modo 302 and XSI

[Deepimage]

Hi to you all,

I just need some feedback since I'm so new to XSI. For years I've been on a Mac and used LightWave as my 3D tool for modelling and animating. Then came modo, a GOD send for the Mac community. The modelling side of modo feels like second nature to me, but it's animation side is still full in development.
Due to the fact that I have a new mac I can run XP pro with boot-camp. Well, a whole new 3D universe opens up to me.
So now I'm playing with the trial version of XSI. Have to say that XSI has the feel like a Mac app. But then running on a PC. Feels very intuitive. I'm serious evaluating this program because LightWave isn't up to the job any more.

But here is my question, modo is my modeling tool and will be so for a while. So what is the best path to prepare my models for import into XSI?

Peter

[Dave Usher]

Dude,

Save your Modo object as a LWO (lightwave object) and then in XSI, go to file>import>Pointoven>Pointoven Lightwave Object. forgive me if the path is slightly incorrect, but it's that easy, you will have to re-assign your textures though, but this is easy enough to do.

Dave

[bsm3d]

Hi,

Maybe browse this page at the bottom :-)

http://www.wasbecause.com/?page=Projects

I hope that's help you.

[thiago]

if it's just the mesh You have OBJ also... which goes anywhere.

Does Modo has collada or FBX?
XSI support these too... maybe you can get it to work.

[bsm3d]

Yes Modo have FBX exporter ;)

[Leo]

Would somebody with experience in both packages care to compare their **modeling** features? It seems like people who care mostly or exclusively for modeling praise Modo a lot. I'd like to know if this is just my impression or what the facts behind this are.

PS.: Please, no flaming wars like "my dad could beat yours any time"... if possible, just a quick, analytical comparison of the MODELING toolset.

Thanks,
Leo.

[Zafar Iqbal]

I've seen several places that modeling in XSI is good, especially when it comes to sub's. Personally, I think there are few modeling and selection tools that I think kicks ass in XSI, however I prefer modo as it feels more intuitive and fluid to me.

[bsm3d]

Hi,

From my own experience

Modo is doing base modeling quickest than in xsi, but when base modeling is done xsi construction historic is more powerfull.

In the interface view, xsi and modo is just different, modo is more colored and maybe eyes catching than xsi. the toolset in modo is in my mind better organised, in xsi I sometimes need to dig interface to found the right tools I need.

In modo you can draw per eg. your box, rectangle etc in the viewpor you want. In xsi you start from primitive, need to adjust and place it in the view you want...this is a different working method, someone like other not...

Modo have some cloning and curve extrude / cloning working great, objects attachement and shell (thicker) tools (I use this often and don't found into XSI an easy way to do)

Creat organic shape in modo is more intuitive than xsi but in modo I often have refresh or interface Lag due to high polygons datas (more than 500.000 polys)

XSI have better curve modeling / nurbs toolset !

About rendering I don't like the modo shader tree...I prefer xsi one

Painting in modo is really great but slowing quickly as sculpting...I prefer XSI illusion to paint.

In my opinion using modo with xsi is a great toolset ! Modo for sculpting and organic modeling, xsi for animation, fx and mentalray rendering.

[Leo]

Hey BSM3D,

Thanks for sharing your impressions. I watched a few modo videos in the past, I think they were for 202, and got the exact impression that they had this complicated version of XSI's render tree, but I must admit I've seen some pretty interesting renders of still images from them.

Thanks again,
Leo.

[Deepimage]

Back again, sorry had to finish a commercial job.

Thanks Dave, I just tried point oven. And it seems to import just fine.

Well Thiago off course OBJ is a solution if I want a meshed model. But I'm looking for a way so I don't have to freeze my model. But use the base model and sub D it in XSI. And, ad this moment modo 301 and LW do not save out OBJ file's with layer's and material data! For that you have to use DeepExploration and convert a .lwo into a .obj!

BSM3D, downloaded the perl script but did not use it yet. But FBX sounds nice will experiment with it next week. And many thanks for sharing your experience on modo and XSI. Very use full since I'm a novice in XSI. One thing I can say is that the ShaderTree in modo can be a bit confusing. But it works fine if one knows it's way. But personally I like the nodal structure in XSI all ready, even though I did not spent much time with it!

[MartinWeber]

I have not tried it yet but the opensource Collada exporter for Modo might be interesting to use with XSI/Crosswalk:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/colladamodo/

[Toonafish]

I agree with what most peeps have to say about the Modo to XSI pipeline and modeling in both.

Modeling in XSI is okay. But one of my main gripes with it, is that you get a slider for most operations which can be very distractive when you're trying to focus, and sometimes when you're working with very small or very big objects or numbers you have to type in numbers because the slider just is not precise enough.

Also the (non instance/clone) symmetry does not support adding and removing geometry, so when you already have UV's in you object but need to make some big changes to your object you're screwed in XSI. This is where Modo is a real lifesaver.

Also UV'ing in XSI is frustrating when you're used to Modo. I hear a lot of peeps telling how great the UV tools in XSI are, but I suppose they never used Modo :-)

But XSI is amazing when it comes to animation, rigging and rendering (once you're used to Mental ray and the Render Tree)

[bsm3d]

XSI are amazing also with Nurbs and Curves, where Modo is weak...I agree XSI sliderssometimes be intrusive...

but..but...

Modo and XSI is a powerfull toolset for artist, no doubt with that's !

[jamination]

XSI are amazing also with Nurbs and Curves, where Modo is weak...I agree XSI sliderssometimes be intrusive...

but..but...

Modo and XSI is a powerfull toolset for artist, no doubt with that's !

as far as the nurbs and curves in xsi being powerful, I don't think you hear this much. Of course next to modo which is a poly modelerer then yes, on the whole, no. And the curves are rather clumsy and the newish bezier addition feels plopped on. I am by no means suggesting for these 2 areas to be worked on (I think there are more important areas).

Phil

[photex]

if it's just the mesh You have OBJ also... which goes anywhere.

Does Modo has collada or FBX?
XSI support these too... maybe you can get it to work.

Just wanted to make sure you've seen my latest version which is a full plugin featuring a great deal more than my old script. You can get it at the same page, or an earlier build at VertexMonkey. At the moment I'm updating too frequently to have VertexMonkey update everytime I do, so I'm only sending "milestone" updates. My site will have a bleeding edge build (normally pretty stable compared to my development builds).

Cheers