Modo Height Map Bake

Zack Maxwell · Jan 2015

For various reasons, I need to bake a detailed height map from Modo, but I can't figure out how.
It doesn't appear to be possible through anything as simple as selecting a Render Output, and searching online hasn't gotten me anywhere.
Does anyone know how this can be done?

Tzur_H · Jan 2015

I'm pretty sure you need to create a new image map as an output, and set its "effect" to displacement.
Shading tree -> add layer -> image map -> new image -> change effect to displacement -> right click on the image map and towards the bottom you got baking options.

Dataday · Jan 2015

Not to familiar with getting height maps out of Modo, but have you tried baking to a displacement map layer?

Add: Tzur beat me to it.

Farfarer · Jan 2015

Yeah, there isn't a render output for it (other than camera depth). You'll have to set up a texture set to displacement and bake that.

If it's just a flat texture you're baking then you can rig up a gradient texture and set it to Driver A and bake that out with a render output.

Leuey · Jan 2015

A quick way would be to go to the paint tab and under the utilities tab at the left select 'geometry to brush' - you can bake out a height map from here.

-G

ShawnRitter · Jul 2015

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Leuey. His comment about using the "geometry to brush" tool was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the help. I was banging my head against a wall searching for ways to bake an alpha or height map out of modo. Thanks.

mickeyvpn · Jun 2017

@Leuey Thank you, it's exactly I was looking for. Fastest way to bake alpha in MODO.

igi · Jun 2017

yeah. I discovered this 'geomery to brush' feaure a year ago and since then It's just a breeze to bake height map to flat surfaces. Great way to prepare custom displacement alphas. More people should informed about it.

Elowan · Mar 2021

Leuey said:

A quick way would be to go to the paint tab and under the utilities tab at the left select 'geometry to brush' - you can bake out a height map from here.

-G

Hmmm - looks like in 2021 on MODO 14.2 this does not work anymore... I imported a mountain mesh (100k faces), selected it and switched to the Paint tab (never used that before) and clicked "Geometry to brush", projection along Z axis.... Modo bakes for a while and returns a completely grey image, when baking Vector displacement. If switching over to "height field", the image is just black.

Another funny thing: After baking, a window opens (guess it would be a preview of baked Image?) and it can not be closed!
(closes only, when closing Modo as well)

Gaurav Mathur · Mar 2021

@Elowan, I recommend joining the MODO Slack channel, which is fairly active these days:
https://join.slack.com/t/foundry-modo/shared_invite/enQtMzc1OTUzOTk1NDkyLTRhMDdiOTI0MzU4ZmY3N2UyMDYwYjM3YTZjOWQxMGVjZGVhM2I0YjA1ZTc0MDk1NDA1MmVkOGYxNGY2ZGQwNzk

Have you posted in the MODO Community Forums?
https://community.foundry.com/discuss/forum/150/baking

Elowan · Mar 2021

thanks a lot for the link!

for others, that may stranded here: It still work like Leuey pointed out - if there are no transforms on your mesh

Cheers!

Modo Height Map Bake

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