What can MODO give me that XSI foundation cant?

#1

Im toying in perchasing my main workhorse application and have summed it down to XSI foundation, Modo or a older version of Max v5.

So whats the buzz with MODO, what can this do better or easyer than XSI foundation?

It would seem they are priced very close but MODO lacks a hell of alot of features that MODO dont have. I dont need sculpturing btu would like a fast modler.

I want good uv tools and a high end renderer. Neither application has hair but I can at least rig and pose in XSI. Max has hair, animation and modling but how does this compare?

#2

It as usual, depends on your needs…

Modo is currently predominatly a Modeler, and likely the best and fastest SubD Modeler around. 301 has snapping and painting, sculpting and the best UV tools around.
The renderer is easier to get great looking results quickly than MR.

If you don’t plan on doing much modeling, and animation is your thing than get XSI.
Both offer full trial versions, XSI is about to release 6.5 and Modo 301.

I would check out 301 when released, and meantime download the XSI-Modtool which has some of the XSI FND functionality (Rig/Pose) for free, MotTool along with Modo you may not need XSI FND.

Currently Modo is cheap via DAZ platinum, works out at around half price for 301.

Try learning several tasks you would do daily in both applications, and find out which works better for your workflow habits.

#3

likely the best and fastest SubD Modeler around.

In what categories ?

301 has snapping and painting, sculpting and the best UV tools around.

People say that the best UV tools are arguably the Blender ones. :slight_smile:
Not to mention 301 is not even being sold.

#4

Get the trial version and decide on your own, whether it fits you or not.

#5

I do have the trial version but dont have time to evaluate with the current offeres ending soon.

Im reaching out to people that have spent some time with Modo that mite also know about xsi foundation.

My needs are solid rendering, solid and fast modling. XSI I havent a clue how to model in this app but like to know how it compares to MODO.

I have Carrara but not sure how good this is for rigging, I only need it to pose my models. I dont need sculpturing as I have Zbrush for that. I do need some solid uv mapping tools though.

#6

That’s the first I’ve ever heard anyone say such a thing. So it’s probably not true.

I’ll add it to the list of things like.

“xsi is the industry standard for video game design”
“lightwave is a major player in movie special fx”

Please don’t mislead people on the forums. It’s just not right. We’re not married to the tools.

#7

That’s the first I’ve ever heard anyone say such a thing. So it’s probably not true.

We can write a book about what we know, and entire libraries about what we do not know.

#8

Hi Rectro,

Heres my two cents:

BLENDER - I have been using this for the last few months Character Animation wise. The Char Anim tools are very good post/after the release of the first Open Source Animation Movie called Elephants Dream in the last year. Blender v2.43/2.44 benefited in all areas from this movie making process as the end user of this app gained new tools/Char Anim tools which were required and developed while this movie was being made. Plus version 2.50 is due in the fall some time, this is a major release including complete revamp of the UI I think [ an area that alot of people have problems with in Blender ].

MODO - Prides itself in its ability to ‘blend’ in with any app workflow out there. In fact encourages same. The next release of Modo - v301 - will have the concept of ‘Time’ added, this is the beginning of Modo’s foray into animation and eventually full Character Animation [ I would say ].

So what of Blender AND Modo. The new version of MODO will have capability to:

“harvest animation data from other 3D applications in order to render it. modo can read .MDD or .FBX files for this purpose.”

Guess what - Blender can read at least MDD files. So you could model your mesh in Modo [ or Blender if you fancied ] Import the Model into Blender, Pose it and back out as a posed MDD file into Modo for final texturing and Rendering. Modo uses Global Illumination and Sub Surface Scattering very effectively and faster than alot of other apps, hence you get very hi quality end result renders.

I personally think it is not a bad idea to get used to working across apps. The 3D industry does it all the time, getting the best of each.

Dont dis Blender - if you look under its skin it has some amazing tools that can be added to your 3D arsenal. Actually you can choose just to use portions of Blender and never touch other parts - UV Unwrap, the built in Video Editor, the NLA and so on. What I am saying finally is that both MODO and Blender should do what you are looking for while gaining MODO at a point as it enters animation - and judging by the speed of past development, I reckon it will not be too long before Modo will have the lot anyway.

http://www.luxology.com/whatismodo/301/ - click on the Animation Section - “Get Details”.

Cheers
Aidan

#9

Personally I prefer the modeling tools in Modo. I’ve tried XSI and didn’t like the interface for modeling, whereas Modo’s UI is great for modeling.

The global illumination with Modo is VERY fast which is a plus for me. The 3d painting is great in Modo for textures, which is something XSI does not have. In 301 we will be getting sculpting tools and basic tools for keyframed animation, morphing, and imported MDD animations with various other enhancements. Going to be sweeeeeeet.

#10

I’m guessing you ment that 301 is not ‘released’, because it is indeed available for purchase.

#11

Can you guys tell me if its posible to bake the SSS into a texture map in modo? I love modo rendering but I want the hair from another application. If I could bake the render passes into textures then I can do the finnal render in the software with hair while having modo render on the skin.

#12

How is this supposed to be possible in any application? SSS looks different depending on the light source’s position and on the camera angle. It’s not fixed like AO for example. Maybe I’m just not up to date here or maybe you just want some more ‘redness’ in certain parts, but I’m curios.

#13

I did read that modo can bake shaders e.c.t, to a map. Asuming im using this for still images and the light setup much the same ,it should look good in another app rendering the hair.

#14

Other renderers/packages can bake shaders too.

While baking, the camera position is not taken into account though and that’s why I can’t imagine this to work with SSS.

#15

in my opinion modo is an excellent application but I think the fun and fast factor which is what luxology sells the most are clearly overrated, pure marketing to me.
there are definitely some great features (action centers for examples) but if you look at maya’s powerful marking menus or max’s polyboost plugin for example,
you’ll see that there are a lot of very fast interface solutions around that just need to get confortable with to become invaluable
I’m definitely convinced the fast factor is not a good reason to choose modo over another app.
I never used xsi but I’m sure it’s the same as it is known to be an excellent modeler.

if you don’t have a strong interest in modo’s sculpting possibilities in the next version, I can’t see a reason not going for xsi.
once again I never tried it, just speaking by its reputation.

#16

mwah, XSI has some nice modeling capabilities, but Softimage is definately focusing on character animation and not modeling. I’d not use it as a main modeler in it’s current state, the only modeling advantage it has over Modo is history. But other then that it has too many things that should be interactive in screen, controlled by them sliders. Sliders are neat, but not for everything.

And then there’s simply too much basic modeling stuff I use in Modo all the time missing from XSI’s modeling tools.
Take something like selection tools for instance, there are several selection tools in XSI but the only one actualy working is the default rectangle selection tool. All the other selection tools are ray cast, even in wireframe mode. So no matter how hard you try to select all the vertices there’s always a few that are blocked by others you’ll miss. And the rectangle selection tool is not the best one to use while modeling.

Then there’s this silly “add polygon” tool from the 80’s where you actualy have to click on every vertex, clockwise and in the right order to create a polygon. And when you create one selecting the vertices counter clockwise, all you can choose to do is flip the poly’s of rest of the object.

What I also find very annoying for modeling is the Gimbal Lock viewport navigation in XSI and the fact that the view can only be centered around selected components. As soon as you deselect the components you’re focussing on and want to rotate the view you loose focus and the navigation rotates around the object pivot again.

An example; suppose you’re modeling around the eye area and to focus your view you select a bunch of vertices and hit “F”. Now as long as you keep those vertices selected XSI with rotate the viewport around that COG. But now you want to use the Tweak Tool with proportional falloff, so you deselect the vertices. Now XSI will rotate around the object pivot, and you’ll lose focus as soon as you rotate the viewport. So you always have to keep something selected to keep your eye on where you’re modeling …very bad…

XSI is really great for character animation, it’s rigging, enveloping and animation tools are realy great. But for modeling…nah…

#17

Uhhh, where did you see that? It never happens to me.
Modo is very “carefull” modeler to me. You have to be carefull where’s you mouse pointer cause you may click and drag a pivot, edge, vertex or face without intention.
Also, Modo can’t handle lots of polys while you can throw milions on XSI and still work with it.
Basically it all depends on where you come from. If you’re from Old type modelers like XSI, Max ,Maya you may not like MODO, like me.
If you completely new to the thing try Modo first and you may end up well.

#18

Actually you can’t do that unless you have a transformation tool active (and have already made a selection). Selection modes won’t move items. If you click on anything without the shift key depressed you will deselect anything you have selected. The Element Move tool will do that (click on and move elements) but then you’d only be using that if it was your intention to move elements.

I assume by pivot you mean the action centers since you can’t accidentally click on an item’s pivot point. You are correct in that it is relatively easy to move the action centers and I must confess that when I was first learning to use modo I moved a few inadvertently but in that it was user error I didn’t really see that as a flaw in the program so much as my own unfamiliarity with it. I don’t accidentally move them anymore, and in fact the depth of the action centers (you can group them and apply falloffs to them, as well as any other tool in modo) is one of modo’s strengths.

The poly count issue has not been very problematic for me personally but I admit it’s been a point of contention among some users but they continue to improve that with each new release.

Your last point about a lot of it depending on “where you come from” I agree with completely. I have tried and failed with a number of apps over the years that I’ve seen other people clearly flourish with. I have found some apps to be most intuitive that others have complained about vehemently. Ultimately you just have to try them. Either you will like it or you won’t. It’s always a personal experience and either it will fit you or it won’t.

Try the demo.

Curt

#19

would be great if it were my mistake:

create a default cube in XSI, rotate view so the camera looks at the top, now try rotating the viewport to the right to look at the right side of the cube…I can’t…can you ?

#20

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