Modo - Introduction

Owned by Next Limit
17 Jan, 2017
3 min read

Modo delivers the next evolution of 3D modeling, painting and rendering in a single integrated and accelerated package for the Mac and PC.

Who uses Modo? Modo is used by work digital artists creating with modo in the online, film and broadcast, CGI, print graphics and photography, packaging design, and game development industries.

Introduction

We are glad to introduce Maxwell plugin for Modo – a plugin interface between Next Limit Maxwell Render and Luxology modo, allowing users to render their modo models and scenes with Maxwell Render.

Maxwell plugin for Modo R2 is the perfect solution for exporting modo scenes to the Maxwell high-end render engine. Modo and Maxwell together is what you really need if you want to make exceptional quality life like images.

Maxwell plugin for Modo R2 can export complex modo scenes to Maxwell Render in a blink. What’s more, you can set the Maxwell specific items and parameters inside modo and save them with your modo scene.

Workflow

Our aim was to combine the excellent modo workflow with the superb quality of Maxwell Render.

Just start your work in modo as usual. Create the scene models, set UV maps, create modo materials with textures, adjust lights and environment settings to achieve the preferred scene mood and after that you can fine tune the scene with the integrated Maxwell items and parameters.

Automatic conversion

The plugin provides automatic conversion for most of the modo settings. It means you don’t have to set Maxwell environment, plugin converts your modo environment to the appropriate Maxwell environment. You don’t have to create Maxwell materials because the plugin converts your modo materials to Maxwell materials. It is very simple, just click and go. The benefit of this automatic workflow is that your Maxwell Render will follow your modo scene very closely. This means you can preview your settings with the modo preview render engine, and enjoy the top quality of the rendered Maxwell image.

Manual settings

Automatic scene conversion is just the beginning. If you want to use the full power of the Maxwell engine, you have to set at least some of the Maxwell parameters and most of the Maxwell materials manually. The modo plugin attaches Maxwell parameters to the modo scene items, and provides its own Maxwell items for better integration. With the attached Maxwell parameters you can fine tune the modo items (camera ISO, shutter speed, object visibility, etc.), and for more complex tasks you can add our Maxwell items. Currently the plugin provides five Maxwell items: Maxwell Extension Object, Maxwell Referenced MXS, Maxwell Environment, Maxwell Texture and Maxwell MXM. These items are tightly integrated into modo. With Maxwell Extension Object you have access to the Maxwell geometry plugins from inside modo and if it is possible our plugin generates the modo geometry too. Maxwell Referenced MXS is a great way to add details to your scene without extra resources. With Maxwell Environment item you can control the environment settings just like in Maxwell Studio, and you can also use the advanced Maxwell Physical Sky inside the modo render engine! Maxwell MXM item provides great control over the referenced MXM materials.

Key features

  • Complex geometry export (polygons, texts, spline patches, subdiv geometries)
  • Support for modo mesh deformers (MDD, Morph, Vertex map)
  • Multiple UV maps
  • Automatic UV map conversion from modo projected textures (Planar, Cubical, Box, Cylindrical, Spherical, Front projections)
  • Instance and Replicator export
  • Camera export with Maxwell specific parameters
  • Environment export (automatic/manual)
  • Maxwell Environment in modo
  • Modo to Maxwell material conversion (colors, settings, Image Maps, material groups)
  • Maxwell Materials in modo (“*.mxm” materials)
  • Light export (emulates modo lights with emitter objects)
  • Modo Procedural Texture export
  • Motion Blur
  • Maxwell FIRE in the modo viewport
  • Supports referencing external MXS files containing geometry and materials
  • Supports Maxwell geometry extensions via Maxwell Extension Object item
  • Supports Maxwell procedural textures via Maxwell Texture ShaderTree item
  • Supports Maxwell material extensions, attached to the modo Advance Material items