Modo: Steam Edition
polycounter lvl 11
Seems like Modo is getting a Steam Exclusive edition that's aimed more at modding and enthusiasts.
This might be a good alternative to MayaLT if it's a lot cheaper and allows commercial usage.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/244290
This might be a good alternative to MayaLT if it's a lot cheaper and allows commercial usage.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/244290
Replies
I'm not entirely sure why anyone would pay for software like MayaLT or the comparable Modo version when Blender is free and just as capable.
shaderfx is really really good plus you can use your previous maya experience
It is an odd choice, and it's also very confusing, as they mention specifically directly exporting into DOTA2, but then it also says this:
"Purpose built for the STEAM community, MODO Steam Edition delivers a complete content creation solution for the Source engine"
Source engine, and not DOTA2, so perhaps they're riding on the current DOTA2 mod craze, and providing a direct export option from within the app, and using that as a major draw card, but also support the Source Engine.
But then it again mentions at the bottom DOTA2 specifically as a target.
One can hope.
You should be able to if you paid a license for it. But if it only exports to a DOTA specific flile extension or some bullshit file format, you'll need to find a workaround to save it out in a universal format.
As a Modo user who's been trying to use Blender (so I can maybe save on paying for Modo upgrades) it's an easy judgement call.
While capable, Blender modelling in my opinion is not as fast or fluid than when using Modo. I'll give it a slight advantage with it's rigging and animation tools though.
*ducks*
I know Valve contacted the Blender Foundation to get it on steam as well, but not sure if that ever resulted in anything workable. Modo for steam is an interesting development though.
then you must have really bad experiences.
I would kill to be able to work only on linux. I'm just missing half of the software I need on it ;/
I don't know if I necessarily agree with the Linux half of this, at least given that I don't really have much use for Linux at the moment, but I can't help but agree about Blender. It's such a maddening program to use because it seems like it has a bunch of awesome features buried under shitty controls and absurdly counter-intuitive interface fuckery.
Anyway. I
Not to go too far off topic but after spending quite a bit of time in their dev channels and on their community forums, its clear that many if not most do not have exposure to or have tried using anything but blender, so its hard for them to really compare it to commercial apps and what works and doesnt work. In a way, they exist in a bubble.
That is changing however. They recently moved over to GIT and Phabricator which is a huge improvement, and at the latest blender conference finally reacted to all the complaints towards the UI and control. It resulted in a team being assembled just for the UI (about time right?). They didnt have this before. Also each area (modeling, animation, vfx...ect) is getting a lead developer who can maintain and make sure the design and implementation is consistent. Some good people are in charge of the UI team. See: http://developer.blender.org/project/view/12/ (you can sign up and contribute as well). In short the development is process is getting more structured.
This is definitely a good thing. I want to like Blender. I want to not hate using it to do even the most basic things. The problem right now is that compared to programs like Max, it seems extremely backwards and awkward to use. And this is coming from someone who actually strongly dislikes using Max!
When/if they actually make dramatic improvements to the way user interaction is handled, I'd be more than happy to start using it as one of my main tools. I love modeling and UVing in Modo, but the thought of doing things like animation or efficient import/export operations is something I'd never think of doing. Blender seems to have a lot of great import/export and animation support, so I'd really like to use it for that once the interface gets a little less jank-tacular.
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Due to how open Blender is, people develop loads of cool stuff that mimic other programs or make it easier to pick up so if you look hard enough you will find something that makes your experience better.
And blender... er i have used it several times, and meh. Its viewport perfomance is worse than max's (and max offers a pathetic perfomance).
Not saying you're wrong, but as far as I'm aware, there's basically zero information about this version of Modo aside from the fairly generic info on the Steam page.
What is worse about it exactly? As far as I can tell it has all of the modelling and texturing tools that the commercial version does. Given the stated goal of creating items for DOTA2, I'm not really sure what more you would need.
That looks hot! Workplanes are hella awesome when you get into the groove of using them. Like little portable coordinate systems...
I suppose you don't use modo...
Well, for example... Modo is not very good for normal maps, nor for game art, nor for sculpting, nor for painting... is horrible/very basic at those aspects. I could say too many negative aspects but it's not the proper thread
Seeing the screenshots, it's quite easy to say this is a lite version of modo without the anamation features, particles, etc. If you are a modo user, you don't need more than a screenshot
BTW, "Save and Load from Steam Cloud" wtf!?
I don't understand how a subdivision modelling app ended like this, they must be desperate to get users or buyers. This is the weirdest move i have ever seen from a company.
What i would have liked to see, is a modo 701 modelling only version, exclusive for modelling and not for steam, with the simmetry bug solved (an affordable one like modo 203 or 301), with real improvements in modelling and not those ones they added with animation and bones that nobody use.
The actual Modo 701 is a hell full of bugs and with poor perfomance compared to modo 301/302. And the worse, is that they didn't add too many modelling features we have via scripts since modo 203... too many years and we still don't have a fucking FFD! can you believe that?
Blender is free and has more basic modelling tools than modo. It's a shame to look at truespace... and find more tools. 2014 is right on the corner and i still need to use max or maya because modo does not help at all with too many repetitive tasks.
Modo for Dota? hilarious, priceless. This could be a good joke for the aprils fools' day, seriously.
Yep, it was called the SoftImage Mod Tool: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Softimage_Mod_Tool
Autodesk didnt like that kind of "free" software at the time, but its a good reminder that Valve's push for having 3d creation software for their games isnt new.
There was also the 3DS Max variation of the softimage mod tool known as G-Max:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmax
It is actually my primary application for modelling, and, yes, I'm aware that it has its shortcomings. (The lack of an FFD/lattice tool has been a big complaint of mine, as well.)
But I understand that Luxology/The Foundry are trying to make Modo into a full-featured DCC application that will eventually compete with the offerings from Autodesk. That is why the focus in these last few releases has been on rigging and animation.
Hopefully this version of Modo is a signal that they are intent on moving into the game market and we will get features such as better normal map baking that game artists have been asking for.
Modo sculpting tools not working for you?
Maybe they plan to release improved game dev modeling stuff along with release on steam. Who knows ?
I disagree about rigging and animation. I actually think that those are very powerful, aspects of modo since 601 and integration with IKinema. And when you get their automagic riging tool Automatic Character System, it
s just brain-dead easy to rig character.
I'm not pro-animator, but for that I'd rather use modo than maya.
I'm gonna try it if they put a demo, but let's see... what i see in the screenshots does not say anything good, or like to be hyped.
The animation and rigging in modo is pretty basic, nothing comparable with what we have in maya or max. I could dare to say that blender may be better in those two aspects
A game artist need for a viewport the features we have in marmoset, and modo still use an old version of opengl... Directx, with AO, and all those features we have in game engines would be a nice addition.
edit: 3ds max also had a free version for modders, but i think it was a fiasco.
As for future development, it sounds like 801 will have a lot more in the way of game related features in it, we requested a lot of stuff right at the tail end of the 601 cycle, but it was too late to be implemented as the 701 features were already locked down. I imagine it'll be well worth getting into MODO for when 801 is released.
Blaizer: I don't think modo will ever use D3D - it's OpenGL based because that's easier and more consistent for multiplatform development (MODO runs on PC, OSX and Linux - only PC has D3D). The OpenGL viewport is being held back by Apple not keeping OSX's OpenGL up to date.
Not sure why you think the animation is bad, I've had no issues with it. Sculpting isn't bad either, although it's never going to beat out dedicated apps like ZBrush or Mudbox.
I think they'll disagree. :P
Tor Fricks work pretty much sum's it up.
I don't like their policy of: "mac first" when in fact, their core users are from windows.
With Max and other 3d apps you can choose the api. Being stucked with opengl 2.0 is a fail for me. Game models need D3D features imho. And I don't care about multiplatform because for me opengl is meh. The unique device using opengl is my smartphone, and with games i don't play. Furthermore, they can have multiplatform as well, having both main apis in the app. The majority of engines cook their games to different platform with different apis.
I think a 3d app should take advantage of all the horse power of the actual GPUS. Now we will see a lot about "mantle" but i only ask for directx support.
Let me tell you that i use seneca's scripts. Don't be arrogant dude. Modo does not work very well with normal maps and that's an issue we were asking for ages. We can't edit the ray cage for example and that's a must.
BTW, keep apart your fanboyism at home, jesus...
It would only be fanboyism if I was randomly lashing out because you dared defile my favorite apps reputation. In this case, high end artists use Modo every day for game art so ... that statement was wrong.
Can it be better? Sure. Is it "not very good"? No, it's actually pretty damned good in my experience.
Credit on your cv/resume not a bad idea with a major brand such as The Foundry.
http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/the_deathsickle
The Foundry also have modo 40% off at the moment.
I'll likely pull the trigger for an 801 upgrade assuming The Foundry doesn't go Cinema 4D price all of a sudden. Lots in the old Luxology community are suspicious of The Foundry's future price and packaging plans for Modo.
Power of habits.
They don't.
I don't see any good reason to support DirectX at this point, if you never done it before or if you start from scratch. If you have old code branch with DirectX that you have to maintain it's bit different, but even then I would personally encourage to start working on OpenGL support.
DirectX is now locked to windows version. Not just to windows. To !@$@#$ windows version. Get new windows to get new version of DirectX. WTF !?
Even then, MS can't just go fast enough with features that are implemented by GPU vendors, and DX lags in some oblivion...
Only thing that modo should do, is to migrate to OpenGL 4.4.
Let's just face the facts now. Cmall percentage of games is using DirectX. All mobile devices with meaning on market use OpenGL.
Sony consoles use their own library (libgcm).
Xbox is using modified version of DirectX.
And we have Windows, where it really doesn't matter what you will use.
More and more companies will move towards OpenGL. I think we got the point where everyone is tired of vendor lock in, where that vendor doesn't even care to make proper API.
It will be released on December 10th (Today) and will cost $149.
I would like to have realtime AO in my viewport, like with Max... and too many other things we have with directx (nitrous in max).
And about games...
seriously? do you really play games on PC?. That affirmation might be true 10 years ago but not now.
You really should notice that I specifically written games, not PC games (;.
Even then. I know some companies are working on full OpenGL support for their engines, it's just slow process and it won't pull of quickly. 1-2 years before we will see emergent of fully opengl engines.
As side note. Rendering features have nothing to do with used API.
They use now OpenGL. They better just focus on single rendering engine on OpenGL, rather than spread their effort on single-system specific API, that is diminishing anyway.
OpenGL is corss platform. modo is cross platform. What is exactly one logica; reason, behind adding support for API that is closed to single platform ? I just can not imagine even one.
AO can be viewed on a viewport without the need of rendering. Several apps like mudbox include it, Max as well, and too many other viewport features. And Maya is another example.
Modo may be crossplatform due to opengl, but it's stucked to opengl 2.0 due to mac os, and that's a big issue. I don't use mac, nor linux because almost all my apps are windows only. For that reason i think it would be nice to have directx support in this modo, and more when we talk about games. When i'm working in realtime on materials, textures, etc. i'm not using opengl