3D tool MODO 'comes of age' with version 901

The Foundry's Brad Peebler and Modo's Shane Griffith previewed MODO 901 in a live webcast

The Foundry's Brad Peebler and Modo's Shane Griffith previewed MODO 901 in a live webcast

The Foundry has previewed a big update to its popular 3D software MODO, in a live webcast.

"It's a broad release, it's not something that's focused on a particular market or a particular workflow," explained Shane Griffith. "It's really a 'coming of age' for MODO."

The new version, which is used for design exploration, game creation and visual effects, is 901, and highlights shown in the webcast included the following:

  • MeshFusion, which offers high-quality results when combining objects, will be included with MODO 901. (This software is worth $395 on its own.)

Mesh Fusion is now integrated within MODO 901

Mesh Fusion is now integrated within MODO 901
  • New progressive texture baking, featuring a ray tracing methodology which lets artists preview textures as they bake.

You can be interactively editing lights, procedural textures etc in one viewport while you're seeing your bake in the progressive refinement view

You can be interactively editing lights, procedural textures etc in one viewport while you're seeing your bake in the progressive refinement view
  • New and improved tools for everyday modeling tasks, including Topological Symmetry, Split and Fill Slice tool option, Quad Fill Pattern mode, Linear and Radial Align and Multi-edge slicing.

Now split polys can have gaps, caps, or both

Now split polys can have gaps, caps, or both
  • Better ways of working with both regular and UDIM multi-tiled UVs, with new workflows including better packing, transfers, straightening and alignment.

New copy & paste UVs look impressive

New copy & paste UVs look impressive
  • Layered multi-resolution sculpting, with multiple sculpt layers at each mesh level, and the ability to transfer multi-resolution displacement vectors between meshes.

MODO 901 is expected to become commercially available at the end of May 2015, when the full feature list will be revealed. The Foundry is promising "more than 100 new features" will be added at full launch.

Customers can purchase 801 now (at current 801 prices) and automatically receive an upgrade to 901 when it becomes available. Current users on 701 or earlier can also upgrade to 801 now and automatically upgrade to 901 on shipment.

You can find more information about MODO 901 here.

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.