Modo 201: Luxology's modeling, painting, and rendering software amps creativity.(Luxology Modo 201)

Modo 201, which is scheduled for release this month, is a significant product upgrade for Luxology, bringing the software much closer to being a full-blown modeling and animation program.

One of Modo's most notable features is its customizable user interface. Many people consider this attribute to be at the bottom of the priority list when choosing a modeling software, which is understandable. However, when you use a program for several hours a day, the UI, by default, becomes significant.

Modo's interface is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing you to open multiple panels that can float independently, be sandwiched between other panels, moved elsewhere on-screen, or positioned on a second monitor. Panels can be easily collapsed and accessed using the small buttons that appear when a panel is resized or with keystrokes. To existing Modo users, the intuitive UI is not new. However, Version 201 improves on an already excellent interface by incorporating tabbed viewports, an iView feature for quick preview renders, and tiny thumbnail previews that update as a model changes. The ability to create, save, and share interface layouts in Modo 201 is one way the program helps users modify their work flow.

Modo's new shader tree is an intuitive, straightforward way to apply textures to models. It can be used to layer textures, images, and maps to a model--similar to the way layers are set up in Adobe's Photoshop. The process begins by applying a base material to an object, controlling diffuse values, Fresnel effects, and specularity, then adding surface properties, such as image maps. You can also place a mask on the model to isolate the image map and continue to enhance the textures with features such as noise, bump, displacement, luminosity, and subsurface scattering.

Modo's micropolygon displacement tool allows for great detail without adding a lot of geometry. 3D modelers that don't include micropolygon displacement, for example, require the user to subdivide a model, using an extremely high number of polygons to achieve the same effect.

Enhanced texturing options in Modo allow for greater flexibility when using the shader tree by giving you the ability to paint your own textures directly on your models. The system can be used to quickly create a UV map for a ...