Falloffs have a multitude of uses. They can be used as Deformers, where their area of influence can be assigned to deform the target mesh; think of this like having a magnet that is used to push and pull a surface. Falloffs can also be used to attenuate the effects of other Influences upon an Item or Mesh, similar to a modeling Falloffs that controls the amount of influence a tool has on a surface. Finally, Falloffs may also be used to control the degree to which a 'Force' influences a Dynamic item, such as a Rigid or Soft Body. How the Falloff affects other items is largely dependent on how it is added to the scene. The influence shape is related to its type. The 'Capsule' Falloff produces an attenuation area shaped as a cylinder with rounded ends, with user controls to adjust the size, shape and transition of the Falloff itself.
Adding a Falloff as a Deformer
A Falloff item can be added to a scene easily enough using the 'Add Item' function of the Items list, but the Falloff would have no direct effect upon any Items in the scene until it was linked to the target Item it is meant to act upon. This can be done manually using the Schematic view. MODO offers a few ways to create these links automatically. While in 'Items' mode, Select the target mesh Item and in the 'Setup' interface tab, under the 'Deformers' subtab of the toolbox, select the "Add Falloff Deformer" and select the target Falloff type. This adds the Falloff and links it to the selected mesh. Moving the Falloff at this point will also move any points within the influence of the Falloff. Users can adjust the initial 'Rest' (undeformed) state by entering 'Setup' mode (using the 'Setup' button found toward the top of the interface, viewport frame will change to a yellow outline), and position the Falloff to where it should be in its undeformed state. Exiting 'Setup' now will allow users to animate or adjust the position of the Falloff, deforming the target Mesh.
Adding a Falloff to an Influence
To have a Falloff attenuate an Influence is done using the 'Deformers' viewport, where users can automatically create and link a Falloff to the Influence in a single step. Within the viewport, select the target Influence item and RMB+click on it to open the contextual menu, from there select the "Add Override > Falloff > Falloff Type" adding it to the scene. Once added, the Positions Size and Range can all be animated, where the Influence in questions will only affect the target mesh within the bounds of the Falloff (with settings to Invert this behavior, if desired).
Adding a Falloff to a Force
A Falloff can also be automatically linked to a 'Force' item attenuating the effects of the Force on dynamic items. This can be done easily by simply selecting the 'Force' item (while in 'Items' mode) and using the 'Add Falloff' option found in the 'Dynamics' subtab of the same toolbox. With the Falloff active, Dynamic items within the bounds of the Falloff will not be affected tot he full degree of the Force, attenuating to the core of the Falloff where Items wouldn't be affected at all.
Capsule Falloff
Name: This data field displays the current item name. Users may easily change it by LMB-clicking within the field and typing the new name.
Transform--
Position: An Item transform that allows the user to numerically position the item in XYZ space. Position transforms originate from the Center position.
Rotation: An Item transform that allows the user to numerically set the rotation of the item. Rotation transforms originate from the Center position.
Order: Allows the user to set the order that rotations are applied to the Falloff item. Changing the order that rotations are applied can sometimes help to reduce or eliminate gimbal lock.
Scale: An Item transform that allows the user to numerically set the size of the item. Scale transforms originate from the Center position.
Reset: Resets the selected transform values to (0,0,0) returning the items back to their default state.
Zero: Resets the chosen transform property values to '0', leaving the 'Center' position and Item position intact.
Add: Transform Items are the channel groups associated to an item that store its transform values, controlling its position, rotation and/or scale. By default, new items do not have any transform items associated with them (even though they are visible here within the Properties panel). This is useful as an optimization as only the necessary transforms are added on an as-needed basis, reducing scene overhead. There are several ways to add them. One is by simply transforming the target item with one of the various transform tools (or by editing the values input fields). This action will cause the particular transform item to be added automatically to the 'Channels' viewport list. The 'Add' function here can also be used to add the selected set of transforms to the Channel list while keeping the default 0,0,0 values (a necessary step for 'Referencing', in order to override the channels, they must first exist).
Capsule Falloff--
Falloff Enable: Toggles the influence of the Falloff on or off. When unchecked (disabled), the Falloff has no affect on its target. However, disabled layers are still saved with the scene and its values are persistent across MODO sessions.
Invert: When enabled, reverses the influence area of the Falloff.
Strength: The 'Strength' option controls the maximum amount of influence the Falloff has on its target. At a value of 50%, even areas that are affected fully by the falloff, would only be influenced half as much.
Deformer Enable: When this option is enabled, the Falloff can be connected to a mesh and used as a Mesh Deformer. The initial rest state for the Deformer can be specified when the 'Setup Range is enabled as well and the Falloff is positioned appropriately.
Setup Range: This option determines how the 'Deformer Enable option affects the target. When utilizing the Falloff as a Deformer, the 'Setup Range' option allows users to determine the undeformed position for the Falloff using the 'Setup' state. Enter the 'Setup' state and position the 'Falloff' where you want the Deformation to originate from. Once 'Setup' is exited, moving the 'Falloff' will deform only those vertices within its area of influence from the 'Setup' position. When 'Setup Range' is disabled, as the Falloff or Mesh is animated, the vertices within its influence are affected, but they slide through the area of influence, instead of being affected by it directly.
Axis: The 'Axis' option determines the initial axis direction of the Capsule shape.
Length: The 'Length' option determines the extent of the capsule shape from end to end.
Bias: The Center of influence is directly between the Start and End points of the Capsule. The 'Bias' value modifies the center toward the Start side of the capsule with positive values, and toward the End side with negative ones.
Start Radius: Determines the size of the origin side of the capsule as a radius; its center to its outside perimeter.
End Radius: Determines the size of the terminating side of the capsule as a radius; its center to its outside perimeter.
Solid Core: Generally, the Falloff's influence attenuates from its center line toward its outer edge. The 'Solid Core' option defines an inner range where the Falloff's influence is at maximum amount as a percentage of the total size of the Capsule shape.
Decay Shape: The Decay shape controls the rate of attenuation across the falloff with three possible choices-
Smooth- Smoothly fades the strength of the falloff between the 'Solid Core' setting and the 'Radius' of the Capsule Falloff item.
Inverse Power- A user controllable curve function that attenuates the value between a linear type falloff to a abrupt hard edged one by adjusting the 'Inverse Power' option value.
Gaussian- A very smooth falloff with the greatest influence in the center that attenuates and terminates outside the Falloffs radius.
Inverse Power: When the 'Inverse Power' option is selected as the 'Decay Shape', the 'Inverse Power' value determines the falloff attenuation sharpness, low values will be like an almost linear type falloff with increasing values
