# Rigging Term Glossary

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## Term Definitions

A

Assembly: An Assembly Group is a collection of rigging that is packaged up to be easily updated and reused.

Assembl y Group: An Assembly Group is a collection of rigging that is packaged up to be easily updated and reused.

Assembly Preset: An Assembly Preset is a collection of rigging that is packaged into a file on disk that can be loaded into modo for later use.

Assemblies Tab: The Assemblies Tab is where you load in assembly presets into modo. This is found in the Schematic view.

Assembly SubTab: The Assembly SubTab is where a series of advanced functions for Assemblies (as well as other rigging functions) are located in the SetupTab

Angle Channel: The angle channel is a user channel that displays and output its units as degrees.
See also User Channels

Affine: Affine is a term that in 3D graphics means "Rigid" transformation.
See also Non-Affine

Add Selected: Add Selected is a button in the Schematic Viewport that lets you add the currently selected items.
See also Schematic Viewport

Add Modifier: Add Modifier is a button in the Schematic Viewport that lets you add a modifier directly into the Schematic.
See also Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Axis: The "Axis" is a term that describes either the imaginary X Y or Z directional lines in 3D space.

Animated Pivot: The Animated Pivot is a term that describes if you have animation applied (as in key framed) to modo's pivot.
See also Pivots, Centers and Key Frames.

Action Centers: Action Centers are modo's way of placing and aligning a tool's manipulator based on specific criteria.

Auto Key: Auto Key is a term that means to allow modo to create key frames for channels based on specific criteria.
See also Key Frames

Auto Flat Key: Auto Flat Key is a type of curve interpolation that defines how an animation curve flows through a keyframe.
See also Graph Editor and Curves
Advanced Military Research: Advanced Military Research (or AMR for short) is a company that specialized in making interactive properties for military enthusiasts (psst, you may even recognize one of the founders ;)

B

Blooper: A Blooper is a part of a recording where the actor messes up over and over and OVER again.
See also THIS for hilarity to ensue.

Boolean Channel: A Boolean Channel is a channel that has either "on" or "off" as an option.
See also User Channels

Bounding Box: A Bounding Box is modo's way of representing a mesh as a box that fits around the mesh in question.

B-Spline: A B-Spline is a type of curve interpolation where the limit spline smoothly flows around (and not through) the curve's points.
See also Bezier Spline and Cat-Rom Spline

Bezier Spline: A bezier Spline is a type of curve interpolation where the limit spline flows through the curve's points and gives the user handles (or tangents) that control how the spline is biased on either side of the point in question.
See also Cat-Rom Spline, and Spline Tangents

Bank: Bank is a legacy 3D term for a Z Axis rotation (in an Y Up universe, which is the default). It's also an aviation term for if a plane rolls to one side or another.
See also Pitch and Heading.

C

Curve: A Curve is the mathematical expression used in modo to define a path or direction, they are used for for animating values over time, for modeling and for moving items along.
See also Graph Editor, Spline, Key Frame and Path Constraint.

Curve Handle: A Curve Handle is the same as a Spline Tangent, its a way to control how the shape of a curve flows into and out of a control point.
See also Spline Tangent.

Channel: A Channel, or attribute, is an entry that has some type of value that modo uses to control items or settings.
See also User Channels

Coordinate Space: Coordinate Space refers to an item's local position, rotation or scale.

Center: A Center in modo is a point on a mesh item that can be interactively placed to designate the point which modo considers its 0,0,0 position to be.
See also Pivots

Center Selected: Center Selected is a series of commands that allows you to move the selected item or component to modo's origin in one or all primary axis.

Center to Bounding Box: 'Center To -' is a series of commands that allows you to move the selected item's Center to its own bounding box in one or all primary axis.
See also Bounding Box

Center Mode: Center Mode allows you to select one or multiple Centers and manipulate them in 3D space.
See also Pivot Mode

Child: A Child is what you call any item that is parented under another item.
See also Parent and Hierarchy

Channel Links Panel: The Channel Links panel is a legacy way of connecting one channel to another and to make channel relationships. With the addition of the Schematic Viewport this tools is not used as much.
See also Schematic Viewport, Channel Relationship and Channels.

Channel Haul Tool: The Channel Haul Tool puts any currently selected channel into a overlay on top of the 3D Viewport where you can quickly adjust the channels' values.
See also Channels and Viewport

Channel Modifier: A Channel Modifier is a tool that take channels as input, performs some kind of operation then outputs new channel values that can be connected to other items for specific effects. Constraints are a type of Channel Modifier, as is IK.
See also Modifiers, Constraints, Inverse Kinematics and Channels

Camera: The Camera is an item that modo uses for defining the point of view of where a render will take place.

Channel List: The Channel List is an editor that take the current selection and displays ALL of its defining channels. This is also where you add, remove and reorder Transform Items.
See also Channels, Properties Panel and Transform Items

Cat-Rom Spline: A Cat-Rom (or Catmull/ Rom) Spline is a type of curve interpolation where the limit spline flows through the curve's points.
See also Bezier Spline, B-Spline and Spline Tangents

Conditional: A Conditional is a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria. An example of a conditional is "If A is Greater Than B".
See also Modifiers and Logic: A is Greater Than B

Constraints: Constraints are a type of Channel Modifier designed to allow you to tell one item to follow another in a specific way. Constraints build the backbone of modo's rigging toolset.
See also Channel Modifiers and Transform Constraint

Channel Color HSV: The Channel Color HSV modifier takes in Hue Saturation and Value values and will output RGB values.
See also Channel Modifiers and RGB

Channel Color Kelvin: The Channel Color Kelvin modifier takes in Kelvin color values and will output RGB values.
See also Channel Modifiers and RGB

Channel Noise: The Channel Noise modifier outputs a "Noisy" or "Bumpy" animation channel that can be used to make a motion appear more sporadic and random.
See also Channel Modifiers

Channel Oscillator: The Channel Oscillator modifier outputs a "Wave" patterned animation channel that can be used to make a motion appear cyclical or bouncy.
See also Channel Modifiers

Channel Relationship: The Channel Relationship modifier take a channel input and gives you controls on how to attenuate the input to output a value that is related, but different from the input. An example being you can input a value and clamp the output so only a certain range of the input channel is outputted.
See also Channel Modifiers and Channel Links Panel

Command List: The Command List is a editor that shows you all the commands that modo uses internal to control things, a history of the last user commands and undo fired, a lit of internal scripts and the results of recently evaluated scripts/functions.

Compensation: Compensation is a mode that tells modo that when Constraints are attached to take into account the target items world position, rotations and scale and "offset" values so its world position, rotation and scale appear the same.
See also Constraints and Channel Modifiers

Component Mode: Component Mode describes when you are editing either Vertices, Edges or Polygons which are the basic components that make up a mesh item.
See also Vertex Mode, Edge Mode, Polygon Mode and Items Mode

D

Duplicate: To Duplicate means to take the selected item and make a copy of it, a copy that has not connections to the original at all. You can duplicate and item by itself or the item and all of its children.
See also Hierarchy and Instance

Default Unit: The Default unit is a setting in modo's preferences that tell modo what units of measure to show in all its numeric fields. This value is set to SI or Metric to start so you will most likely see "Meters" as the default unit of measure in all.

Default Value: The Default Value is a setting on a user channel that defines what it will fallback to if all user input or animation is removed.
See also User Channels and Channels

Degrees: Degrees are a unit of measure for rotation, there are 360 degrees in a full circle.

Deform: To Deform, or a Deformation, is when a mesh item's points are moved in a non uniform (or non-Affine) way. An example of this would be if you used the bend tool on a mesh, its points would move a different rates along the bend's axis.
See also Weight Map Deformer, Affine, Non-Affine and Morph Deformer

Distance Channel: The Distance Channel is a channel that used a measure of distance as its unit, which by default would be meters.
See also User Channels

Dynamic Parent: A Dynamic Parent is a special type of channel modifier that allows for the target item top be parented to more than one thing and blend or switch between them.
See also Channel Modifiers, Hierarchy, Compensation and Constraints

Display SubTab: The Display SubTab lives in the Setup Tab and is where you adjust items and locators display settings. This is how you can change the default color and shape of a locator.
See also Locators and Setup Tab

Drag and Drop: Drag and Drop describes the action of clicking on something and then dragging it on to top something else to have some action take place. An example is where if you select and item of set of channels and click and drag them on top of the Schematic Viewport it will load those items and channels.
See also Schematic Viewport and Channels

Dual Joint Planar IK: Dual Joint Planar IK is a channel modifier that provides Inverse Kinematics functionality to modo. An example of Inverse Kinematics of IK is when you move a foot and the rest of the leg bends and moves properly to follow it.
See also Inverse Kinematics, Forward Kinematics and Channel Modifiers

Direction Constraint: A Direction Constraint is a channel modifier that allows to you tell one item to point at another item based on specific criteria.
See also Constraints, Compensation and Channel Modifiers

Distance Constraint: A Distance constraint is a channel modifier that allows you to prevent an item form either getting closer or getting farther than a specific distance from a target item.
See also Constraints and Channel Modifiers

Draw Options: Draw Options are settings available in the Display Subtab that allow you to override certain aspects of how an item is displayed in the 3D viewport.
See also Display Subtab, Setup Tab and Locators

Drop Actions: A Drop Action tells modo how to react if you click on an item in the Item List and drag it on top of another item. An example would be to drag an item onto of another to parent the target item to it.
See also Hierarchy, Drag and Drop and Assembly Subtab

Drop Script: A Drop Script is a script that will get evaluated when you drag an Assembly Preset into another item or if you drag something onto the item with the Drop Script specified. Note: Scripting is not covered in detail in this training.
See also Script, Assembly Subtab and Assembly Presets

Direct Link: A Direct Link is when one channel is connected directly to another with no modifiers in-between. It is also a button that lives in the Channel Links Panel that when two channels are select to connect them together.
See also Channel Links Panel, Schematic Viewport and Channels

Dope Sheet: The Dope Sheet is part of the Timeline and allows you to quickly adjust a Keyframe (or series of Keyframes) position in time, it is also called the Track View.
See also Time Line, Keyframes and Graph Editor

E

Enum Channel: An Enum Channel is a channel that present a series of choices. You can not currently create a Enum User Channel its only available for native modo channels.
See also User Channels

Edge: An Edge is one side of a polygon that has one point on each end, 2 points total.
See also Polygon and Vertex

Edge Position: The Edge Position Constraint allows you to attach an item's position to the center of the target edge.
See also Constraints, Vertex Position and Polygon Position

Edge Normal: The Edge Normal Constraint allows you to attach an item's orientation to match the orientation of the target edge.
See also Constraints, Normal, Vertex Normal and Polygon Normal

Edge Mode: Edge Mode is one of the 3 Component Modes allowing you select and edit edges directly.
See also Vertex Mode, Polygon Mode and Component Mode

F

Freeze (modeling): To Freeze is to convert a curve or a subdivision surface to just polygons.
See also Curves, Subdivision Surface

Freeze (values): To Freeze an item's values you take whatever position, rotation and scale offset you have authored in Item mode and converts those into its default modeled position and setting those values back to their defaults.
See also Resetting and Zeroing

Forward Kinematics: Forward Kinematics is another term for hierarchy or parenting, if you move the parent the child will follow, if you move the child the parent is unaffected.
See also Parenting, Hierarchy and Inverse Kinematics

Float Channel: A Float Channel is a channel where its values can have a decimal place. An example would be '0.092' or '5.6'.
See also User Channels and Integer Channel
Flip Curve: Curves have a direction, a start and an end, you can change the direction by selecting the curve in polygon mode and hitting the "f" key to Flip Curve.
See also Curves and Polygon Mode

Flat Key: Flat Key is an option for keyframes on an animation curve that force their tangents to be horizontal, or flat.
See also Spline Tangents, Curves and Graph Editor

FPS: FPS stands for 'Frames Per Second'. It is a measure of how many frames are displayed in one second of animation time. For example, feature films are displayed at 24 FPS and television is displayed at 30 FPS.
See also Keyframes, Timeline and Graph Editor

Frames: Frames are the individual images that are recorded when modo renders out an animation and also the smallest unit of time that is displayed in the Timeline.
See also Keyframes, Timeline and Graph Editor

G

Group: A Group is a type container in modo that you can put items and channels into then adjust settings on the things inside it.
See also Item Group and Assembly Group

Group Locator: A Group Locator is just a locator without any visual representation in the 3D view. It is commonly used as a way to organize items in the item list.
See also Locator and Items

Grid: The Grid is the actual black lines that modo displays on the "ground" to show a the center of the modo universe and distance away from it.
See also Workplane

Graph Editor: The Graph Editor is modo's tool for viewing and editing animation curves and keyframes.
See also Dope Sheet, Keyframes and Timeline

Geometry Constraint - Normal: The Geometry Constraint Normal is a constraint that will align an item to either the target items polygon, edge or vertex depending on which option is chosen.
See also Normal, Polygon Normal, Edge Normal and Vertex Normal

Geometry Constraint - Position: The Geometry Constraint Position is a constraint that will position an item to either the target items polygon, edge or vertex depending on which option is chosen.
See also Polygon Position, Edge Position and Vertex Position.

H

Heading: Heading is a legacy 3D term for a Y Axis rotation (in an Y Up universe, which is the default). It's also an aviation term for direction.
See also Pitch and Bank

Handy: Handy is a term used to describe something that is helpful or useful. Its also a term you may hear over and over and over in the foundation section, so be prepared ;)

HUD: HUD stands for Heads Up Display, in modo the HUD displays helpful information in the lower right hand side of the 3D viewport.

Hierarchy: A Hierarchy is a series of items that are parented to each other in a parent/child relationship. An example of a hierarchy is your arm, you move your shoulder and your elbow and hand move along, you move your elbow and your shoulder in not affected but the hand is. The elbow is a "Child" of the shoulder and the hand's "Parent".
See also Child, Parent and Item

I

Instance: An Instance is a copy of an item that maintains a relationship to its original. In the case of a mesh instance its shape is always derived from the original but other settings like position, rotation and scale can all be different.
See also Duplicate

Invert (or inverse): Invert is a term that is commonly used when talking about take a value and converting it from a positive to a negative, or when you are moving an item in one direction you adjust its output so that its providing an inverted value that you can connect to something else.
See also Schematic View, Channel Relationship and Modifiers

Integer Channel: An Integer Channel is a numeric channel that only shows whole numbers. An example of a whole number is 1 where as 1.3 would be considered a floating point number.
See also Float Channel

Items: An Item in modo can be many things, lights cameras and meshes are all "items". Almost all discreet entities in modo are internally considered items.
See also Channels

Item Mode: Item Mode is a selection mode in modo for picking and manipulating items in the 3D viewport. Examples of Items are mesh items, Lights, Cameras, Locators among others.
See also Components

Inverse Kinematics: Inverse Kinematics, also known as IK, is a way of moving the end of a chain and having the base middle of the chain react properly. An example IK is when you move a foot and the rest of the leg bends and moves properly to follow it.
See also Dual Joint Planar IK and Forward Kinematics

Item List: The Item list is the primary editor for viewing, renaming, parenting and controlling visibility of items in modo.

Item Group: An Item Group is a type container in modo that you can put items and channels into then adjust settings on the things inside it.
See also Group and Assembly Group

Intersect: The Intersect channel modifier is the basis for all the "Intersect" constraints which provide control for items aligning with a series of items or a surface.
See also Constraints

Intersect Line - Two Items: The Intersect Line: Two Items constraint will create and dynamically place a locator in-between two target items.
See also Constraints

Intersect Line - Linear Curve: The Intersect Line: Linear Curve constraint will create and dynamically place a locator in-between the first two points on the target curve.
See also Constraints

Intersect Plane: The Intersect Plane constraint will project a locator from one item to another's axis plane (such as along the XZ plane of a locator)
See also Constraints

Intersect Surface: The Intersect Surface constraint will project a locator from one item to a mesh items surface.
See also Constraints

J

Jake and Jamie Photography: This is a shameless plug for my wife Kelly's wedding photography business. She's very talented, check out her website (be sure to check out the Employee of the Month ;)

K

Ke y Frames: Key Frames are the "key" positions in time that you set for items or channels, modo will then adjust values from one Key Frame to another in succession.
See also Timeline and Graph Editor

L

Lasso Style: Lasso Style is a setting that allows you to change the selection marquee shape, by default its set to lasso but it can also be rectangle, circle and ellipse.

Locator: A Locator in modo is an item that does not render and is displayed as a spindle (like a jack in the game of jacks) showing the positive and negative side of the X Y and Z axis.
See also Items, X Axis, Y Axis and Z Axis.

Locator Shapes: Locator Shapes are options found in the Display Subtab to modify how a locator looks. An example would be to have the locator displayed as a box or a ball.
See also Display SubTab, Locators and Draw Options

Locator Links: Locator Links are options found in the Display Subtab for drawing "links" between parent and child locators.
See also Display SubTab, Locators and Draw Options

Locking: Locking is the ability to prevent an item or channel from being modified in anyway.
See also Assembly SubTab and Item Groups

Light: A Light is an item in modo that the rendering engine uses to cast virtual illumination into a scene.

Linear Blend: The Linear Blend channel modifier takes to matrix inputs and will output a matrix value that blends between the two input channels.
See also Channel Modifiers and Matrix Channel

Logic - A is equal to B: The Logic: A is equal to B channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - A is greater than B: The Logic: A is greater than B channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - A is greater than or equal to B: The Logic: A is greater than or equal to B channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - A is less than B: The Logic: A is less than B channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - A is less than or equal to B: The Logic: A is less than or equal to B channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - And: The 'Logic - And' channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Logic - Or: The Logic: Or channel modifier is a conditional that evaluates a simple piece of logic that gives you either a "true" or "false" result based on the specified criteria.
See also Conditional and Channel Modifiers

Load Driven: Load Driven is an option in the Channel Links Panel to load the items channels that you want to connect to.
See also Channel Links Panel and Schematic Viewport

Load Driver: Load Driver is an option in the Channel Links Panel to load the items channels that you want to connect from.
See also Channel Links Panel and Schematic Viewport

Linear Curve: A Linear Curve is curve with only 2 points, which will be represented as a strait line.
See also Curves and Intersect Line: Linear Curve

M

Material Mode: Material Mode is a pseudo component mode that allows you to select modify polygons based on which Materials are assigned to them.
See also Vertex Mode, Polygon Mode and Edge Mode

Mesh: A Mesh is an item that consists of points, polygon and/or curves.
See also Vertex, Edge, Polygon and Item

Mesh Channel: The Mesh Channel is a read only channel that stores all of the mesh data for a mesh item.
See also Channels

Modifier: A Modifier is a tool that take channels as input, performs some kind of operation then outputs new channel values that can be connected to other items for specific effects. Constraints are a type of Channel Modifier, as is IK.
See also Channel Modifiers, Constraints, Inverse Kinematics and Channels

Matrix: A Matrix is a mathematical term for a collection of numbers that are listed in a way that in 3D graphics describe an items position, rotation, scale and shear.

Matrix Channel: The Matrix Channel is used for items to input or output a Matrixes. A typical use of this would be to get an items "World Position" and connect that with a Position Constraint as both of those are Matrix Channels.
See also Constraints and Schematic Viewport

Matrix Channel Effect: The Matrix Channel Effect is a special modifier that allows for the output of certain constraints to be weighted. This is how you would tell a Direction Constraint to only rotate in the Y axis for instance.
See also Direction Constraint and Modifiers

Minimum Value: The Minimum Value option is to prevent a User Channel from ever outputting a value below the value set.
See also User Channels

Maximum Value: The Maximum Value option is to prevent a User Channel from ever outputting a value above the value set.
See also User Channels

MDD Deformer: The MDD Deformer reads in MDD (or Motion Designer Document) files that allow for recording deforming animation from another application and apply it to a mesh in modo.
See also Deform, Morph Deformer and Weight Map Deformer

Morph: A Morph is when you modify a mesh and save that adjustment so it can be recalled later. Morphing between these stored shapes has often been used to create facial animation.
See also Morph Deformer

Morph Deformer: The Morph Deformer takes stored morph poses and allows you to blend them on and off over time on the target mesh.
See also Deform, MDD Deformer and Weight Map Deformer

Mirror: To Mirror something is to take the items (or components) from one side of an axis and duplicate them to the other. An example would be if you set up locators for the left side of something you could Mirror it to the right side.
See also Duplicate and Instance

Measure Angle: The Measure Angle channel modifier takes 3 items as input and will determine the real world angle between Item A, Item B to Item C.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Measure Distance: The Measure Distance channel modifier takes 2 items as input and determines the real world distance between them.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Matrix Blend: The Matrix Blend channel modifier takes two matrix channel inputs and output a user defined blend between them.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Matrix Compose: The Matrix Compose channel modifier takes parts of different matrix channels inputs and combines them as output.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Matrix Vector: The Matrix Vector channel modifier will take an input matrix channel and output a direction vector that represents the input matrix channel.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Add: The Math - Add channel modifier adds the two input values together and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Average: The Math - Average channel modifier will take the input values, find their average value and output the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Divide: The Math - Divide channel modifier divides the first input by the second and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Maximum: The Math - Maximum channel modifier outputs which ever of its two inputs value is higher.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Minimum: The Math - Minimum channel modifier outputs which ever of its two inputs value is higher.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Modulo: The Math - Modulo channel modifier takes an input value and then outputs a values within a range specified, once the input values extends past this range the output will reset and start over until it hits the range limit and reset again if required.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Multiply: The Math - Multiply channel modifier multiplies the two input values together and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport
Math - Subtract: The Math - Subtract channel modifier subtracts the second input value from the first and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math- Absolute: The Math - Absolute channel modifier takes an input value and outputs a positive result no matter what the input channel's value is.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Ceiling: The Math - Ceiling channel modifier takes an input value and always rounds up any floating point value to the nearest whole number
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Exp: The Math - Exp channel modifier takes an input value and outputs values based on an exponential curve.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Floor: The Math - Floor channel modifier takes an input value and always rounds down any floating point value to the nearest whole number
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Log: The Math - Log channel modifier takes an input value and outputs values based on a logarithmic curve.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Log10: The Math - Log10 channel modifier takes an input value and outputs values based on a logarithmic 10 curve.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Power: The Math - Power channel modifier takes an input value and multiplies it by itself the number of times set in the power value, then outputs that value.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math - Square Root: The Math - Square Root channel modifier takes an input value and outputs the square root of that value.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Add: The Math - Add channel modifier adds all of the input values together and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Average: The Math - Average channel modifier will take all the input values, find their average value and output the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Divide: The Math - Divide channel modifier will take all the input values, and divide them in the order they were attached and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Maximum: The Math - Maximum channel modifier outputs which ever of all its inputs value is highest.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Minimum: The Math - Minimum channel modifier outputs which ever of ail its inputs value is lowest.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Multiply: The Math - Multiply channel modifier multiplies all of the input values together and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Math Multiple - Subtract: The Math - Subtract channel modifier will take all the input values, and subtracts them in the order they were attached and outputs the result.
See also Channel Modifiers and Schematic Viewport

Morphing UI: Morphing UI is the term used to describe how modo's Editors and UI will adjust as the space allocated to them changes. An example of this is when you take the bottom of the item list and rag it upward the Item List will change how it shows you the items to account for the lack of space.

N

Non-Affine: Non-Affine is a term that in 3D graphics means "Non Rigid" or "Deforming" transformation.
See also Affine and Deform

Norgie: A Norgie is what the little arrows are called that allow you to expand or collapse hierarchies in the item list (and other editors)
See also Hierarchies and Item List

Normal: A Normal is a mathematical representation of a direction. In modo polygons, edges and vertexes have "Normals" or directions that can be used by other functions or for the user to see how the mesh components are oriented.
See also Geometry Constraint: Normal

O

Object: An Object in modo usually refers to a mesh item, but it can also be used to describe other item types as well, such as Cameras and Lights.
See also Items, Mesh Items and Locators

P

Pitch: Heading is a legacy 3D term for a X Axis rotation (in an Y Up universe, which is the default). It's also an aviation term for if a plane is pointing up or down.
See also Heading and Bank

Path: A Path is another term for a curve in modo.
See also Path Constraint - Path

Pi: Pi (3.1415) is a mathematical term used for figuring out the circumference of a circle among other things.
See also Radius.

Properties Panel: The Properties panel presents the user with a more organized (and sometimes limited) view of the channels used to affect the selected item.
See also Channels, Items and Channel List

Pivot: A Pivot in modo is a point on a mesh item that can be interactively placed and animated over time to designate the point which modo will move, rotate or scale and item from.
See also Centers

Pivot Mode: Pivot Mode allows you to select one or multiple Pivots and manipulate them in 3D space.
See also Center Mode

Pivot to Bounding Box: Pivot Selected is a series of commands that allows you to move the selected item's Pivot its own bounding box in one or all primary axis.
See also Bounding Box

Parent: A Parent is what you call any item that has items parented under it (called children).
See also Child and Hierarchy

Percentage Channel: A Percentage Channel is any channel where its values are displayed as a percentage. An example would be a value of .1 would be displayed as 10%, and a value of 1 would be displayed as 100%.
See also User Channels

Preferences: Preferences are where modo allows the user to change all of the universal settings that modo allows you to adjust.

Path Constraint - Normal: The Path Constraint - Normal will take an item and align it to the target curve based on a 0 to 1 (beginning to end) value that can be animated to orient the item to match along the curve.
See also Constraints and Curves

Path Constraint - Path: The Path Constraint - Path will take an item and align it and place it on the target curve based on a 0 to 1 (beginning to end) value that can be animated to move and rotate the item along the curve.
See also Constraints and Curves

Path Constraint - Position: The Path Constraint - Position will take an item and place it on the target curve based on a 0 to 1 (beginning to end) value that can be animated to move the item along the curve.
See also Constraints and Curves

Polygon: A Polygon (also known as a Face) is made up of vertexes and edges to make a flat surface.
See also Edge and Vertex

Point: A Point is the legacy term for a Vertex which defines edges and polygon boundaries.
See also Polygon, Edge and Vertex

Polygon Mode: Polygon Mode is one of the 3 Component Modes allowing you select and edit polygons directly.
See also Edge Mode and Component Mode

Polygon Position: The Polygon Position Constraint allows you to attach an item's position to the center of the target polygon.
See also Constraints, Vertex Position and Edge Position

Polygon Normal: The Polygon Normal Constraint allows you to attach an item's orientation to match the orientation of the target polygon.
See also Constraints, Normal, Vertex Normal and Edge Normal.

Pick Walking: Pick Walking is the ability to use the keypad arrow keys to move from one selected item to another in a predefined way without regard to item parenting.
See also Hierarchy, Assembly Subtab and Item

Pre Behavior: The Pre Behavior is how an animated curve will look like before the first defined key frame.
See also Graph Editor, Timeline and Key Frames

Post Behavior: The Post Behavior is how an animated curve will look like after the last defined key frame.
See also Graph Editor, Timeline and Key Frames

Position Constraint: The Position Constraint will take an item and match it to the target item's world position.
See also Rotation Constraint, Scale Constraint, Constraints and Channel Modifiers

Q

Quit: Quit is a function for turning off (exiting) modo. (I also desperately needed at least one entry for "Q" here in the glossary ;)
See also Bloopers

R

Radian: A Radian is a mathematical term that describes the rotation around circle. 1 Radian is equal to 180 degrees.
See also Pi

Radius: The Radius is a mathematical term that describes the distance from the center of a circle to the closest point in the circle's edge.
See also Pi

Roll: Roll is 3D term for a Z Axis rotation (in an Y Up universe, which is the default) and it is used for rotating along a Distance Constraint's and Path Constraint's direction axis.
See also Direction Constraint and Path Constraint

Rig Control Item: A Rig Control Item is a Assembly Preset created in the Tutorial section to allow for the use of an items manipulators values to control other aspects of a rig.
See also Rig and Assembly Preset

Rig: Rig is a generic term that means to take a complicated action and create a simplified control for it. It can be a simple as making a light point at something or as complex as a complete vehicle or articulated character.

Resetting: Resetting a value will take whatever value is currently input and change it back to its default value setting.
See also Default Value, Freezing (Values) and Zeroing

RGB: RGB stand for Red Green and Blue, the basic building blocks for displaying any color in computer graphics.

RGBA: RGBA stand for Red Green Blue and Alpha, the basic building blocks for displaying any color and transparency in computer graphics.

Revolve: The Revolve channel modifier allows you to take and item's input and output a correct rotation value for a wheel as that item is moved through space. This is how car wheels are done, and even treaded vehicles if used with a combined Path Constraint.
See also Channel Modifiers, Matrix Channel and Path Constraint - Path

Rotation Constraint: The Position Constraint will take an item and match it to the target item's world position.
See also Rotation Constraint, Scale Constraint, Constraints and Channel Modifiers

S

Setup Tab: The Setup Tab is the primary workspace in the modo UI for rigging.

Script: A Script is a set of commands, saved in a file, that modo can load and run to perform specific operations. Scripts and Scripting are not covered in this training course, however, in the modo help menu there is a link to modo's scripting guide.

Space: A Space is a slang term that describes the position, orientation and scale of and item. An example is a child item is offset relative to its parent's "space".
See also Hierarchy, Parent and Child

Spline: Spline is another name for Curve. A curve item or animation curve can be also called a spline as well.
See also Curve and Spline Tangent

Spline Tangent: A Spline Tangent, or Spline Handle, is a a control that extends to the left and right of a control knot or keyframe. This handle gives the user the ability to adjust how the spline angles into and out of the knot.
See also Graph Editor and Bezier Curve

String Channel: A String Channel is a channel that contains alpha numeric characters, letters and numbers that are all considered "Text".
See also User Channels

Scale Constraint: The Scale Constraint will take an item and match it to the target item's world scale.
See also Rotation Constraint, Position Constraint, Constraints and Channel Modifiers

Size: Size is another term for Scale or how big an element is in the scene.
See also Transform

Scalar: A Scalar is a data type that holds only a single value.
See also Vector and Matrix

Schematic Viewport: The Schematic Viewport is modo's editor way for displaying and making channel connections.
See also Channel Modifiers, Channels and Channel Links Panel

Simple Kinematics: Simple Kinematics is a channel modifier that can make an item move like a simple projectile.
See also Channel Modifiers

Subdivision Weight: The Subdivision Weight is a special weight map that allows the user to tighten the edges of a subdivision surface by varying amounts.
See also Subdivision Surface and Weight Map

Subdivision Surface: A Subdivision Surface is a mesh type that takes a polygonal mesh and "smooths" it out. The original polygons still persist allowing for the smooth shape to be modified by moving the "cage" points, edges and polygons.
See also Subdivision Weight

Scene: A Scene is another name for the file that you load and save from disk that contains all your 3D data.

Slope: Slope refers to options in the Graph Editor for control how an animation curve flows into or out of a key frame.
See also Graph Editor, Spline Tangents and Key Frames

Stepped: Stepped refers to an option in the Graph Editor that forces the value of an animation curve to stay at the previous key frame's value until it reaches a new key frame. Then it will take that keyframe's value until it reaches another keyframe, and so on.
See also Graph Editor, Spline Tangents and Key Frames

Seconds: Seconds are units as measured by the actual passage of time and are not variable.
See also Frames and Time Line

T

Transform: Transform describes both an action and the placement of an item 3D space that can consist of one or all these primary transformations: Position, Rotation and Scale
See also Transform Item

Transform Item: A Transform Item is an item that contains either Position, Rotation or Scale and get added to any primary item (like a locator or mesh, etc..) to allow for it to be moved in 3D space. You can have more than one Transform Item of the same type as well, allowing for some complex parenting type behaviors on a single primary item.
See also Channels and Transform

Text: Text is just well, text, letters and numbers you can type on your keyboard into any input field in modo.
See also String Channel.

Transport Controls: The Transport Controls are the play, skip frame, skip to end, buttons under the Time Line that allow you to view an animation in the 3D view.
See also Time Line, Graph Editor and Key Frames

Thumb: The Thumb is the little cycle in the top left of each viewport in modo. You can detach a viewport by clicking and dragging the tub inward or duplicate the editor by Ctrl+clicking and dragging it.
See also Viewport

Time (channel modifier): The Time channel modifier outputs the current time in both Seconds and Frames for use with other channel modifiers.
See also Channel Modifiers, Time Line, Seconds and Frames

Time Line: The Time Line is the long horizontal viewport at the bottom of the Setup Tab that shows you a length of time in Frames. You can adjust this view to show the entire animation time or trim it to only show you a part of the total running time.
See also Setup Tab, Dope Sheet, Key Frame, Seconds, Frames and Transport Controls

Trigonometry - Cos(ine): The Trigonometry: Cos channel modifiers outputs the cosine equivalent of the input channel.
See also Channel Modifiers

Trigonometry - Sin(e): The Trigonometry: Sine channel modifiers outputs the sine equivalent of the input channel.
See also Channel Modifiers

Trigonometry - Tan(gent): The Trigonometry: Tan channel modifiers outputs the tangent equivalent of the input channel.
See also Channel Modifiers

Transform Constraint - Position: A Transform Constraint: Position is a channel modifier that allows to you tell one item to move to another item's world position.
See also Constraints, Compensation and Channel Modifiers

Transform Constraint - Rotation: A Transform Constraint: Rotation is a channel modifier that allows to you tell one item to follow another item's world rotation.
See also Constraints, Compensation and Channel Modifiers

Transform Constraint - Scale: A Transform Constraint: Scale is a channel modifier that allows to you tell one item to match another item's world scale.
See also Constraints, Compensation and Channel Modifiers

U

Up Vector: An Up Vector is an item that determines IK's and certain constraint's twist and/or roll direction.
See also Constraints, Compensation and Channel Modifiers

User Channel: A User Channel is a channel created by the user and can be attached to any item in the system. There are several types of user channels and they are primarily used to control various aspects of the rigging process.
See also Channels, Angle Channel, Float Channel, Boolean Channel, Distance Channel, Integer Channel and Scalar

Utility Command: The Utility Command field lives in the Assembly Subtab and is where you enter special commands for creating special rigging UI.
See also Assembly Subtab

Units: Units are the type of measurements that are used in modo. By default this is set to SI (or metric) but you can also use English (feet and inches) and others. Modo is smart enough to allow you to input any type of unit and it will convert it to the current Units setting.
See also Preferences

V

Vector: A Vector is a mathematical expression that is described as series numbers like (0,0,0) or for color (255,0,128) or as color with transparency (255,128,128,0) etc.
See also User Channels, RGB, RGBA and Channels.

Vertex Map List: The Vertex Map List is an editor for managing all of the different vertex map types that modo supports (Weight Map, Morph Maps and UV Maps)

Vector Maths - Add: The Vector Maths: Add is a channel modifier that allows you to add two vectors together.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - Cross Product: The Vector Maths: Cross Product is a channel modifier that derives the cross product between two vectors.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - Dot Product: The Vector Maths: Dot Product is a channel modifier that derives the dot product between two vectors.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - Subtract: The Vector Maths: Subtract is a channel modifier that allows you to subtract two vectors.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - None: The Vector Maths: None is a channel modifier that allows you to pass vector data through unchanged.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - Normalize: The Vector Maths: Normalize is a channel modifier that normalizes the input vector to give it a magnitude of 1.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vector Maths - Set Length: The Vector Maths: Set Length is a channel modifier that takes the input vector to give it a user defined magnitude.
See also Channel Modifiers

Vertex: A Vertex (also know as a point) is the smallest component in creating 3D meshes of any type.
See also Polygon, Edge and Component Mode

Vertex Position: The Vertex Position Constraint allows you to attach an item's position to the center of the target vertex.
See also Constraints, Polygon Position and Edge Position

Vertex Normal: The Vertex Normal Constraint allows you to attach an item's orientation to match the orientation of the target vertex.
See also Constraints, Normal, Polygon Normal and Edge Normal

Viewport: A Viewport is a key modo UI construct as every editor, tool or panel in modo are actually Viewports and they can all be adjusted in the same ways.
See also Morphing UI

W

Work Plan e: The Work Plane is a modo tool for allows you to model and work in a different space than the default world grid.
See also Space and Grid

Workspace: The Workspace is the main canvas for seeing nodes and making connections in the Schematic Viewport.
See also Channel Links and Channels
Wire (as in to connect): To "Wire" a connection is slang for making a connection from one channel to another in the Schematic Viewport.
See also Schematic Viewport

Wireframe: Wireframe is a draw style for mesh items that shows just the connecting edges and points but no polygon faces.
See also Vertex, Edge and Polygon

World: The World as in World Position, World Rotation and World Scale describes the transform of an item relative to the center of the grid regardless of any parenting.
See Constraints, Parent, Child and Hierarchy

Weight Map: A Weight Map is a collection of vertexes that have a value assigned to them. These values are usually from 0 to 1 and allow for non rigid deformation effects.
See also Deform, Affine, Non-Affine and Vertex Map List

Weight Map Deformer: The Weight Map Deformer allows for a locator to drive a deformation based on a specified weight map.
See also Deform, Morph Deformer and MDD Deformer.

X

X Axis: The X Axis is the Left to Right direction in modo (In a Y up universe which is the default)

Y

Y Axis: The Y Axis is the Up and Down direction in modo (In a Y up universe which is the default)

Z

Z Axis: The Z Axis is the Forward to Backward direction in modo (In a Y up universe which is the default)

Zeroing: Zeroing in the properties panel takes the selected transform channels and sets them to zero. To do this without affecting how the item in question placed in space modo will add a new transform item with the previous values in the channel list.
See also Reset, Freeze, Transform Items, Space, Channel List and Properties Panel

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