Max and modo improve on what they already do best

Earlier this week, Autodesk kicked off both its physical and virtual presence at SIGGRAPH by announcing new 2010 versions of Maya, Mudbox and Softimage, which join 3ds Max 2010 in the company’s robust suite of modeling and animation apps. Included in these new releases, all available this month, is subscription pricing that promises dedicated tech support and access to detailed online training. In this issue, we review 3ds Max 2010, which also comes with subscription pricing. Is it worth the extra $500 to get up to speed on all of the new modeling tools packed into this new version of Max? According to Mike de la Flor, the new tab-and-menu system, called “The Ribbon,” may take some getting used to. If you don’t have the time to ramp up, a few targeted videos—and ample hands-on support—may be worth the investment.

Also reviewed this month is Luxology’s modo 401, a relative upstart compared to Autodesk’s stable of software that has quickly earned kudos for its deep and rich modeling tools. Luxology has now added Quad modeling and a handy mesh replicator that should shave off hours from most modeling tasks. But the company has taken a page from Maya with the introduction of a fur-generating tool you can use to quickly create any number of hair- and grass-like forms. Animation tools remain modest, at best, but Luxology is clearly capitalizing on modo’s most popular assets.

As we move into the stereoscopic era, the demand for streamlined, powerful 3D software will only increase—every VFX house madly finishing up shots under contract on Avatar can attest to that. For now, 3D effects are spilling into shorter-form shows with increasing regularity. We’ve got a story on a Softimage-intensive project for The History Channel, just another example of the growing demand for VFX-rich shots on lower-budget cable productions.