Review: Luxology Modo
Luxology Modo 4.01
Modo is a highly radical 3D animation program. It doesn't just build on some program that has been around for years – instead it's a whole new approach to 3D animation.
An Innovative approach to 3D animation:
There are several highly useful aspects to Modo. The first is the customizable user interface. You can do just about anything you want with Modo's user interface, so that this 3D animation program becomes highly adapted to the needs of individual users. For an expert user, this can mean vastly reducing the time needed to create a model or an animation. That said, it is possible to crash the program while tweaking the User Interface. However, the occasional crash is actually a small price to pay for such incredibly enhanced functionality.
A highly efficient tool-set:
The innovative approach of this software's designers doesn't stop with the interface design. It extends to the tools themselves – in Modo, modifications and settings on individual tools allow a small set of tools to accomplish a wide range of functions, and this means that once an artist masters the basic tool set, he has all the power of this 3D animation software concentrated in a extremely small set of tools. This again means enhanced efficiency as less time is wasted in trying to find a function or effect that you need.
As you can see, innovation in design and efficiency are really the cornerstones of Modo, and make for a powerful program that lets you achieve your design in the fastest possible way. Modo also builds on other 3D animation programs, meaning that it has a vast array of tools and effects, making it one of the best and most powerful builders on the planet.
That said, there are nevertheless drawbacks to this otherwise excellent 3D animation program...
Drawbacks:
While Modo can do virtually anything in the hands of an expert, it's highly unfriendly and unintuitive for a beginner – even a beginner whose already an expert in other 3D animation programs. The interface is very unintuitive and the way this 3D animation software works is highly original and unpredictable, meaning that while it's design might indeed be an improvement over systems that went before, it's still incredibly hard for a learner to understand. This is the one true drawback of this program, but it's a major one, because it means that until you truly master the program you'll have serious problems creating anything efficiently.
That said, Modo is a powerful 3D animation software, and well worth both it's price and the effort it takes to learn it. For the expert, the modifiable interfaces and powerful and innovative tool functions means a vastly enhanced efficiency, and total control over every aspect of the software's functioning.
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