorphs is the morph system implemented in LW that is stored in the objects vertices, therefore there is no need for multiple models to exist to do morphing in modo as with most other applications).
A software package can have all the bells and whistles, but if it lacks a community of passionate artists and developers it is no better than the lowliest package out there. To be blunt, modo is not lacking in the least in this department. The modo community are some of the most talented and engaging artists out their. While modo is being used in high end VFX studios and Game studios, modo is also in the hands of the independent artists out their who have marveled us over the years. LightWave users will see some familiar faces on the modo forums, great artists like Gerald Abraham (LA Akira), Jacques Defontaine (The Ripper), Christophe Desse (Xtrm3D) and several others. I guess these artists can be considered early adopters, but for me they represent what an artists relationship to software is supposed to be about. It is supposed to be about effective tools designed for the artist to get their work done and done well. I think these particular artists and many others like them have realized something in modo that I hope others will soon have the opportunity to experience.
As a 1.02 release, modo is a great release (the .02 update addressed a lot of open issues with the 1.0 release and added a slew of new tools which make modo an even more solid tool for production work). While I know that there is room for improvement as with any 1.0 software release, modo has taken a giant step in the direction of defining what a superior 3D modeling package is supposed to be like. I think modo will continue to surprise the industry and its users as it continues to evolve. All I can say about modo now is that come Siggraph 2005, I want to see more than a billion plus polygons rendered in seconds on a stage like we did at Mac World. I want to personally render it myself. I know a lot of people are rumoring that modo is just one piece of the larger puzzle Luxology has planned for the marketplace. However, if a rendering and animation package never materializes from Luxology, one thing is for certain, modo will be a well integrated modeling pipeline for studios large and small who are in need of a highly effective and powerful SDS modeler. Modo just flat out rocks as a modeling solution for artists who care about quality tools and quality work. Thanks for reinvigorating my artistic spirit Luxology.
modo currently retails for 5 USD, but can be purchased at a introductory price of 5.00 from the Luxology site. One of the great things about modo is that it is dual platform, and runs on the Mac and PC at no additional cost (I really wish more vendors would offer this option to their users since so many of us are OSX and Windows based these days). If you are a student or faculty member, it can be bought for 9.00 USD, and if you are a student who is maintaining a 3.0 GPA or better, it can be snagged for the great price of .00.
Visit the Luxology site for more information on pricing and system specifications: www.luxology.com
modo 1.02 features can also be reviewed here: http://www.luxology.com/modo/102/
During my research and use of modo, I have found some helpful links for those who might be curious about modo. Have a look at them here:
http://www.indigosm.com/modoscripts.htm
http://www.vertexmonkey.com/scripts_create.php
http://forums.luxology.com/discussion/forum.aspx?id=+wCWXZYBgpw=
If you should have any comments or questions about this article, please do not hesitate contacting me.
