Custom Models

Modus VR and Modus 2.0 both support importing external 3D models in the FBX format. These models can be created in software such as Blender, SketchUp, 3ds Max, and others.

Modus does not allow for importing of custom textures, rather it allows you to use materials available in modus on your model. The following steps should be followed when creating the custom model to ensure both the scale and location of the textures are correct.

1. Setting Up Texture Density

Before importing, you must verify and adjust your model's texture density (or texture scale) to ensure materials appear correctly sized.

1. Create a Reference Plane: Go to Add > mesh > plane.

2. Set Plane Dimensions: Adjust the dimensions of the plane to 1 foot by 1 foot.

3. Apply Transformations: Go to Objects and select Apply all transformations to ensure the plane is scaled correctly.

4. Position the Plane: Get the plane positioned so it is "peaking on top" of your model.

5. Create Reference Texture: Go to the UV editing mode.

   • Press A to select the entire plane.

   • Add a new texture (e.g., name it "textal") using dimensions of 2048 by 2048 and a UV grid.

6. View Density: Return to Layout mode. Apply the new texture as an image texture for the base color of the plane's material. This allows you to see the reference textile density.

7. Match the Model: Apply this same material to your model.

8. Adjust UV Mapping: If your model's texture scale looks too large or too small (i.e., the checker size is incorrect), return to UV editing. If the model is already UV mapped, scale the entire UV map until it roughly matches the reference density visible on the plane. Getting it in the correct "ballpark" ensures that wood grains or other tiling textures appear correctly. You can also select and scale individual faces if necessary.

2. Separating Mesh for Multiple Materials

To apply different materials to specific areas of your model in Modus (e.g., table top, legs, shoes), you must separate the mesh using material slots,.

1. Access Material Slots: Use the material slot editor. You may remove any existing material once your UV mapping is set.

2. Add Material Slots: Add the total number of materials you need for the object. For example, add three materials and hit new materials for each.

3. Color Coding: It is helpful to color-code the new materials (e.g., blue, purple, red) for easy identification while editing.

4. Assign Materials to Faces:

   • Go into edit mode.

   • Use X-ray mode to easily select faces for internal components, such as leg pieces or shoe pieces,.

   • Select the desired faces and then click Assign to apply the corresponding material color to that selection,.

   • Continue this process until all parts of the model are assigned to a material slot,.

3. Checking Face Orientation

Incorrect face orientation can cause parts of your model to appear transparent when imported into Modus.

1. View Orientation: Go to object mode. In one of the drop-down menus, select Face Orientation.

2. Identify Issues: You should see all blue surfaces. Any faces that appear red (e.g., the underside of the table) would be transparent if viewed from that direction (like looking up through a glass floor).

3. Flip Normals: Select all the red faces. Go to Mesh > Normals > Flip. The faces should turn blue, confirming the model will behave correctly upon import.

4. Exporting as FBX

When the model is ready, export it as an FBX file to your custom models folder.

1. Export Settings: Go to File > Export > FBX.

2. Path Mode: Set the Path mode to Copy and tick the accompanying box to ensure the material slots are copied as part of the file.

3. Include Settings: Select Visible Objects to exclude any hidden reference elements, like the textile density plane. Only the mesh data is required; omit camera, lamp, or animation data.

4. Transforms: Keep the scale at 1.0. Define your axes (e.g., X forward and Z up) based on how you designed the model. Ensure you apply transforms before exporting.

5. Geometry and Armature: Normals Only Smoothing is usually sufficient for geometry. Ignore Armature and Bake Animation settings if you are not using that data.

6. Final Export: Export the file to your designated location.

5. Importing into Modus

1. Start Modus Session: Boot up a Modus session.

2. Import: Select External 3D Model, and then navigate to your custom models folder to select the exported FBX file (e.g., table 2.fbx),.

3. Apply Materials: Once imported, you can work on the model's materials. The separate material slots you defined (the blue, purple, and red sections) will now correspond to different material options within Modus.