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Modo Absolute Beginner Tips

This post will have a number of edits over time so comeback and check it out. For now here's a few tips. Also this is a bunch of tips and advice, NOT a tutorial!

Modelling


  • Make sure NOTHING is select! Then press T to make some quick edits. Use the hotkeys W E R for Translate, Rotate and Scale.
  • Pressing Spacebar will cycle you between Vertex, Edge or Polygon mode. It can also finalise/apply things.
  • Alt + Left Click to rotate. Alt + Right Click to rotate in an animated almost non stop motion (Don't know what it's called yet.) Extremely useful, especially when looking for errors.
  • Always UVmap your model BEFORE you paint on it! This one should be obvious but I get asked a surprising amount of times so I am putting it here.
  • Enable GoZ if you have Zbrush. You'll thank yourself later. Switching between apps is very easy and makes quick work of retopo.
  • Be careful of SubD modelling and always use the preview mode before committing. In other words, work lowpoly and press Tab to switch to a SubD view and Tab again to switch back to lowpoly. You'll find a much better workflow and better models this way. I made this mistake learning solo until a friend who knew how to model told me not to and why. But back then I was using Blender and it was a modifier tool you had to set up. In Modo use the Tab key and Item Properties to adjust your SubD view and devision levels.
  • Plan your edgeloops over your reference image while you're learning. Also make sure to make good use of the Edge Slice and Edge Pen tools.


    Rendering
    • Always check your environment settings first!
    • Set your basic materials and worry about lighting later. Focus on your model and it's details then lighting when you are closer to rendering. Otherwise you'll be making a lot of edits instead of a smooth workflow.
    More to come...
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