Since first being show early this year, many a rendering fanatic has been anticipating the new rendering capabilities, while deep in the lair of Luxology’s San Mateo Headquarters, they were cooking up modeling and import features that would give reality an intense beat down. There’s a lot to the software, so take a deep breath of volumetric lighting and prepare to be forcefully ray-traced.
All-in-one
The new features in modo 401 are certainly impressive. The rendering does indeed look phenomenal and who doesn’t want to be able to instantly replicate geometry. For many, it’s a tedious workflow to go from one process to the other, modeling to materials to rendering to animation and back around again if something changes. What Luxology has done, is combine that process into a single interface where each step can be touch at anytime throughout.
For SolidWorks Users
In modo 401, Luxology introduces the SolidWorks importer which allows a SolidWorks model to be brought directly into modo. For SolidWorks users, this becomes a very powerful way to produce rendering of their existing model. It does break the link between SolidWorks and modo, but brings in all the materials assigned via SolidWorks. The workflow is the same as that for bringing a model into PhotoView 360, which also runs on Luxology’s Nexus technology and will be seeing an impressive revamp for 2010.
Oh, by the way, this software, the whole package cost $995.00 out the door. That’s one of the most impressive features to me.
Get the grand tour at Luxology or press on to see some video and images.
Rich Hurrey and Michael Blacbourn modo 401 Tank Rendering and Animation from Solidsmack on Vimeo.
Full Disclosure: SolidSmack was given a web introduction to the new features in Modo 401. Most likely we will receive a reveiw pack to test out the functionality and report further on the modeling and import functionality with SolidWorks.
