Mastering Hard-Surface Topology in Modo - Part 1

Strategies to help you deal with common topology challenges

Managing topology is the biggest challenge in hard-surface subdivision modelling. This two-part series will teach you some effective techniques to overcome the most common problems you are likely to face when creating hard-surface models.

Part 1 is entirely project-based, to familiarise you with real-world problems in a real project, and in part two there will be theoretical content to tie it all together.

This first instalment of the training will take you step-by-step through modelling the body of a Leica M6 camera, with the focus being the complex details of the top plate. This intricate hard-surface model requires some planning to create the most effective topology, with the operations carried out in the right order, and with careful control over topological density to avoid having too many edgeloops that would compromise the curvature of the mesh.

The key skills that are required to create this shape effectively are using the right order of operations, localisation of topological density, and managing the placement of poles.

Holding edges spanning across the entirety of a mesh can quickly become unmanageable. To avoid this problem the training will show how to increase the density of your topology in specific areas by terminating loops while still maintaining all-quad topology.

When creating complex three-dimensional shapes there will inevitably be poles in the topology. Managing three-point and five-point poles is a crucial skill in subdivision modelling, and the training will show how to deal with these so that they don’t create shading problems on your models.

Another huge challenge in hard-surface modelling is how to cleanly add details to curved surfaces. Without well-planned topology the detailing can easily result in shading errors that can be very hard (or even impossible) to fix. In this course you will be shown strategies to handle curved surfaces effectively.

This training can be applied to any version of Modo, including older versions (as far back as 401), and the skills you will learn can also be adapted to any other 3D modelling package. The training was recorded in Modo 16, but you can follow along using an older version of Modo.