when I shoot, nobody gets hurt [beta]

modo gets the daylights kicked out of it (and the studio lights kicked in)
Recently, I saw my favorite 3D imaging tool get an INCREDIBLE boost. I woke up to another fantastic webinar from the modo User Group. (the full recording of the webinar is there) Well, I knew that Yazan Malkosh was going to introduce a new preset kit for modo401, but I had no idea what I was about to see. He calmly announces the Studio Lighting & Illumination Kit, or "SLiK". WOW. This COMPLETELY changes Luxology's modo as a photographic tool. Have a look at this screenshot from the webinar: (click for full size)

WOWOWOWOW!!!!

When I saw this, I literally cried. (you can actually hear me gushing like a fan-boi in the webinar) I suddenly felt modo go from useful tool to familiar friend. This SLi Kit allows you to drag preset lights into modo and move them around and visualize them like REAL f*cking lights! All the controls are there right in front of the light. No need to dig through the shader tree and the items list to adjust them. Control reflectors, color, shape... EVERYTHING! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. Then, get this - you can create HDR Environment presets with the lighting scenes you create. OMFG! I had no idea modo could even be taken to this level. And by a third party, no less! In only TWO months of development!! I am so incredibly thrilled, I can't contain myself.

Here's Yazan's render of the lights in this kit. Makes me cry.

Studio and Lighting Illumination Kit SLIK
The Light and Tripod Assemblies. Look at the Pantographs! They hang from a ceiling grid!
SLIK_Items
And the presets. In actual use, if you click on the info button, there's a lighting diagram for each one.
SLIK_Presets
Congrats to Yazan Malkosh of 9b Studios. Thank you.

And here's the webinar in HD. And here's the Q&A Session in HD It's over an hour long, but worth it, modonauts. Thanks to Jim Berton and Geoff Swartz at modousergroup.com for hosting it!