Feature requests for modo

vuedesprit · 2004-09-21 07:46:46 UTC

my impressiojn after a day of exploring MODO 1, i c that it’s a good and promising application, organized and elegant, but i can’t integrate it in my work pipline or replace it by my current tools.
The reason is not that it’s weak, but i prefer to not work on a project using modo, with a lacking features, i prefer to wait to have the full package NEXUS+updated MODO
for me MODO need to update the following:

-antioverlapping bevel and shift
-better boolean
-text tool
-true bend deformation
-instancing (miror, clone, duplicate)
-mapping gizmo tools, like fit mapping, wrapo mapping…
-spline deformation tool
-assign pivot to vertex (currently we can move the pivot, but not set it as a selected point)
-define the work plane by 3 point (3 point will define the plane)
-UV unwrap
-cap holes
-patch loft tools
-edges tools (combine, slice…)

everything else can be done using scripts. i hope that these features will b part of the coming modo release.

P.S.: i just compared MODO with my LW+almost most of the plugins and scripts, i get that MODO one replace all those junk free plugins and scripts, but need to implement a missing features to b fully replacing modeler.

bradpeebler · 2004-09-21 08:42:11 UTC

Thank you for your feedback, but I am a little confused. Many of the things you say are missing are actually in modo already. Moreover, much of what you request is also not in LWM today…

Let me review to make sure I understand correctly.

“-antioverlapping bevel and shift”: Not in your current modeler either.

“-better boolean”: Booleans are noted to be at least as good as your current modeler and some have said better.

“-text tool”: In modo we import Illustrator files instead. Direct text tool is on our llist for future upgrades though.

“-true bend deformation”: In the works!

“-instancing (miror, clone, duplicate)”: Not in LWM either afaik

“-mapping gizmo tools, like fit mapping, wrapo mapping…”: More details here would be useful. UV mapping tools are a big focus for us at the moment so any feedback there would be helpful.

“-spline deformation tool”: More details on exactly what you would like would be great!

“-assign pivot to vertex (currently we can move the pivot, but not set it as a selected point)”: Will add to feature list. Could be done as a very simple script.

“-define the work plane by 3 point (3 point will define the plane)”: You can do this already. Select the three verts and press Shift-HOME. The HOME key will align WorkPlane to the geometry element under the mouse.

“-UV unwrap”: Examples of an unwrap tool you use and like? There are several UV creation options in modo. Im curious of what you are looking for specifically.

“-cap holes”: Already there. Hold CTRL and click on the Edge Selection mode button. This will select Boundaries (holes). Now press P to make polys automatically from the selected edges.

“-patch loft tools”: Not in LWM afaik. Have you tried the modo Patch tool? More details please.

“-edges tools (combine, slice…)”: There are many edge tools in modo. Far more than in your current modeler, if you are using LWM afaik. Please give more specifics so we can better understand what you are requesting.

Thanks!
BP

dotTom · 2004-09-21 10:26:15 UTC

I think what’s needed are some of those “Maya to modo”, “XSI to modo” PDFs with common how-do-I’s answered.

Perhaps someone can release some layouts that look like Maya or XSI - or maybe that’s asking for trouble from pointy nosed lawyers.

tmdag · 2004-09-21 10:38:18 UTC

It should be:

Ability to mirror vertexes,
working vertex tool in symmetry
transparency and many other texture options ( I know that modo is universal, but I think that it should have transparency and other texture options like nexus will have
there are missing “apply” buttons in few tools… like mirror tool (I know that I can click on any view to active it, but apply tool just after numeric settings would be nice)

It would be nice to have:

an ability to make folders in layer list
adjustabble mouse rotation (personally i prefer inverted mouse - just like Lightwave used to have)

Para · 2004-09-21 10:50:17 UTC

That’d suck - just imagine the irony of it, if lawyers tried to prevent people from giving some other program-lookalike UI:s to everyone’s use they would have to be spread “underground”.

Okay, I’m actually laughing at myself now…bedtime for me I guess

Griffon · 2004-09-21 10:50:53 UTC

I posted a script here that does this.

Griffon · 2004-09-21 11:02:12 UTC

If you stretch the mesh list vertically, it turns into a tree view with hierarchy. You can use empty layers and containers for other meshes.

bradpeebler · 2004-09-21 11:20:16 UTC

Actually there are two solutions for “Apply”. First, if you RMB click on the tool in the tool pipe viewport there is an option for Apply as well as one for Activate. Second, you can map the command tool.apply to any keyboard short cut. Now you can easily choose a tool and hit the key to apply it! The power of a commands driven system.

BP

tmdag · 2004-09-21 11:29:58 UTC

ok, but that about symmetry and vertexes and mirror ?

bradpeebler · 2004-09-21 11:41:59 UTC

Reporting them both as bugs.

BP

ChrisFischer · 2004-09-21 12:34:45 UTC

can someone reproduce the following problem on his computer (i tried it on two pc’s and a mac)?

get some kind of object which is symmetrically and turn on symmetry in x axis.
now activate the soft drag tool and move some points on the positive x axis …
the point movement is inverted … if you move your mouse to the left the points move to the right and vice versa …

Leftover · 2004-09-21 13:33:38 UTC

“-spline deformation tool”: More details on exactly what you would like would be great!

Probably he means something like “deform by curve” XSI tool.
Essentially it works this way: you select geomery call that tool and pick a spline - geometry gets deformed along that spline, then you can adjust options like “axis”, position on the spline, stretching along spline length and so on… there’s similar (but not that convenient) script for LW called C-Bend.

vuedesprit · 2004-09-21 17:14:25 UTC

@ BradPeebler

hello Brad, first of all, i want to say it if it was vague, i’m the first MODO man, and i like it so much, it’s amazing, and i can c it’s capabilities, even with the absence of some tools, and actually i know that a lot of tools could b done by script. in the other hand, i’m not talking about a comparison btw lw and modo, finally u r the creatore of lw, and for sure u r proud by the great update that u did for it, and i always say to follow the developpers not the product.
Anyway, ther is just one think that i want to say it , that i don’t agree with u, is that u said, that most of the requested r not even existing in the current LW. Yeah, i can’t say , but true, but it’s not the rule, i want that MODO have features that other doesn’t have, it’s what i’m looking for, as we r all looking for better tools that simplify our work commands.
I want to mention it again with some additions:

-antioverlapping, for most of the beveling tools (edge bevel, vertex, shift)
-the boolean is already good, it’s not as LW, but far better, the only enhacement that can b done is something like power boolean, wich will not create the extra edges to connect the holes to the corners (wich will lead to some triangulations on complex shapes)
-the 2d drill, have bug in the core option, it leave the points, and remove the faces.
-Instancing, even if LW don’t have this one, i was always expect that i find instance in MODO, and i hope that it will b integrated soon.
-mapping gizmo,hmmmmm…it’s not UV task, it’s more like the UVW mapping system in 3dMAX, or texture guide in LW, when u have this Gizmo map cage, u can on the fly, change the projection type to planar, cylindrical…and the cage take the shape of the projection, and u can center it to the current selection, or scale to fit, or shrink…in addition to the ability to apply deformation tools on this mapping (i hope that i’m clear in this one)
-Spline deformation tool : i just think about it, and i realized that it’s not a hard task to achieve, to give a brief, it’s something like the MACROFORM tool by one and only media, done in the past for LW 5.6, and then newtek implement it in the LW 7, under the name of spline guide (by the way, it was a bad implementation, the old plugin was better)
-UV unwrap, it’s like the unfolding command for objects in formZ, so u can unwrap the UV , as unfolding it, in addition to let us export the UV an image file, to simplify the texturing process (instead of doing a print screen)
-cap holes, could be achieved by edge and make polygon, well , yes, but when i said cap holes, i meant something like MAX, auto cap holes, or the powerfull tool for LW, cap holes studio from Wtools, it just search the object for it’s whols and fill it in a smart way.
-loft tools, for splines, by far it’s the best tool i have for spline modeling,like cm_loft, ay_skincurve, loft2rail, it’s like i draw splines as sections of the final shape i want, even if they don’t have the same nnumber of points, fire the loft command, the result is a polygonal skin or splines cage, that automatically follw the flow.
-a thickner tool like http://www.blochi.com/gfx/thickener_en.html

AS i hope to the the follwing features in the next update as well:
-a shapes objects, like rectangle, circle, lines, stars, helix (as shape, not polygon)
-arc tool, for proper drawing (better than spline and bezier)
-the edge beveling, and vertex beveling is a good implementation, but so far, the rounder tool for LW have a lot more features, such as (mesh density, and convexity direction)
-rail bevel

That’s what i have for now, and this is all for the best and to support evaluating, hope that these requests will b taken into considaration.

Thanks!

cryo · 2004-09-21 19:53:53 UTC

same thing happens on my mac PB. haven’t tried on my pc desktop yet. kinda strange.

kursad_pileksuz · 2004-09-21 19:59:23 UTC

that is bug that was reported before, you can hope that it will be fixed in the next version. this happens when symmetry is active.some tools will work on right side some on left, it is annoying unfortunately.

joelaff · 2004-09-21 20:36:40 UTC

I would love to see a better vertex rounding algorithm like the one that is now in LW8 (was Rounder plug). http://fusion.laffeycomputer.com/round.jpg

If there is omse way to achieve this in Modo please let me know. I tried vertex bevel and then edge bevel. But the look is much more angular and less chamfered.

joelaff · 2004-09-21 20:51:38 UTC

I am not sure if this is a feature request or a bug. But I cannot see the effect of Show Falloffs when the falloff mode is set to airbrush.

This is the mode when the visual display would be MOST useful!

tayse · 2004-09-21 21:28:21 UTC

I did not want to add another thread just for one question, so am asking here…

  I see that modo is capable to change GUI very efficiently.... but there is something I was wondering and have not seen on the screen shots posted yet.... Is there any way to built your own menu, vertical menu bar or whatever you call it, as we do in LW...to clearify it, as an example....

  There are some tools or modifiers that I use all the time  in LW and I put their buttons together on a classical vertical LW menu bar.

  Can we pick up the tools or modifiers, one by one from the windows and built just one window that has only things that we want it to have in Modo? Like...having a window with create box tool (no other primitive) next to some edge tools and vertex tools and that we pick....

  I also saw that =&gt; Basic - Deform - Duplicate - Mesh Edit - ... - Curves tabs are together, can we make them as seperate windows ( I never use bezier things, so I would love to get rid of them)  or as in the screen shots, they are always in group ?

This one looks different thou http://www.cgtalk.com/showpost.php?p=1586756&postcount=25 i think this one mimics LW…anyway can we change the order of the buttons, or rearrange or remove them ?

kursad_pileksuz · 2004-09-21 21:37:54 UTC

all of you are asking and more are possible. pull down or vertical or horizantal, or pie, or flying menus, popups etc.

just look at this post,
http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?t=171693
you can even have image views for refrence images,

modo is actually one empty window, you just fill it in, think about html tables for example

tayse · 2004-09-21 22:23:23 UTC

The picture in the post that you pointed out does not answer my question, I checked it out but it looks like you can drag windows, put them in to different types or shapes, but you can’t break the groups. Thanks anyway…

Can you post a screen shot which shows a customized window… make a new window and add just 3 icons… Sphere primitive, edge cut (or slice) and vertex bevel.