Foundry ships Modo 15.2
Foundry has released Modo 15.2, the latest version of its 3D modelling and rendering software, and the last of the three linked releases that will form the Modo 15 Series, along with Modo 15.0 and Modo 15.1.
The update adds a new Primitive Slice modelling tool for cutting 2D shapes out of meshes, while mPath, Modo’s path tracing render engine, gets support for render-time Booleans.
Workflow improvements include automatic packaging of linked files when creating presets, and updates to the Schematic viewport and Script Editor.
Foundry has also ended sales of new perpetual licences of Modo, though maintenance contracts are still available for users with existing perpetual licences.
Modelling: new Primitive Slice tool
New modelling tools include Primitive Slice, which uses 2D curves – both simple primitives and custom shapes – to cut into geometry, including the option to perform standard Boolean operations.
It is available as both a direct and procedural modelling tool, providing an alternative to MeshFusion, Modo’s dedicated real-time Boolean system.
Other changes include a new Edge Subdivide command, for quickly adding vertices to edges; and a new Geodesic Weight mesh operator that can be used to generate 2D patterns on 3D surfaces.
The way that Modo handles vertex normals and the way that bevels are created inside MeshFusion have also been updated, as set out in the online release notes.
Rendering: render-time Booleans in mPath and better Playblast generation
mPath, Modo’s path tracing render engine, gets support for Render Booleans, making it possible to generate Boolean effects at render time, without physically modifying a mesh.
Suggested use cases include creating cutaway animations.
In addition, rendering animation playblasts with Modo’s Advanced viewport now plays nicely with progressive rendering, enabling users to set the level of progressive anti-aliasing.
Workflow: new Assembly Presets and Selection Stack node
Workflow improvements in Modo 15.2 include Assembly Presets.
Creating a preset now packages any linked content, like meshes or textures, into a .zip file, while loading a preset now automatically creates a new Assembly in the scene, reducing manual set-up work.
The update also builds on the MeshOp Stack node introduced in Modo 15.1, adding a new Selection Stack.
Whereas the MeshOp Stack makes it possible to view the order in which deformations will be applied without leaving the Schematic vieport, Selection Stack does the same for geometry selections.
The release also streamlines the process of working with Stack nodes in the Schematic viewport, and makes a number of quality of life improvements to the Script Editor.
Pricing and availability
Modo 15.2 is available for 64-bit Windows 10, RHEL and CentOS 7.6+ Linux, and macOS 10.14+.
Updated 11 November: Foundry has confirmed that it has stopped selling new perpetual licences of Modo, though maintenance contracts are still available for existing perpetual licences.
Rental pricing starts at $65/month or $659/year.
Read a full list of new features in Modo 15.2 in the online release notes