Bitmap images are an essential component of texturing, painting and image based sculpting. They are also useful as backdrops for modeling, providing reference for shape and scale when modeling. They can also be used to literally light the scene, where information captured in the image can illuminate rendered images. With so many different uses, it is necessary to support a great number of image formats.
There are several ways users can load images into MODO. One is from the Images viewport, typically located near the 'Items List' and 'Shader Tree' viewports of the default interface. Using the 'Add Clips' button in the 'Images' viewport, users can open a OS specific dialog box to locate and select an image for loading. Once loaded, images in the 'Clips' list will appear throughout the application in applicable menus. Users can also load images by simply dragging and dropping them from the operating system onto MODO. When users drag and drop images, if dropping them onto geometry they will appear as a texture in a material. If dragged into a 3D viewport, they will appear as a Backdrop Item. When loading a bitmap, that is not applied to geometry or a Backdrop Item, drag it into a non-3D viewport. Items can be dragged from the 3D views directly onto groups (where they become members of the group) or into the Schematic viewport. Users can also load image directly from any menu for selecting images, using the 'Add Image' command present in the menu. Once an image is loaded, users can reference the dedicated documentation page for any particular function, specific to how the image is applied and used.
Read Formats
This is a listing of the image map formats MODO can read and use for texturing, backdrops, brushes, and variety of other functions.
*Zoomify is a format for supporting large images based on smaller tiles of JPEG images. MODO only loads the tiles necessary to render or display, meaning users can apply massive textures, with little affect on system performance. Users can export Zoomify formatted images using the "File > Export > Zoomify" function in Photoshop (CS5/6) or users can download 'Zoomify Express' for free at Zoomify.com
. Users can also load large HDR images in to MODO and use the 'Save Image As' command and save to the 'OpenEXR Tiled' formats to use the tiled image support on high dynamic range images.
Write Formats
This is a listing of formats MODO writes out when creating new images.
| Format Name | Extension | Bit Depth per channel | Compressed | Type |
| Flexible Precision Image Format | .FLX | HDR | Yes | Lossless |
| Targa | .TGA | 8 bit + Alpha | No | |
| Windows BMP | .BMP | 8 bit + Alpha | No | |
| Radiance High Dynamic Range | .HDR | HDR | Yes | Lossless |
| JPEG | .JPG | 8 bit | Yes | Lossy* |
| Portable Network Graphic | .PNG | 8 bit + Alpha | Yes | Lossless* |
| Portable Network Graphic 16 bit | .PNG | 16 bit + Alpha | Yes | Lossless* |
| PSD (Photoshop Document) | .PSD | 8 bit | No | |
| SGI RGB | .SGI | 8 bit | No | |
| Tagged Image File Format | .TIF | 8 bit + Alpha | Yes | Lossless |
| 16-Bit TIF | .TIF | 16 bit + Alpha | Yes | Lossless |
| 16-Bit Uncompressed TIF | .TIF | 16 bit + Alpha | No | |
| Open EXR (+layers) | .EXR | HDR | Preference | Lossless* |
*A MODO preference option provides for users to determine the amount of compression -- go to "System > Preferences" then "File I/O > Image I/O".
