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Real World Modo: The Authorized Guide

Real World Modo: The Authorized Guide

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by Wes McDermott
Publisher: Focal Press
Release Date: May 2014
ISBN: 9780240811994
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Book Description

Explore one of the most exciting 3D tools on the market, modo, with Real-World modo - the Luxology approved, concept and principle- driven guide. Learn to apply the revolutionary, artist-friendly modo toolset with its powerful 3D rendering engine to your project workflows. In a clear, motivating, and entertaining style, Luxology insider, Wes McDermott, provides captivating 3D imagery, real world observations, and valuable tips and tricks all in one place - an invaluable resource for any digital artist. .. .. Explore 3D techniques and principles with chapters on modelling, UV mapping, texturing, animation, lighting and rendering. Learn to leverage the technical elements of the modo rendering engine including Antialaising, Shading Rate and Irradiance Caching from an artist's perspective. Integrate modo with other 3D applications such as Maya and Mudbox and learn to properly setup a linear rendering workflow within modo. For practical, hands-on techniques, you can visit www.wesmcdermott.com for video walk-throughs that further enhance the coverage in the book.

Table of Contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Introduction
    1. Trench Warfare
    2. How Is This Book Different?
    3. What I Do
    4. Hello, I ama Mac, and I’m a PC
    5. Bonus Resources
  4. 1. Basic Training
    1. Working as a 3D Artist
      1. Experience
      2. Disciplines
    2. Education: It’s up to You
    3. Resource Library: The Life Blood of a 3D Artist
      1. Technical Information
      2. Assets
    4. Software: It’s Only a Tool
    5. Learning to See: Switching off Auto Mode
      1. Emotional Content
      2. Flipping the Switch
    6. Summary
  5. 2. Becoming a Modonaut
    1. Way of the modo: User Interface and Customization
      1. Form and Input Editors
      2. Statistics and Information
      3. Display
      4. Preferences
    2. The Work Plane
    3. Action Centers, Snapping, and Falloffs
      1. Action Centers
      2. Snapping
      3. Falloffs
    4. The Tool Pipe
    5. The Shader Tree
    6. Item List and Groups
      1. Item List
      2. Groups
    7. Preset Browser
    8. Modeling and Animation Toolsets
      1. Animation Tools
        1. Constraints
        2. Channel Links
        3. IK
        4. Channels
        5. Morph Maps
        6. Assemblies
      2. Modeling Tools
        1. Replicators
        2. Hair and Fur
    9. Painting and Sculpting Toolsets
      1. Painting Tools
      2. Sculpting Tools
    10. Vertex Maps
      1. Weight Maps
    11. Rendering
    12. Scripting and Commands
    13. Modo for Maya Users
      1. Differences
      2. Commonalities
    14. The Modo Community
    15. Summary
  6. 3. Modeling
    1. Modeling Methods
      1. Subdivision Modeling
        1. Box Method
        2. Point Method
      2. Patch Modeling
        1. Building the Cage
        2. Defining the Patch
    2. Modeling Reference
      1. Backdrop Item
    3. Making Selections
      1. Loop Selections
      2. Using the Arrow Keys
      3. Select Connected
      4. Selection Sets
    4. Detailing the Mesh
      1. Adding Detail
        1. Subdivide
        2. Extending to Add Detail
          1. Extrude
          2. Bevel
          3. Bridge
        3. Dividing to Add Detail
          1. Loop Slice
          2. Slice tool
          3. Edge Slice
      2. Shaping the Mesh
        1. Soft Drag
    5. Topology
      1. Creating a Clean Geometry
      2. Polygon Flow
        1. Spin Quads
      3. Edge Loops
    6. Replicators
      1. Groups
      2. Vertex Maps
      3. Surface Generators
    7. Working with Hair
      1. Creating Hair
        1. Fur Material
        2. Hair Guides
      2. Styling Hair
        1. Hair tools
        2. Fur Material
        3. Fur Maps
    8. Summary
  7. 4. UV Mapping
    1. Understanding UV Space
      1. UV Coordinates
      2. Maximizing Detail
      3. UV Aspect Ratio
    2. Mapping Out a Strategy
      1. Single UV Map
      2. Multiple UV Maps
      3. Surveying the Model
      4. UV Tiles
    3. UV Unwrap
      1. Unwrap Tool
      2. UV Relax
      3. Understanding UV Seams
      4. Unwrapping a Hand
        1. Analyze the Mesh
        2. Cutting Up the Model
        3. Discontinuous UVs
        4. Relaxing the UVs
        5. Combining the UV Islands
    4. Summary
  8. 5. Texturing
    1. Collecting Reference
    2. Using Texture Maps
      1. Setting Material Properties
      2. Map Types
        1. Color Maps
        2. Diffuse Maps
        3. Specular Maps
        4. Reflection Maps
        5. Bump Maps
        6. Adding Dirt and Grime
        7. Subsurface Maps
    3. The Shader Tree
      1. Groups
      2. Group Masks
    4. Texturing Hair
      1. Fur Material
      2. Using the Strip Type
      3. Using Gradients
    5. Summary
  9. 6. Animation
    1. Morph Maps
      1. Working with Morph Maps
      2. Adding Morph Deformers
      3. Creating a Controller
      4. Creating the User Channels
      5. Creating a Link to the Morph Deformers
      6. Direct Link
        1. Relationship
      7. Configuring the Morph Controller
      8. Adding an Assembly Command
    2. Inverse Kinematics
      1. Setting Up IK
      2. Rigging the Robot Arm
        1. Creating the Locators
        2. Aligning Centers
        3. Create the IK Chain
        4. Parent Mesh to Locators
        5. Adding Up Vector
        6. Rigging the Piston
          1. Adjusting Centers
          2. Parenting
          3. Adding Constraints
    3. Summary
  10. 7. The Camera: Bringing It into Focus
    1. The Camera
      1. Focal Length
        1. Perspective Compression
      2. Film Back
      3. The Resolution Gate and Film Aspect Ratio
      4. Depth of Field
      5. Lens Artifacts
        1. Lens Distortion
        2. Specular Bloom
        3. The Bokeh Effect
        4. Chromatic Aberration
        5. Lens Flares and Glints
          1. Flares
          2. Glints
      6. Motion Blur
        1. Blur Offset
    2. Matching Real-World Cameras
      1. Aspect Ratio
        1. Render Aspect Ratio
        2. Pixel Aspect Ratio
      2. Matching the Camera
        1. Camera Data
        2. Scene Data
        3. Compositing
    3. Summary
  11. 8. Lighting and Rendering
    1. Characteristics of Light and Shadow
      1. Light
        1. Intensity
        2. Diffusion
        3. Temperature
        4. Form
      2. Shadow
        1. Softness
        2. Occlusion
    2. Photometric Lights
    3. Deep Shadows
    4. Global Illumination
      1. Irradiance Caching
      2. Monte Carlo
      3. Environment
      4. Image-Based Lighting
    5. Using sIBL in 401
    6. Lighting Phenomena: Volumetrics and Caustics
      1. Volumetrics
      2. Caustics
    7. Light Linking
    8. Studio Lighting: Reflectors
    9. Render Settings
      1. Antialiasing
      2. Geometry
        1. Adaptive Subdivision
        2. Micropoly Displacement
      3. Ray Tracing
    10. Rendering for Print
    11. Summary
  12. 9. Advanced Lighting and Rendering: Working in Linear Space
    1. Dynamic Range
    2. Floating Point
    3. Gamma
    4. Setting Up a Linear Workflow in Modo
      1. Rendering and Saving in Linear Space
      2. Gamma Correcting Renders
    5. Render Outputs
      1. Render Passes
      2. Material Masks
    6. Tone Mapping
    7. Summary
  13. 10. Using modo with Maya
    1. Why Use Maya?
      1. My Workflow
    2. FBX
      1. Working Units
    3. Animation
      1. Camera
        1. Exporting Camera Only
      2. Adjusting Camera Size
        1. Adjusting Curves
        2. Camera with Constraints
      3. MDD
        1. Maya MDD Plug-Ins
          1. Point Oven
          2. Maya 2 LW [2]
        2. Exporting MDD from Maya
          1. Scene Setup
          2. Point Oven
          3. Maya 2 LW [2]
        3. Using modo’s MDD Deformer
          1. Sizing Issues
    4. Summary
  14. 11. Creating Real-time Assets
    1. Examples
      1. Tug Example
        1. Polygon Budget
        2. Building the Low-res Mesh
        3. Creating the Normal Map
        4. Baking the Map
        5. Smoothing Angle
        6. Over Baking Polygons
      2. Simple Building Example
        1. Building the Model
        2. Creating Proportional UVs
        3. Establishing the Scale
        4. Power of Two
        5. Measuring the Scene
        6. Designing the Texture Sheet
        7. Mapping the UVs
        8. Fixing Distortion
        9. Adding Grime to the Window
        10. Creating the Normal Map
        11. Fixing Normal Map Issues
        12. Applying Maps using SunBurn
    2. Summary
  15. Bonus Resources