There’s a lot of 3D software out there, geared towards companies and individuals all over the experience spectrum. On one end, you have companies like 3D Slash, who produce incredibly easy-to-use software specifically geared towards kids and beginners, and on the other end there are companies like The Foundry. The UK software manufacturer’s MODO design software is serious business, favored by professional game designers, advertisers, and major film and TV studios. A year ago, The Foundry released their most advanced upgrade ever, with MODO 901 taking users to much higher levels than the previous 801 and 701 versions offered. MODO 902 quickly followed with additional features, and now The Foundry has announced the imminent release of a still-bigger and better software suite – the MODO 10 series.
“At The Foundry we listen closely to artists and designers to understand what they need in order to be more productive, more creative and more effective. With MODO 10 Series we’re introducing artist-friendly tools that streamline and automate complex tasks, leaving artists and designers free to explore their creativity,” says Andy Whitmore, chief product officer at The Foundry. “We’re talking about a toolset that paves the way for maximum creativity in the content creation process, enabling the development of addictive real-time experiences, innovative product designs, compelling images for advertising, and engaging film and video content.”
Not a tremendous amount of detail has been released yet regarding MODO 10, the first version of which will be available in the second quarter of 2016, to be followed by 10.1 and 10.2. The three installments will be offered for a single price, and, according to The Foundry, will open “new doors for creating real-time content for games or for other immersive experiences like virtual reality.” Additional details will surely be forthcoming, but right now it sounds like MODO 10 will simply be faster and more comprehensive than its predecessors, and will offer more flexibility and creative freedom for designers.
“Among the highlights, artists can author in MODO and be confident that their assets will look virtually the same in Unity or Unreal Engine; get realistic detail into their real-time assets more easily through a streamlined, repeatable texture baking workflow; and enjoy new ways to export to popular engines featuring simple, automated steps that minimize the need to recreate work, saving time and reducing the potential for errors,” states The Foundry.
It’s unclear how soon versions 10.1 and 10.2 will follow after the release of the initial MODO 10.0v1, but based on the company’s prior software release history, it probably won’t be long at all. Price hasn’t been announced either, but it won’t be cheap – MODO 902, the most recent upgrade currently available, retails for a hefty £1,199 ($1,799). Once you’ve purchased MODO 10.0v1, however, there’s no additional cost to upgrade to 10.1 and 10.2 once they become available. Discuss in the Updated 3D Modo Software forum over at 3DPB.com.
