Modo 16.0

What's new in this version:

Primitive Slice/Slice Effector Enhancements:
- Primitive Slice and the Slice Effector tools enable rapid creation and iteration of boolean modeling from curves and profiles which is an essential part of modern modeling workflows. In Modo 16.0, we’ve added an array of enhancements to extend the capabilities and interactivity of these tools to expand the freedom of design exploration that Modo’s modeling toolset is already renowned for.

Conditional Loop / Seam Marker:
- Selection in general has always been central to Modo’s potent modeling workflows. The Conditional Loop Tool builds on these powerful capabilities by allowing artists to define and control how loops are selected. Quickly add conditions that define whether you want to allow loops to cross each other or specify an angle where you want loop selection to end. Along with many additional capabilities, this tool provides valuable refinements.

Bridge Tool MeshOp:
- Modo’s procedural modeling toolset continues to grow in power with every release. The addition of the Bridge Tool MeshOp introduces an assortment of impressive modeling capabilities that are certain to give artists and designers greater flexibility when leveraging Modo’s exciting procedural modeling system.

MeshFusion Variable Strip Widths:
- MeshFusion makes it astonishingly easy to produce detailed, hard surface meshes. However, it is very easy to put MeshFusion in a state where the mesh can’t be drawn. Automated Variable Strip Widths adjust the start or end values of a strip automatically, to ensure that a mesh can be generated and visually notifies users where automatic adjustments have been made.

Wrap Effector:
- Lattice and Wrap deformers are an essential rigging and modeling capability. Modo’s new Wrap Effector intelligently satisfies the needs of both types of deformation in one easy to use tool. Artists can easily tune how precisely a cage mesh deforms a target mesh, ensuring a desired result. The cage mesh can also exist inside or outside of the target mesh. Along with many performance refinements, the new Wrap Effector is a valuable and flexible addition.

Shader Tree Enhancements:
- Modo’s Shader Tree offers a powerful and familiar stack-based approach to shading that can be leveraged in many unique ways. It has now been enhanced to offer visualization of blend modes and opacity to quickly assess how a material is assembled. Groups now display a graphic to specifically describe how a group is masking it’s contents. The contents of a group can also now be automatically reorganized by effects.

Intel Denoiser Update:
- Render denoising allows artists to spend less time waiting for renders to complete. Modo’s legacy renderer and the new path tracer mPath both produce images very quickly but the vast majority of render time is spent refining those last bits of noise. With Intel’s latest updates to their denoiser, fine details are preserved more intelligently.

Auto Set Layer Effects:
- Materials are often a collection of many images and each image affects a specific material attribute. For instance, an image that defines the color of a surface or an image that defines how transparent a surface is. These images often include the effect as part of the name of the texture. Auto Set Layer Effects will look at the name of an image when it’s imported to automatically determine the effect it should be set to and it let’s users define naming conventions.

Conditional Command:
- As an artist develops a workflow, many actions are repeated. Conditional commands lets users define a condition that then automatically fires a command. For instance, maybe an artist notices that every time they go into vertex mode, they only ever use the vertex bevel tool. They could then use conditional commands to tell modo “Every time I click on vertex mode, activate the vertex bevel tool for me.” This further streamlines the user customization that has always been central to Modo’s owner.

Action Exporter:
- Modo has a novel method of containing multiple animations for assets via the actor/action system. With Modo 16.0, actions can now be easily exported in bulk.

Ruler/Grid MeshOp:
- Reliable measurement tools are an important part of asset creation and also for creation of visualizations. The Ruler/Grid MeshOp makes this easy for artists to set up as part of Modo’s procedural modeling system.

Rhino 7 Support:
- Modo has supported native import and export of Rhino 5 .3DM files for many years. Rhino 7 contains many new capabilities that we are now supporting direct mapping for, including subdivision surfaces with creasing, curves, points/point clouds, and meshes in general.

Edge Subdivide MeshOp:
- Edge Subdivide, which inserts a vertex onto an edge, has been added to Modo’s procedural modeling system. This also integrates seamlessly with Modo’s schematic workflows, allowing for precise placement of an arbitrary number of vertices along an edge.

Solo Snapping Mode:
- Modo’s snapping system is diverse and robust. Users can leverage snapping simultaneously to many different types of components and items. However, many times you just want to snap to 1 type of item and that requires turning off many items. Now users can use alt-click to select a single type of component to snap to and any other types will automatically be disabled.

Non-Photorealistic Rendering 2 Kit:
- Starting with Modo 16.0, the NPR 2 kit is now included for free for users with an active license of 16+.The NPR 2 kit lets you easily create unique hand-drawn looks when rendering in Modo. The stylized or expressive 3D capabilities of Non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) are useful in a wide range of applications—from technical illustration where edges and important features are emphasized to cartoons where simple colors and strong lines convey emotion. Visit the products section of your account to download the kit!