The tool's functionality spans many media types, making it suitable for game development, film visual effects, video production, graphic arts and design visualization.
"Modo 202 is a significant advancement towards our grand vision for Modo," states Luxology president/co-founder Brad Peebler. "We built Modo from the ground up to integrate modeling, painting and rendering in a way that dramatically improves workflow for 3D designers in all disciplines. Modo 202 refines this development one step further, allowing artists to focus even more on creating and less on process and repetitive steps."
Rendering performance is now optimized to achieve a peak rendering speed that is 42 percent faster than Modo 201. Rendering workflow is streamlined by improvements to the render window, including a way to interactively adjust gamma display and a way to flip between 10 images for render review.
Modeling enhancements include a new create SubDiv option for the pen tool, and a thicken tool for adding inner or outer thickness to geometry. A totally new object-to-object baking capability captures the surface detail of a complex object and automatically applies it to a simpler object for realtime applications. New game and unitless grids further increase Modo's suitability for modeling game assets.
Modo's 3D painting behavior is improved when working on challenging areas such as folded UVs and along UV borders. 3D painting workflow is also improved with a new visible image ink display mode, which lets artists place an image over a model and brush the image onto an underlying model.
Workflow enhancements include the ability to see scene lights in Advanced OpenGL, and the ability to interactively adjust the F-Stop, focal length and focal distance of cameras. Support for Autodesk FBX and X3D formats are extended for expanded interoperability with other 3D applications.
Modo 202 is available now for $895. Current Modo 201 users can upgrade to Modo 202 for free. Users of earlier versions can upgrade directly to Modo 202 for $395.
A free, 30-day, fully-function evaluation version of Modo 202 is also available for download at modo3d.com.