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Modo Reviews & Product Details

Modo’s powerful and flexible 3D modeling, texturing and rendering toolset empowers artists to explore and develop ideas without jumping through technical hoops. Modo® is your starting point for creative exploration. Whether you’re creating addictive real-time experiences, innovative product designs, compelling advertising images, or engaging film and video content, MODO’s artist-friendly tools let you iterate freely to realize your ideas’ full creative potential. As part of our Enterprise Solution Partnership Package, not only will you get the photo-realism of Modo, but you get the rapid-iteration software, Colorway. On top of that, you have access to our Modo experts for asset creation, expert training, and dedicated support as you chart your digital design transformation. Users choose Modo for its ability to enable fast direct modeling, flexible procedural modeling, the award-winning MeshFusion Boolean toolset and built-in sculpting tools all working together, Modo’s modeling moxie is unmatched. With its advanced photorealistic viewport and progressive renderer, and WYSIWYG look-dev for Unity and Unreal, Modo lets you visualize your designs as you develop them, so you can discover their ultimate potential in less time. Freedom from creativity-killing constraints, with Modo’s intuitive, artist-friendly toolset. From roughing out volumes to creating highly detailed forms, Modo lets you focus on creation, not construction. Build your own kit of specialized tools by combining different operations, with Modo’s flexible tool assembly system. With Modo, every job you do becomes easier, as you continually develop new efficiencies. Modo fits right into your pipeline, with Python and C++ APIs; a fully customizable UI; and support for industry-standard formats like OpenSubdiv, OpenColorIO, OpenEXR, OpenVDB and Alembic.

Seller

Foundry

Discussions

Modo Community

Languages Supported

English, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified)

Overview by

Jen Goldfinch

Pricing

Pricing provided by Modo.

Monthly Subscription

£74.00

1 Users Per Month

Annual Subscription

£599.00

1 Users Per Year

View More Pricing Information

Top-Rated Alternatives

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Modo Media

Modo offers a unique combination of best-in-class direct modeling tools working hand-in-hand with a highly robust and flexible procedural modeling system. Additionally, Modo features the award-winning MeshFusion Boolean tools, integrated sculpting and retopology functionality.

Review textures as you bake and watch them refine progressively. Modo also allows you to tweak settings and make surface changes without waiting for a final render, and it accurately bakes to Unity or Unreal standards with no extra tools required.

mPath, Modo’s physically-based hybrid renderer combined with iterative denoising technology, lets you visualize your designs intuitively and with less waiting.

Take the drudgery out of tedious UV creation tasks, with a highly efficient built-in toolset that offers many automated options, supports UDIM workflows, and—unlike some other 3D content creation tools—integrates fully with modeling and selection workflows.

Modo has a powerful Order of Operations deformation system that when combined with Rig Clay, enables anyone to intuitively modify geometry like a pro. Now rigging in Modo empowers both the most technical rigger and 3D beginners alike.

Modo Demo - Workflow and User Experience

Modos features have always been engineered with workflow and user experience as the highest priority. OmniHaul provides customizable, gesture-based control for tools and channels directly in the 3D viewport. Enhanced boolean functionality, expanded preset capabilities and the new MeshFusion workf...

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Verified User in Design

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1/19/2018

"Modo Review"

5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

Modo is a pretty straight forward 3D modeling program. I found it pretty easy to get started and once I learned the basics, the rest started coming very quickly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

Not a lot of dislikes. It's a very extensive program, so anything I would have complaints about, are probably due to my lack of knowledge. Seems I'm learning more all the time, so what I thought was an issue before, is actually something that has been addressed, but I just didn't know it yet. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

Great 3D modeling program! I don't have a ton of experience with others, but I thought this one was very easy to use based on some of the research I did on other modeling programs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

Mostly product designs and 3D package and product renders. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Spenser W.

Freelance Videographer

Fine Art

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

7/28/2017

"Good Modeling Software With A Great Built-In Renderer"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

I love the action centers in Modo. All the modeling tools in Modo are great, but the action centers are really a game changer for modeling individual mesh items or different parts of a mesh. The modeling tools are definitely the best part of the software, with the built-in renderer a close second. It's a great ray tracing renderer that works well with Modo's shader tree, and allows for quick iteration. The program is known most for its modeling toolset, but has both animation and some simulation tools as well. Recently, new procedural modeling tools have also been introduced, making a more non-destructive workflow possible. For the most part, Modo is fairly easy to learn. Those with a basic knowledge of 3D should be able to get into it fairly easily, as the modeling tools are pretty straightforward in most instances, and there are plenty of resources for those who know nothing, any software will be difficult to learn, and rewarding to get to know well. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

Modo's UI can get pretty cluttered, and it's a bit of a hassle getting to know all its quirks. However, once you learn it, it's very customizable. One other annoyance is that while the bevel tool works well in most cases, it's not the best in certain instances, and will give some poor results in some cases. Although they are very powerful, the falloff tools can be difficult to get to work correctly from time to time. Also, like most software packages, there are some longstanding bugs that haven't been fixed by the developers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

Use the resources of the tight knit Modo community. The forums are very helpful, Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

Modo allows me to model and iterate quickly, which allows for far more freedom than I would have with many other 3D software packages. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Shane G of Modo

edit

Thanks for the review! We are happy you like the product thus far and appreciate the feedback. We are also excited to say that the bevel tools will be getting some attention here very soon.

Matthew B.

Self employed

Performing Arts

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

2/23/2017

"Effortless 3D Modelling and Texturing, and a great realistic renderer"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

Modo offers one of the fastest WSIWYG 3D modellers on the market, the viewport is second to none for previewing a realistic rendered preview. New topology tools for scanned meshes, improved bezier and spline support, and a new nondestructive modelling stack bring Modo up to what many other applications offer for features and add to what has been an excellent tool in our workflow for years. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

Modo is NOT my application of choice for end-to-end workflow. A static render in Modo looks great, but for animation and especially character driven and procedural dynamics (think XSI's ICE) there are toolsets on the market that offer not only greater power in those areas, but a workflow that will take you from start to finish without needing Modo. Modo's BIGGEST strength is its modelling with realistic preview, and this also one of its biggest limitations, Get outside of the tools on offer here and you'll find you will want to move your scene data into another application to get the results you're expecting. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

It's incredibly easy to just download the demo version and get started with free training available, better yet if you have Lynda.com or Digitaltutors access you'll find a wealth of training material. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

While it does integrate nicely with The Foundry's other products (Nuke etc), my workflow often encompasses products from other vendors like Autodesk (Maya, 3DSMax & Softimage), Side Effects (Houdini), Black Magic (Fusion & Resolve) and more, and I have to exchange data with professionals who use these other workflows all the time. So it will require some knowledge about how to properly prepare assets within Modo to move those assets and that data to other workflows. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

William V.

Founder.Artist.Instructor

Animation

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

8/9/2017

"MODO for all-purpose 3D production"

5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

MODO is my go to 3D software for all aspects of production. The modeling tools are by far the best Subdivision modeling tools available and the built-in renderer enables me to create beautiful renders quickly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

As a character artist, I love the rigging and animation tools MODO offers. That said, I'd love for the deformation engine to be updated to allow for multiple characters to be animated in a single scene. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Lina P.

Graphic design freelancer

Design

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5/7/2016

"Versatile 3D software"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

What I really like about Modo is its flexibility. The software has a wide range of useful features that allows companies, freelances and students to work at any stage of the 3D process with any sort of purpose in a effortless and clear way. Features like modeling, texturing, sculpting, painting, rendering, baking, animation, effects and so on have been carefully developed through time to offer users one of the most comfortable and logical experience in 3D software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

Sometimes when I am playing around with meshes, I would want to experiment and change the initial parameters I used at the beginning but I could not do that. What I do is to build some variations from scratch and then decide which one I like the most. It is not a big deal. However it would be better if Modo allowed me to change always every parameter at any stage of the process. It would definitely make me save so much time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

The most important problem I solved with Modo was the issue I had every time I would wanted to try a new 3D software. I needed to spend time and sometimes even money in tutorials to figure out how it works.

With Modo was different story. The software has one of the most friendly interface I have ever tried before. It allows new users to feel comfortable and learn how to used it easily.

Besides that, there is an ever-growing Modo community of professional and amateur people that use modo for different industries and with diverse purposes. This is an important benefit for ussers because that means a wide possibility to learn and to exchange assets handily. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Calin I.

Freelance creature designer

Animation

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/29/2016

"A good tool for games,film and 3d printing"

5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

I like the live preview renderer and this was the main reason I've decided to use this software.

Modeling in Modo is very easy and fun.I always retopologise my character models in Modo.

Another thing is the thinking behind all of the tools in Modo.Everything works

In the latest version Modo has tools for 3d printing and for game artists and is becoming a complete solution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

In the animation department Modo is not the best.It's a little slow and the character rigging is lacking in more complex deformers that are present in other software products.

Rendering hair is a classic issue in Modo.You can get a great result but you have to pay for it in render time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jeremiah C.

Assistant Producer

Gambling & Casinos

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/28/2016

"Once I tried Modo, I dropped Maya and haven't looked back."

4.5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

The workflow and UI are very well designed. It's obvious that Modo was designed with artists in mind, so much of it just makes sense. Impressive for such a complicated piece of software. Polygon and Subdivision modelling, in particular, is quick and powerful once you get a hang of the work plane, action center, item list, selections, and scenes. Also, the built-in renderer is fantastic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

More advanced features like particles, dynamics, and fur tend to be a bit more complicated than strictly seems necessary. Rigging and animation are also overly complicated and are the only things I still prefer to do in Maya. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

Try out Modo's trial and see if it will work for you. Pay particular attention to the Work Plane, Action Center, and Item List. Figuring these features out will make all the difference in how much you get out of using Modo. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

Modo's relative speed and high-quality rendering out of the box save time and effort when iterating on designs. UV mapping is fast and powerful, and the render preview window makes seeing the results of your changes simple. Especially useful for dealing with impatient or non-techie coworkers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Michael A.

Freelance Creative Artworker & Retoucher

Graphic Design

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/28/2016

"I use Modo for packaging design visualisation."

4/5

What do you like best about Modo?

Modo has a similar feel to Photoshop in the way you can layer up textures to create a final outcome. You can mask and paint on a surface. The UI is very user friendly, you can set it to how you like it. Great modelling tools including the amazing Mesh Fusion. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

The way it handles type. It would be great if you could use any font and bevel and extrude in any direction, add effects and keep the font live. Cinema 4D seems a lot better suited for this type of work. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

I've looked at other 3D software and Modo seems like one of the easier to learn. There is still a lot of technical stuff to get your head around but coming from a Photoshop background I liked the way Modo looked and reacted. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

I can now create photographic quality imagery of packaging before the products have been printed and gone to market. Previously clients have had to print test labels and mockup onto photography of existing product. This involves loads of extra retouching and set up costs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Stefan V.

3D Consultant

Design

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/28/2016

"MODO is the 3D software for the future"

5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

MODO can compete with major packages and is very future-oriented. The latest version aims for better VR integration which is the exact market we're involved in. Aside from that I very much like the fact that Luxology (the company name before TheFoundry bought it) started with nexus - a digital software framework - before creating modo. This makes for a very solid and fluid foundation from a users perspective and it allows the developers to integrate tools very nicely into every aspect of the pipeline. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

It's not as stable as I'd like, but this can be said of many 3D packages. Working with large scenes in which you use file references takes a bit of getting used to because of the different approach in shader-handling. You do have nodal shading at your disposal, but the most common practice can be compared to using a photoshop layered approach.

I also find the passes system quite prone to mistakes (ie. user errors), as you have to add or auto-record channels of which you would change parameters in between pass-groups or states. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

Modo can be compared with other highend packages like 3dstudio max, maya, cinema4d, lightwave. It has a shorter history, but the engineering team has a long-lasting history in the 3D market having worked on lightwave extensively. This ensures they started with a fresh look about where they wanted to differentiate at the beginning and this clear view has remained with the company ever since.

Users should definitely give it a try and compare it. Don't give up after a few test-runs because the shortcuts are different or you are stuck. Remember that every software takes a bit of getting used to, but in the end it'll be well worth it! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

We create 3D visualisations and Virtual Reality solutions for Businesses. Our clients benefit from being able to tell a story through photorealistic images and videos of non-existing objects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Mohamed A.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/28/2016

"Leaved 3ds max for Modo and I'm really satisfied with it"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Modo?

Layered shader tree

Modo's render engine

Preview renderer

Replicators

Sence management workflow

The modelling toolbox and workflow Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Modo?

Performance in large scenes

File loading and saving speed

Scene translation times

Lots of single threaded operations (maybe it's the reason of the previous two)

missing the procedural and parametric modelling modifiers a little bit Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Modo:

Modo is the best balanced all in one package. using Modo you should expect the best shading and look development workflow over there, a robust render engine, the most powerful modeling tool-sets and workflow in addition to the Unique Interface, also it have natively a lot of essential and powerful tools you won't find it in the competitors softwares and the most fascinating thing it's price. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Modo solving and how is that benefiting you?

I need a software that I can rely on it in both ways Artistically/Technically to produce a huge realistic environments and to speedup my overall workflow. I found that Modo is very capable to do all of that and only I wish if there some more optimization for performance and stability in the future. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.