It's a new year...
And I'd like to add a brand spanking new skill.
So I decided to learn the great beast MODO in my spare time to have the opportunity to take advantage of that software's awesome (and exclusive) tools. Tools like the very tasty looking Mesh Fusion. MMMMM
Also, I really like learning things. I'm kind of nutty that way. I think I miss academia... but this is way easier on my bank account than the great American loan.
Learning the interface for MODO has been challenging. I'm not super far in, and there are tons of things I don't understand yet so that's fun. So far, my largest hurdle has been getting used to the idea of pressing a key to commit translations. (Hint: IT'S WEIRD)
Since I didn't understand something so fundamental to working in 3D in this program, I had to do some fancy googling
Resources
To halp me on my journey, I've found a number of great resources free and paid:
Pixel Fondue's short and sweet videos have helped expose me to a number of useful features nearly every time I google a MODO question.
The Foundry has a great set of videos going over many key modeling tools. In particular I like that they had videos specifically for users coming from different DCC apps like 3DS Max and Maya. I'm coming from Max mostly.
The Modo User Guide has also proven very useful in finding official documentation for different tools.
I most certainly did not.
Work in Progress
On the paid side, I ended up buying most of Vaughan Ling's tuts to take the MODO beginner to the MODO super genius. He also has a similar set for Blender. And tbh, I was torn between learning MODO now or Blender. I've dabbled in Blender and its latest version looks fantastic, but MODO's tools won me over. Anyway, I can always learn Blender in the future.
The first tutorial I did covers creating a simple prop in the form of the iconic Braun HL70 fan, famously seen in the original Blade Runner. The product was designed by noted industrial designers Reinhold Weiss and Juergen Greubel, icons of functionalist design and clear visual inspirations for one of my favorite eras of science fiction in the 80s. You can find their work on display in places like the MoMA.
In following the tutorial, I decided to take it a step further and add a few extra details and model a motor for extra practice. (Full disclosure: I don't know what the inside of this fan actually looks like so... ART!) Overall, I'm not displeased with the results. The casing took me two full days of learning to model in MODO from the ground up. The motor took me about an hour or two (with iteration and experimentation) so I definitely feel like I'm at least getting comfortable with the tools.
Things I really like include:
- Bevel - I really like beveling in MODO. Bevel here is used for chamfers, insets, extrusions, and more. Also bevels can have Max loft-like profiles built in, creating complex chamfers in seconds.
- Work Plane - built in to MODO. If you've never used a work plane, check them out! (I use a script to have one in Max)
- Radial array - very easy and very responsive. You can adjust the proportions of the circle, number of objects, and more mid-flight
- Speed - Modo is a lot more responsive than Max and Maya so far
- MODO is fun to say MOW-DOUGH
- Selection tools - Where to begin? Selections in MODO are a dream come true. I love that paint selection, point selection, and lasso selection are all readily available without having to switch between selection modes. I also like that you can right-click to lasso while ignoring backfaces and middle click to lasso without ignoring backfaces. No toggle necessary. Selection tools like this are probably a huge reason I feel fast even though I'm still a MODO baby
What's Next
I couldn't live with myself if I didn't unwrap and texture this guy. There's a special place in hell for people like that. Unfortunately, since the tutorial I've been following is geared toward concept artists and visual designers, unwrapping isn't covered there. Luckily, I've been looking for resources and asking lots of questions of fellow artists and I might have some good answers shortly.
I'd also like to look more into customizing MODO which is something I have so far deliberately held off of to keep compatibility with tutorials. However, I definitely have some ideas for what I'd like to do to speed things up. A lot of MODO's default keys are spread across the keyboard, requiring me to remove my hand from the mouse. Screw that. Also I've been recommended a sweet video that shows how to set up Maya-style marker menus so I want to get that going. I did this in Max and it's so good.
If all goes well I've been thinking about dropping this in the scene I've been working on. But that's a story for another time.
- Pittskrieg