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What's Your Modo?

polycounter lvl 12
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Gaurav Mathur polycounter lvl 12
I thought it would be helpful to new users in particular to share how I've customized my Modo for direct modeling and UVing Unreal Engine 4 game assets:  

Preferences
Defaults > Animation
Frames per Second = NTSC (30.0)

Defaults > Application
Group Selection Cmds = Uncheck
Item Index Style = Item_2

Defaults > Auto Save
Time Interval (minutes) = 20.0
Backup Directory = C:\Temp
Number of Revisions = 3

Defaults > Mesh Items
Mesh Items > Default Primitive Polygon = Face
Copy and Paste > Deselect Elements after Copying = Check

Display > 3D Information Overlays
Uncheck all but Grid Size and OpenGL Polygon Count

File I/O > FBX I/O
FBX Preset = Unreal Static
Export Type = Export Selection with Hierarchy
Surface Refining = Save Mesh Smoothness
Save Morph Maps = Uncheck
Save Tangent Basis = Check
PBR XML Export = Uncheck

Input > Selection
Lasso Selection > Allow Partial Polygon Selection = Check

Input > Units
Unit System = Metric
Default Unit = Centimeters

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Custom Parameters

Workplane > Lock Plane to Origin
Select > Lasso Style > Rectangle
Negative Scale = Uncheck (I use Scale as a way to align Components to each other)

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Custom Modo Key Mappings

I try and use the Shift key consistently for custom key mapping. 

Merge Meshes
Recommended key mapping: Shift-E

Move and Sew Selected
Recommended key mapping: s

Move and Sew Averaged
Recommended key mapping: Shift-s

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Macros

selected_faces_to_new_mesh_item.lxm
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/126178/gaurav-s-macros
This macro cuts a face selection and pastes it into a new Mesh Item. 
Recommended key mapping: Shift-N

tear_polygons.lxm
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/126178/gaurav-s-macros
This macro tears off selected polygons from a mesh and gives the user move handles similar to the Tear Off functionality in the UV Transform command.
Recommended key mapping: Shift-P

subdiv_to_poly.lxm
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/126178/gaurav-s-macros
Select at least one subdivision surface face before running this macro. The macro will select all connected faces and convert them from subdivision surface to polygonal geometry, also removing all interstitial edges between the original subdivision surface edges. This macro is useful for quickly converting high-resolution subdivision surface geometry to low-poly game engine-friendly mesh. Because the macro is running a Freeze operation, you get a result that respects the SubD mesh more closely (taking edge weighting into account, for example).

toggle_wire.lxm
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/126178/gaurav-s-macros
Toggles between shaded and wireframe viewport shading styles. Useful for selecting geometry that's hidden by other geometry in shaded view. Thanks to Modo user Funk for the proper syntax: view3d.shadingStyle ?(wire|advgl)
Recommended key mapping: Shift - -

toggle_invisible.lxm
http://henningsanden.com/2013/03/31/how-to-optimize-modo-for-faster-modeling/
Hides all but selected component. Thanks to Henning Sanden for the command view3d.inactiveInvisible state:?+
Recommended key mapping: Shift-F

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Scripts

funk_join.py
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/87130/funk-s-scripts-and-kits
Silently averages the position of joined vertices.
Command: @funk_Join.py true
Recommended key mapping: Shift-J

splitUV.py
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/82988/plugin-release-uv-split-v1-3
UV Split by Edge
Command: ffr.uvSplit
Recommended key mapping: Shift-I

br_qunwrap.py
http://benredmond.net/resources.html
I run this script after I set up vertex and edge normals on my geometry. This script uses this data to create UV shells based on edge sharpness and boundary edges.

quad_caps.py
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/66947
I use this script to divide a cylindrical cap into nearly uniform quads for cleaner deformation.

SnapTypeCycle.py
Custom script cycles between Grid, Vertex, and Edge snapping. Written by Nicholas Stevenson. 
Command: tool.snapTypeCycle
Recommended key mapping: Shift=+

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Layout Customization

I find there's a fair bit of cleaning up UV Sets before I can bring a clean model into UE4.  I've customized my default UVEdit layout so that I can select Mesh Items from the Items Tab (Modo defaults to the Shading tab in the upper right), and then process that Mesh Item's UV Maps from the Vertex Map List (Modo defaults to the Lists tab).
  1. In the Lists tab, right-click on the little arrow to the right and select the Data Lists > Vertex Map List.  
  2. Right-click on the little arrow again and select Viewport Controls > Min Header
  3. Layout > Save
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Free Kits

Bools
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/94894/bools-kit-update-ready
Ylaz has put together an amazing set of tools to make boolean operations clean and fun! This is set up as a floating palette.

Eterea Snapping Toolbar
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/80869/eterea-snapping-bar-2-0-updated-may-2014-new-design-for-modo-801-90x
Cristobal Vila has created an essential kit that gives the user direct access to Modo's diverse set of snapping modes. I have this is docked between the bottom of my Model Layout's quad view and the Information Bar at the bottom of the screen. 

UV Toolkit
http://community.foundry.com/discuss/topic/77203/texel-density-toolkit-v1-5
Essential Texel Density and UV shell alignment tools by Farfarer (James O' Hare). Note: go to the second page of this thread to get the download link to James' most recent UV Toolkit; do not download Texel Density Toolkit (v1.5). This is set up as a floating palette.

Selector
https://gumroad.com/discover?query=modo+selector
I like the direct access Pierre Dubertrand's kit gives to various selection commands. This is set up as a floating palette.

Script Shelf
http://www.pixelfondue.com/blog/2016/9/25/modo-plug-ins-scripts-and-kits
Script Shelf gives me easy access to my most-used Python scripts for Modo in a floating palette.

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Paid Kits

Mechanical Color Bling
http://www.mechanicalcolor.com/modo-kits/bling
Bling by Adam O'Hern provides a more direct interface for matcaps in Modo. I use matcaps to check for clean geometry.

Mechanical Color neatFreak
http://www.mechanicalcolor.com/modo-kits/neat-freak
Neatfreak is an additional layer of mesh cleanup I use in addition to what's built into base Modo.

Pushing Points Hatchet Tools
http://pushingpoints.com/v2/hatchet/
The Hatchet Tools are a comprehensive set of scripts by William Vaughan that augment base Modo's modeling toolset. This is set up as a floating palette.

Pushing Points MOPS Booleans
http://pushingpoints.com/v2/the-pushing-points-mop-booleans-kit-for-modo/
Procedural Boolean geometry kit by William Vaughan and Tor Frick that's essential for an iterative workflow.

Pushing Points MOPS Tubes
http://pushingpoints.com/v2/the-pushing-points-mop-tubes-kit/
Procedural Tube geometry kit by William Vaughan.

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How have you customized your Modo?

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