What's New in Modo 15.2

User Experience

Easily Share Presets with Assembly Presets

Modo’s Preset system and Assemblies have long been a valuable workflow component. The new Assembly Preset Workflow refines this further by simplifying the creation process and making presets easier to share. Presets are now packaged, containing associated content like images within a Preset Package. When you pass a preset to another artist, you can now be sure they have the supporting content that they need.

The new Preset system automatically creates an assembly in your scene, more closely linking the relationship between presets and assemblies. Assemblies no longer need to have every element exposed in a schematic assembly. The Stack Nodes and Schematic now contain the elements needed to do more of your work without leaving Schematic.

See Easily Share Presets with Assembly Presets for more information.

Direct and Procedural Modeling

Creating Geometry on a Mesh Using Primitive Slice and Slice Effector

Primitive Slice

Slice Effector

Curves are an essential component of modeling today. Primitive slice further elevates Modo’s curve modeling capabilities by allowing users to slice primitive shapes into geometry and even produce boolean effects with depth control when leveraging the procedural variant of the tool with the slice effector.

See Creating Geometry on a Mesh Using Preset Shapes for more information.

Adding Additional Vertices to an Edge

Simple features can have a big impact on workflow. Edge Subdivide simply divides each selected edge into multiple edges, making it easier to add vertices along an edge. This is tremendously useful for quickly modifying and refining topology.

See Adding Additional Vertices to an Edge for more information.

Use Weighted Edges to Create Precise Bevels in MeshFusion

In 15.0, Mesh Fusion workflow was completely reenvisioned. With 15.2 we’ve taken this further by removing Fusion Selection Modes. Now you simply select the element you want to modify and we give you the info you need.

See MeshFusion for more information.

Create Intricate Patterns Using Geodesic Distance Modifier

Procedurally generating 2D designs on 3D surfaces is extremely valuable for designers. The geodesic distance modifier can be leveraged to find the distance between two points and trace a path between them on the surface. This enables generation of complex patterns that can drive exciting, procedural modeling results.

See Create Intricate Patterns using Geodesic Distance Modifier for more information.

Adjust Meshes Using Set Vertex Normals and Largest Normals

Control over vertex normals and vertex maps in general is a very important part of 3D in general and specifically for real time renderers. The largest normals option is now a part of material smoothing properties. The color tool and Set RGB node now have an option for Discontinuous values, eliminating color blending across the boundary of a selection. Finally, a Set Vertex Normals MeshOp has been added, further expanding what’s possible in our procedural toolset.

See Using The Set Vertex Normals MeshOp to Adjust the Appearance of Your Mesh for more information.

Organize Your Schematic Viewport Using the Selection Stack

Modo’s Order Of Operations system is extremely powerful. However, it can be difficult to understand the order of MeshOps and SelectionOps in the schematic viewport. The MeshOp Stack node was added in 15.1. In 15.2 we have added this ability for Selection Ops, better informing artists of how a stack relates to a node graph.

See Organize Your Schematic Viewport using the Selection Stack for more information.

Rendering

Create Boolean Effects at Render Time using mPath

mPath is Foundry’s powerful new hybrid pathtrace renderer. In 15.2 we’ve added Render booleans. This makes it incredibly easy to create cross section cutaways for product and graphical visualizations.

See Create Boolean Effects at Render Time using mPath for more information.

Enhancements

Quality of Life Improvements in the Script Editor

With every release, we try to touch on existing features and workflows with meaningful refinements. The Script Editor and Schematic viewports have received many improvements to make scripting and navigation a more comfortable experience. Convert Instances to Replicas makes it easier to switch between instancing and replicators.

Increase Productivity With Schematic Viewport Enhancements

Create Render-Quality Playblasts with AVP Progressive Mode

Playblast Advanced Viewport Progressive node lets artists take advantage of progressive antialiasing when creating viewport playblasts.

Quickly Configure Imported Textures for PBR Workflows

The PBR loader now automatically adds imported PBR textures into groups that already have the correct polygon tags.