Modo 701 ("end to end"?)

Started by TheBadger, April 04, 2014, 08:36:31 AM

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PabloMack

I just got an email that says Modo 801 is now for sale.

efflux

The nodal shading looks like an awesome improvement. The shader tree was OK but I found things I couldn't do so easily with that. The nodal shading will make so much more possible.

"shatter command " - this looks cool.

Upgrade price looks OK. No huge hikes.

AP

If Modo is your main terrain application, how are you using erosion features if any? Is there a good way of faking it in Modo, however I have doubts about that. I see all of the time erosion not being used and more often then not, the terrain looks unrealistic, lacks age so it all looks static/dead. I was using the Terragen Alpine Shader often but still, it is not enough for true erosive features.

efflux

#33
I haven't used erosion in Terragen either. Mostly I created full procedural terrains that cover the planet rather than heightfields. Of course Modo doesn't have erosion. There is a feature lacking in Modo. You can't build up procedural textures and have them recalculate to get overhangs. The picture I posted from Modo before is pure procedural. There is no mesh as such at all except as a flat holder for the material so there are no overhangs. To get overhangs you need to transform the procedural texture to a mesh. There are ways to instance the mesh though so you can have lots of them into the distance. You can also use this to get millions of rocks etc. You can just rotate them etc to create variety. Modo's procedurals are excellent though for actually creating the initial terrain forms. Better than Terragen's. Terragen is lacking a number of features. The main one is a curve graph. Modo has an insanely powerful curve graph so it's easy to shape the profile of the terrain.

Bringing terrains into Modo from other apps would be a useful method as well. I think there is huge scope for creating terrains in apps like 3D Coat or ZBrush. Bringing HDR skies from Terragen would be useful as well.

I wouldn't say Modo is my main terrain application. I've just done some experiments. I'm really doing very little of this due to the time consuming nature of it whether Modo or Terragen.

TheBadger

Hey Efflux, long time bro!

Been looking at the videos showing the new stuff in MODO. Have some more to look at this weekend. So far I think the soft has all that I do need, and will get everything I will need by the time I need it. But I need to check out a few more things before I decide.

@ Kadri, well it looks like I am in fact now really leaning to MODO over LW. After all the reading and looking and watching, I like what I saw of LW a lot. I think its nice soft.
But after all the tech stuff it comes down to a more basic psychological thing. I personally just feel better about MODO. *I* am just finding it to be more aprocable, and "feel" less overwhelmed at the prospect of learning it. It looks like it suits my personality a little better... The layout and the handling.
MODO is definitely VERY interested in me being happy as I work (not that LW is not also interested). But MODO just feels better... As stupid as all that may sound, after I did the point by point comparison, it just comes down to a tactile preference, even esthetic preference, which in software is much more tangible than imagery, I think.

BUT! I can't afford to buy anything for a few weeks, so I will probably change my mind 60-70 times by then. >:( :'( >:(  ;D So still listening to what you guys have to say if you want to say anything more!  :)

Cheers all.
It has been eaten.

Kadri


I have nothing more to say Michael :)

It would be only funny if anything new about the
next version of Lightwave happened to come out in that time frame :D

TheBadger

Quotenext version of Lightwave happened to come out in that time frame :D

BAAAAA! Don't say that! I need to make some kind of choice and that will put me back to square one. Because of course, major improvements of some kind or another would rightly make me put "preference feelings" aside, and do the never ending point by point comparisons again  :o

Ok, that would be a little funny.
It has been eaten.


yossam

You are going to drive him crazy Kadri.  ;)

Kadri

Quote from: yossam on April 26, 2014, 08:12:54 PM
You are going to drive him crazy Kadri.  ;)

I really want to hear news about the next Lightwave version
for myself and a little...ahem...because of this of course  ;)

TheBadger

This is interesting even with no context. Makes me curious about the different approaches to renderers and how it could jump like this.
[attach=1]
It has been eaten.

masonspappy

I see a few things.  Specular highlights aren't as intense in 801.  Shading on the building stonework seems flatter and the details on the granite wall don't seem as intense (and I think the renderer in 701 attempts reflect the the shading on the sidewalk a tiny bit, but I don't see the same thing in 801).  Only thing that baffles me is that the glass in 801 seems to be a bit more transparent than the 701 version, which I 'thought' would have added to the render time. But maybe not.

PabloMack

#42
Since The Foundry/Luxology was offering me an upgrade for $100 off (ends Friday) I bit the bullet and upgraded Modo from 401 to 801. "The Badger" badgered me into it with this thread (just joking).  :)  Now I'm current on all fronts (TG, LW & Modo) I just have to get the time to figure out what I just bought. Hopefully it's not "the farm".

TheBadger

let us know when you get to it.
It has been eaten.