The Mudbox QuickStart tutorial is structured in a step-by-step format to assist you in quickly getting started with the basic features of Mudbox. Depending on your experience with other 3D applications the Quickstart tutorial may take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete and covers the following areas:
- Starting Mudbox
- Navigating the 3D view
- Creating a polygonal mesh
- Sculpting a mesh
- Sudividing a mesh
- Using Layers
- Using Stencils
- Saving your work
Note: Beyond the QuickStart tutorial you can refer to the User Guide, Reference, and Tutorials sections of the Mudbox Help.
Starting Mudbox
Do one of the following:
- Double-click the Mudbox icon on your desktop.
- From the Windows Start menu, select Programs > Autodesk > Mudbox 1.0 > Mudbox 1.0.
Navigating the 3D view
In Mudbox, you must be able to view and sculpt your 3D model from many points of view while working in the 3D View. Navigating the camera within the 3D view is the first skill you must master. Mudbox uses a three-button mouse configuration for camera actions similar to Autodesk® Maya®.
| Camera Action | Hotkeys | Action/Results |
| Tumble | Alt + LMB | Drag the mouse in any direction in the 3D view while pressing the Alt key and the left-mouse button. The camera rotates (tumbles) about its center of interest in the 3D view. |
| Track | Alt + MMB | Drag the mouse in a sideways motion in the 3D view while pressing Alt key and the middle mouse button. The camera moves (tracks) sideways or up and down in the 3D view. |
| Dolly | Alt + RMB | Drag the mouse in a sideways motion in the 3D view while pressing the Alt key and the right mouse button. The camera will move (dolly) towards or away from its center of interest in the 3D view. Note: For Maya users used to dollying using the left and middle mouse buttons, this key combination is also supported. |
While it is possible to sculpt a mesh in Mudbox using a standard three-button mouse, it is recommended that you use a Wacom® tablet and pen in order to take full advantage of the sculpting functionality in Mudbox. You'll need to configure the upper and lower side switches on your pen so it acts in a manner similar to the right and middle buttons on the mouse. For more information on configuring a Wacom® tablet and pen for use with Mudbox see Tablet Setup.
Creating a polygonal mesh
For this lesson, you sculpt a polygonal sphere you create in Mudbox.
- From the main menu, select Create > Mesh > Sphere. A polygonal sphere appears in the 3D View.
- Using the Hotkeys described in Navigating the 3D view, tumble, track, and dolly the camera so you become familiar with these features.
Note: You open or import your own polygonal meshes from other 3D applications using either the File > Open or File > Import menu items. These files must be in .obj format.
Sculpting a mesh
In Mudbox you sculpt a mesh using sculpting brushes. You select sculpting brushes from the Tool Trays located at the bottom of the 3D view.
- Click the tab on the tool tray titled Sculpting Tools to display the sculpting brushes.
- In the Sculpting Tools tray, select the Soft Brush.
- In the 3D view, position the cursor over the sphere mesh, press your left-mouse button, and then drag the cursor across the surface of the sphere for one short stroke. The vertices on the mesh are moved slightly outwards in relation to the mesh in the regions affected by your sculpt stroke.
- Press the Ctrl key, and perform another sculpting stroke on the sphere. This time the affected vertices are moved inwards in relation to the mesh in the regions you sculpted.
Clicking on a brush icon in the tray causes its Properties to be displayed in the Properties window on the right side of the Mudbox user interface. You can change a brush's size and strength in the Properties window, or use the following hotkeys.
| Property | Hotkeys | Action/Results |
| Brush Size | b | Press the b key, then drag in the 3D view while pressing the left-mouse button (or equivalent function button on the Wacom tablet and pen). The circle surrounding the cursor changes size depending on the direction you drag your mouse/pen to indicate the region of influence of the sculpting brush. |
| Brush Strength | m | Press the m key, then drag in the 3D view while pressing the left-mouse button (or equivalent function button with the Wacom tablet and pen). The vertical line above the cursor changes length depending on the direction you drag your mouse/pen to indicate the change in brush strength. |
Subdividing a mesh
You can add more polygon faces to a mesh by subdividing it. Subdividing a mesh divides each face on the mesh into many smaller faces. For example, every four-sided polygon face on the mesh will be divided into four smaller faces, and so on. Adding faces in this way, also referred to as increasing the resolution of the mesh, lets you sculpt finer details onto the mesh.
Note: The Status Bar at the lower right of the Mudbox user interface displays useful information including the number of Visible Polys that are currently displayed in the 3D view.
- From the main menu, select Mesh > Subdivide to increase the resolution of the sphere. This new subdivided version of the mesh is saved on a subdivision level called level_1.
- Press the w key to toggle the display between shaded and wireframe display mode so you can view the new faces that have been added to the mesh.
You can can determine how many levels the Sphere currently has (as well as information about those levels) by viewing the Object List.
- To view the Object List, click the tab titled Object List in the upper-right area of the Mudbox user-interface.
- Click the + symbol beside the Sphere item to expand the list. Notice that the Sphere has two levels, 0 and 1. Currently, the active level is level_1.
- Resize the active Soft Brush, and sculpt on the Sphere to see how the higher resolution mesh lets you add fine detail.
By default, only one subdivision level can be sculpted on at a time. To sculpt on level_0 again you will need to Step Down from level_1 to level_0 (the lower resolution version of the mesh).
- Press the Page Down key to display the original subdivision level you started with.
The following hotkeys are useful for managing your subdivision levels.
| To: | Press Hotkeys | Results |
| Subdivide the mesh | Shift + d | Selected mesh is subdivided and an additional subdivision level is added to mesh. (Ensure that the mesh you want to subdivide is selected or that the cursor is on top of the mesh before you subdivide) |
| Step up one level | Page Up | Displays the next densest level on the selected mesh. |
| Step down one level | Page Down | Displays the next coarsest level on the selected mesh. |
Using Layers
Mudbox lets you store your sculpted detail on one or more 3D Layers. Layers let you non-destructively blend sculpted detail between layers and discretely control features. You view and manage layers using the Layer Manager.
- To view the Layers manager, click the tab titled Layers in the upper-right area of the Mudbox user-interface.
- To create a new layer click the > item in the Layers manager and choose New Layer from the list.
A new layer titled Layer_0 is created. Layer_0 is now the active layer and everything you sculpt from now on will be stored separately on this layer until you select another layer.
- In the 3D view, sculpt on the Sphere while Layer_0 is selected.
- To sculpt on the original Base Layer (Sphere), click the Sphere name in the Layer manager to select it.
- Turn off the display of Layer_0 by clicking the eyeball icon beside it. The region you sculpted while Layer_0 was selected returns to its previous state.
Note: You can use the Transparency slider on a layer to fade out the sculpting that is stored on it by setting its value to zero. The Transparency slider also works as a multiplier, which means you can either amplify or invert the sculpted information on the layer by entering values over 100 or by entering negative values.
Using Stencils
Stencils let you use images to transfer interesting detail onto a mesh by using a stencil image as a template.
- Press Shift + d twice in order to subdivide the mesh a couple more times so that you can sculpt in fine detail. Some stencil effects will not appear if the mesh is at too coarse a resolution.
- In the Stencils tray, click on any thumbnail icon to make a stencil active. When you return the cursor to the 3D view a grayscale image appears.
- Using the Soft Brush, sculpt through the stencil image onto the sphere. Ensure that the sphere is positioned beneath the stencil image in the 3D view. The stencil disappears while you sculpt to let you see the region you're affecting on the mesh.
Mudbox's stencils function in a similar manner as their real world counterparts in that they protect covered areas of the model from the function of the tool. Black values in the stencil image protect the mesh, and white areas of the stencil image allow the sculpting brush to pass through.
The following hotkeys are useful for positioning stencils within the 3D view.
| To: | Press Hotkeys | Action/Results |
| Rotate the stencil | s + LMB | Press the s key, then drag in the 3D view while pressing the left-mouse button (or equivalent function button on the Wacom tablet and pen). The stencil rotates about its center pivot point. |
| Move the stencil | s + MMB | Press the s key, then drag in the 3D View while pressing the middle-mouse button. The stencil will move across the 3D view. |
| Scale the stencil | s + RMB | Press the skey, then drag in the 3D View while pressing the right-mouse buttons. The stencil will scale larger or smaller. |
- Click the Off icon in the Stencil Tray to turn off the stencil.
Note: Selecting either the stencil's icon in the Stencil Tray or the stencil object in the Object List manager will display its properties in the Properties window.
Saving your work
- Select File > Save Scene to save your digital sculpture. The file is stored as a .mud format file, the native Mudbox file format.
- Select File > Exit to exit from Mudbox.
Note: Each time you exit Mudbox, a UI.sav and Settings.sav file is automatically saved to record the most recent user interface configuration and certain workspace settings.