modo 501 for Mac User Reviews
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"Great Software, Limited Scripting"
Version: modo 601
Pros
Very customizable
Polished tools
Fast selectionsCons
Incomplete scripting
'Clicky' by defaultSummary
It took some time to get used to Modo as does any software, but once you get the hang of the tools you'll have a blast. I find that I have 'happy accidents' with this software frequently keeping modeling a creative activity, rather than repetitive and robotic. Modo has a great set of tools and selections are a non-issue with selection walking and double-click loops.
Be aware that scripting in Modo generally refers to macros. It was not design with close integration in mind, as you need to use 'selections' and 'queries' to search for the data you need. You can pretty much forget writing custom exporters, unless you don't mind getting dirty with matrix math and sorting items by hierarchy. Joints in particular currently have very limited access from scripts requiring fragile hacks to provide some sort of support by the exporter.
In all, I'm satisfied with modo but had I known about the scripting limitations I may have waited to consider my other options. If you only need to use Modo in an artistic manner then you will be pleasantly surprised at the tools provided for your disposal. -
"Modo not for 3D beginners"
Version: modo 401
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
My review of modo by Luxology is for anyone thinking of getting into 3D modeling software for the first time as a hobby (not a career). My advice - don't spend your money on modo - unless, you're the type that thinks it's a real enjoyable part of a hobby to do battle with a very messy mishmash of software features and documentation.
If you read the company's own sales pitches and their user community forums, they will tout the large amount of information available to help you get started and then go on to become an advanced user. There is a lot out there all right, but there are big problems with this huge pile of info. First, no one seems to be responsible for keeping it cleaned up and coherently directly towards the latest release's features and documentation methods (I understand keeping notes on deprecated features and recommend ways of doing things, but they should be clearly identified as such). Second, 3D hobbyist newbies are not really even on the company's or support forums' radar. Current modo users readily acknowledge that getting started is a pain only professional graphics artists and professionals in training would want to put up with. Third (and worst for the newbie), no attempt exists at all (accurate or otherwise) at a real reference document; i.e., a succinct catalog of features and the command menus/keystrokes to invoke them. Features, menus, and keystrokes are described all over the place, but you almost always find them embedded in excess wording that should be separated out into tutorials and general-concept users guides. Plus, documentation search capabilities are primitive and not uniform.
I had a career in programmer for a very long time and think I have a good intuition for software that usually lets me pick things up quickly. But modo is starting to seem not worth the battle. -
"Not for 3D modeling beginners"
Version: modo 401
Pros
Huge feature set
Cons
Bad documentation
Summary
My review of modo by Luxology is for anyone thinking of getting into 3D modeling software for the first time as a hobby (not a career). My advice - don't spend your money on modo - unless, you're the type that thinks it's a real enjoyable part of a hobby to do battle with a very messy mishmash of software features and documentation.
If you read the company's own sales pitches and their user community forums, they will tout the large amount of information available to help you get started and then go on to become an advanced user. There is a lot out there all right, but there are big problems with this huge pile of info. First, no one seems to be responsible for keeping it cleaned up and coherently directly towards the latest release's features and documentation methods (I understand keeping notes on deprecated features and recommend ways of doing things, but they should be clearly identified as such). Second, 3D hobbyist newbies are not really even on the company's or support forums' radar. Current modo users readily acknowledge that getting started is a pain only professional graphics artists and professionals in training would want to put up with. Third (and worst for the newbie), no attempt exists at all (accurate or otherwise) at a real reference document; i.e., a succinct catalog of features and the command menus/keystrokes to invoke them. Features, menus, and keystrokes are described all over the place, but you almost always find them embedded in excess wording that should be separated out into tutorials and general-concept users guides. Plus, documentation search capabilities are primitive and not uniform.
I had a career in programmer for a very long time and think I have a good intuition for software that usually lets me pick things up quickly. But modo is starting to seem not worth the battle. -
"Exceptional product..."
Version: modo 202
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Modo is quite unique. It's an incredibly efficient sub-d modeler, and was built from the ground up, so it doesn't have many of the "legacy" architectural problems that seem to be evident in Maya and FormZ. What really sets it apart, however, is the company's relationship with its users. The programmers are present on the luxology boards, and their "spokesmodel" responds quickly to issues. Their licensing is very logical and user-oriented. They released a free upgrade (v 202) a couple of months after v 201 was released, and its loaded with new stuff. Well worth looking into.
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