MODO 901

efflux · June 24, 2015, 02:39:47 PM

To start getting around Modo's more technical side of modeling, this is a decent set of tutorials. It's old but useful even with the latest Modo and it's free. You get to work out how to deal with snapping which itself is hugely complex. You could probably do this quicker in Wings but without the precision dimensions feedback. Modo's modeling tools are worth knowing because for some extremely complex precise modeling some of the tools come in useful. He has to makes macros to deal with windows etc. This isn't necessary in Wings which can auto detect similar polys. However, this macro capability could be very useful along with some of the other tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHp_LZELsqg&list=PLi2GhhsPL-RrFBfeUFGMocDmBgU6LZFsl

efflux · June 25, 2015, 03:13:31 AM

Modo is absolutely full of bugs. I've commented on their forum about it. There are plenty of threads about it. I'm no expert but there are lots of bugs that make it even difficult to learn. It doesn't crash but the UI and tools are totally bug ridden. Unless they get to grips with this and stop adding feaures Modo is going nowhere because it's all over the net now that Modo is bug ridden.

TheBadger · June 25, 2015, 06:40:14 AM

Yeah, I was reading some of the complaints. Seems to be hit and miss for those complaining. I mean bugs for some but not others.
Im sure it will all get sorted.

I was reading that the problem is that for subscription customers, a new release is due every year. So that may be why it was released as a WIP, sorta. Another reason to hate renting software I guess.

ITs funny though, I was reading that Maya 2016 is great

, but MODO is having problems now. HA HA. Well, in the long run, I think MODO is the one to watch.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 10:07:33 AM

I'm trying to learn the modeler at the moment and the bugs make this difficult because it takes you ages to work out if t's your problem or a bug.

I didn't realise there was a subsciption. I'm guessing that's part of a package of Foundry apps? This is very bad news if they are forced to release no matter what.

Either the beta testers are useless or the Foundry simply release knowing about problems. I mean seriously, who in hell is beta testing this?

In all my time using Blender and Wings 3D I never came across any bugs. Wings is obviously simple but Blender isn't. One massive advantage of open source is that releases are very regular and they aren't forced to sell a product every so often. I find in general open source software is very stable compared to commercial, even if it lacks features.

Terragen is actually a really great app in this respect. Very solid and bug free.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 10:15:42 AM

They also need to seriously take a look at the viewports. Blender is massively superior. Just little things like when you mouse past the window the view doesn't move in Modo. In Blender there are certain mouse drag tools where if you run out of space it jumps to the other side of the window. Very intelligent. Then we have through selections. In Blender when you choose this, the polygons become transparent. Visually very good. Whoever thought out the default Modo colour scheme must have been on drugs as well. Wire mesh view is the same colour as the grid. Madness. I could go on and on. Materials and rendering in Modo are awesome but modeling is just tedious.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 10:27:20 AM

With apps as complicated as these, they need to release regular updates and allow users to use beta versions if they wish. Waiting for service packs and then bugs that go from one release to the next is useless. 3D Coat has a good system. Regular updates even if to fix a few bugs. Leaving users with serious bugs for months will destroy the app's credibility. Until they have things fixed they can't act like Autodesk. They will not be able to keep uping the price and keep users.

Apple did this with Logic DAW. They update the app and it seems idiots were used to beta test then bugs go on forever. New releases introduce masses of bloat features and masses of new bugs. That's why I don't use Logic anymore.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 10:35:28 AM

The Foundry also need to cut down on the massive hype. Fancy website pages, endless webinars and Brad Peebler endlessly talking about greatest update ever and rock solid. Rock solid it ain't. If they need to see rock solid look at Blender. All this while the online manual and tutorials are seriously lacking. Most videos are hype and not detailed instructions.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 10:48:13 AM

Greatest 3D modeling app:

http://www.wings3d.com/

Sounds crazy I know but this app is a joy to use. It doesn't have everything but the kitchen sink but what is there is brilliant.

As a side note Lightzone is free now. This is the best photo editing app. Total commercial failure which is mad. It's Linux as well which is ultra cool. I've tried lots of programs to edit photos but nothing tops the UI and algorithms in this. It's so easy. Brilliant for editing lighting in 3D renders which are exported as EXR. It doesn't do full 32 bit exr but if you alter exposure and convert to 16 bit then edit in this, it's great.

http://lightzoneproject.org/

To me it's just a complete funny farm the software everyone uses. They often use the worst stuff going. One of my favourite apps is Inkscape. That's brilliant and free open source.

https://inkscape.org/en/

You could make a living using this app designing graphics.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 11:05:15 AM

Maybe those Andy Brown videos I posted to before demo the problems. He uses all the long winded ways to get the results. Tha's actually why the video is cool because in a round about way, you learn lots of tools but notice how he says to make sure the bolt nuts have five sides! They must have had interesting spanners back in the 40s. I think this is indication enough about who is testing and using Modo. How far do you think they'd get with Terragen?

efflux · June 25, 2015, 11:15:14 AM

Maybe Modo users can't do maths either and that's why dimensions are all %. You can do real scale measurements but it's a pain. To me this should have been changed because this is crucial for accurate design. Wings uses % but it fits with the workflow perfectly.

Kadri · June 25, 2015, 11:22:25 AM

LightZone looks interesting.I might try it.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 11:44:37 AM

Kadri,

Lightzone is great. Primarily it's the algorithms for relighting and the zonal approach in the UI to alter levels. Another huge plus is the way you can draw shapes over the image with fall offs etc where the effect happens. It's just really cool. I just can't understand why this app failed. Adobe Lighroom or Apple Aperture? Please, give me a break. Apple have ditched Aperture as well. iPhoto will be what you use. I guess that's the same as the destruction of Logic Audio so they could create Garageband. You can get Reaper and use for free or pay a small amount for the license. Presonus Studio One is decent as well but more expensive. The one and only thing that makes me keep Apple computers now is that they are good for audio and quiet which is obviously important for this. Apple died with Steve jobs for anything serious. I have a quad core i7 Mini server. They ditched this and have actually downgraded the Mini now. This is so they can flog the desktop machine but anyone buying that must have more money than sense. Sadly Apple has become everything everyone used to criticise them for. Apple watch? What a joke. OSX is good though. Reliable. I like it. iOS is another joke though compared to Android.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 11:57:22 AM

I'll stop ranting now but trying to learn this Modo modeler just reminds me of the dire state of a lot of computer software.

Kadri · June 25, 2015, 12:05:07 PM

Quote from: efflux on June 25, 2015, 11:44:37 AM
...Lightzone is great. Primarily it's the algorithms for relighting and the zonal approach in the UI to alter levels. Another huge plus is the way you can draw shapes over the image with fall offs etc where the effect happens. It's just really cool. ...

Thanks i will try it certainly.

efflux · June 25, 2015, 01:09:17 PM

Or if you are on Linux you can use this for editing exrs:

[attach=1]

It's really good but you don't have quite the same control as Lightzone. Lightzone is a bit outdated now but I can't get quite the same results. In Darktable you can't draw shapes on the image. You have to carefully control zones in other ways. I used to use Blender to edit exrs then to Lightzone 16 bit tif but now I can do all of it in Darktable then some more post in Lightzone if needed.

I simply couldn't use Windows or OSX anymore as my main desktop systems. I use Archlinux. I have xfce desktop which is really simple and efficient. Close to how OSX used to be until Apple started bloating it out. I don't recommend Archlinux for new users though because for example, there is no graphical installer at all now. You have to command line install every part of the system beyond the very basic Arch system. Desktop etc has to all be set up. You'll be in the terminal endlessly after that as well but things like the package manager are really easy even if command line. It's not that hard but after a while you gravitate to Arch rather than Ubuntu or whatever because those have got the bloat that you went to Linux to avoid.