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Sean Snyder

Luxology Announces Video Library Website for 3D Designers at SIGGRAPH

Luxology, makers of modo 203 and the soon to be released modo 301, have started an online library of their demo and tutorial videos depicting their software at work. modo is primarily for industrial designers and artists, so this may seem a little off topic, but I think it can relate to the larger design community in three ways.

FIRST: The Software
This software creates beautiful work; the textures are amazing and the user appears to have complete manipulability over depth and focus. Aesthetically this software can create incredible visual graphics. This is important to designers and engineers because it can help with the promotion and presentation of your work.

Let’s face it, we live in a visually communicative world, people want to see something rather than hear or read about it. It is important to understand this when presenting your work because not all investors are engineers. It’s also important to know that the better something looks the better it will be received. I’ve seen some really good CAD renderings and animated files, but I typically perceive them as bare bones structural presentations that translate to me the same info that a 5 axis CNC machine would understand, and again… investors are not CNC machines either.

SECOND: The Videos
Both Autodesk and Solidworks have community sections on their sites as I’m sure many other 3D software companies do too, but they don’t appear to have the same sort of “use-oriented” video content as Luxology.tv. Bob Bennett, vice president of marketing for Luxology, told me that Luxology has much more video than currently available on the site and expects to gather even more down the road.

I see this as setting the bar for other 3D modeling sites whether they are for art or engineering and whether the content is a free walkthrough or a paid for tutorial.

THIRD: Robots
Remember this commercial?

L.A. based SWAY Studios used modo to render this sad robot from the 2007 GM Superbowl ad.
If that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does.