Common map extraction options
 
 
 

Options available in the Extract Texture Maps window depend on the map types you select in the Maps to Generate list. This topic describes options common to many map types. For properties specific to each map type, refer to links in the Maps to Generate section.

Name

Enter a name for the texture extraction settings to re-use the same operation later. The saved operation appears as an option the next time you select Maps > Extract Texture Maps.

Maps to Generate

Select the map types you want to generate. The Extract Texture Maps window displays options for each map type as you select from this list. See also Texture extraction overview.

Note

You can select multiple map types for simultaneous texture extraction.

Select from the following map types:

Transfer Paint Layers
Ambient Occlusion Map
Vector Displacement Map
Normal Map
Displacement Map

Extraction Options

Target Models

Displays the name of the model to receive the extracted map. Unless you are extracting maps in PTEX format, the target model must have UV co-ordinates.

The target model is usually the lowest subdivision level of a model with multiple subdivision levels. You can click the displayed subdivision level (next to the target model name) to select a different subdivision level from a drop-down list.

The map produced represents the difference between the target model (low resolution) and the source model(s) (high resolution).

Add All, Add Selected, Remove buttons

Add All

Click to add all models in the 3D View to the Target Models or Source Models list.

Add Selected

Click to add only selected models to the Target Models or Source Models list.

Remove

Click to remove the currently selected model(s) from Target Models or Source Models list.

Generate one map for all targets

Use this option when extracting to multiple targets if you want one map generated (for each extraction type selected) that can be shared by all target models. This is useful for conserving the number of texture maps when multiple objects share one UV tile.

ImportantWhen generating one map for multiple targets that share the same UV tile, ensure the models do not have overlapping UVs.
Generate one map for each target

Use this option when extracting to multiple targets if you want one map extracted for each individual target model. This is useful when the target models use different materials or when the UV texture coordinates occupy the same UV tile location and producing one shared map would not be possible.

Smooth Target Model

On by default. Uses a smoothed version of the target model (low resolution) for map extraction calculations. Turn off if you are extracting texture maps for games applications where a smoothed model is not used.

Smooth Target UVs

Smooths the positions of interior UVs of the target model during the texture extraction. Smooth Target UVs only smooths when the Smooth Target Model option is on.

This can be useful if your image rendering software (for example, Pixar’s RenderMan®) can smooth the UV texture coordinates on a mesh during rendering to improve the results.

Use Creases & Hard Edges

For target models with creasing or hard edge data (see Import and export objects with creasing and hard edges), lets you set how Mudbox handles the creasing information when extracting texture maps.

When on, Use Creases & Hard Edges affects the operation of other map extraction options. If you are smoothing your target mesh (Smooth Target Models is on), it ensures that the creases are maintained in the smoothed mesh. If you are using Ray Casting, it ensures that vertex normals are used to map the surface together (rather than face normals). If you are creating a normal map, it ensures that the local tangent space calculation takes the creases and edges into account, rather than interpolating smoothly over the model.

Source Models

Lists the model(s) to extract maps from. The source model (high resolution) typically contains the sculpted details to be extracted into the map(s). This model does not require UV texture coordinates.

You can click the displayed subdivision level (next to the source model name) to select a different subdivision level from a drop-down list.

Smooth Source Model

On by default. Subdivides the source model and uses the smoothed version for map extraction calculations. This option is useful for most texture extraction applications.

Method options

Method

Determines how the source and target meshes are compared during texture extraction. Select from two methods:

Ray Casting

Extracts a texture map by recording the distance (as a pixel value) between the source and target models based on sample rays cast along the surface normals of the target surface. The number of sample rays cast depends on the texture map resolution.

Use this method when extracting maps between arbitrary meshes (meshes with differing topologies), and ensure that you manually align the models as accurately as possible before extracting. Artifacts in the resulting texture map can sometimes occur (particularly with overhanging features) that require editing afterwards.

Subdivision

Extracts a texture map by recording the distance (as a pixel value) between one subdivision level and the corresponding point at a higher subdivision level on the same model. Use this method only when extracting texture maps between different subdivision levels on the same model.

The resulting texture map will contain fewer artifacts compared to the Ray Casting method, requires no setup or alignment between separate models, and performs the extraction more quickly. However, Subdivision does not capture the height differences as accurately as the Ray Casting method, particularly when vertices on the higher subdivision level have been translated off normal compared to the lower subdivision level, which can occur when using the Grab or Pinch tools.

Choose Samples

(For map extraction, available only when Method is set to Ray Casting.) Controls how the extraction process matches points on the target model to points on the source model, and determines which value to record if an extraction sample intersects the high-resolution model more than once.

For example, given a target mesh with a relatively smooth surface (shown in cross-section in blue):

And using a source mesh with a detailed, wavy surface (shown in cross-section in black):

The following sections illustrate the Choose Samples options available.

Furthest outside

Samples and finds points furthest out from the source model(s) up to the range specified by the Search Distance.

Furthest inside

Samples and finds points closest to the interior of the source model(s).

Closest or Closest to lowres mesh

Samples and finds points closest to the target model.

Search Distance

(For map extraction, available only when Method is set to Ray Casting.) Sets the maximum distance samples can travel from the target model surface in search of a corresponding point on the source model surface. Samples can travel on both sides of the target model based on the Choose Samples option.

The Search Distance is a physical measurement that determines how far Mudbox searches to find sculpted detail on the source model(s). It should be slightly larger than the distance between the maximum absolute displacement between the high resolution (source) mesh and the low resolution (target) mesh. Click Best Guess if you are unsure.

If set too small, some detail will be cut off or flattened in the resulting map. If set too large, the resulting map can have precision errors, leading to jagged edges in the map. You may need to experiment with the Search Distance value and generate several maps to find the best results. See also Troubleshoot texture extraction.

TipTo determine the distance between the source and target meshes, you can estimate the distance using the vertical line on the Sculpt tool that indicates the brush strength as a starting point. This line represents the distance the center of the tool moves the vertices in the current Mudbox units (the default is centimeters).
Best Guess

Sets the Search Distance option based on the distances of the bounding boxes for the source and target model. This option provides a useful estimate for the Search Distance provided the two surfaces are not too far apart.

Test Both Sides

(For map extraction, available only when Method is set to Ray Casting.) Off by default. so that intersections are ignored when the ray intersects a surface that is facing in the opposite direction. When on, Mudbox records ray intersections with source faces that are backfacing. This improves extraction results when a number of intersecting meshes are used as the source model.

PTEX resolution options

These extraction options appear only when you select a PTEX file type for the extracted map (using the Base File Name in the Output Options). Set these options to determine the number of texels in your final map, and how they are distributed across the mesh.

Density

Default is 0.5.

Number of Texels

Lets you enter the desired number of texture samples (texels) for the extracted map. (Default is 100 000.)

NoteNot available if Texel Distribution is set to Use PTEX Setup.
Texel Distribution

Lets you control how texels are distributed over the surface. Select from the following options:

Uniform

Applies a similar amount of resolution to all faces, independently of the face attributes, and depending on the Number of Texels amount you enter.

NoteThis method does not guarantee that all faces receive the same resolution, only that Mudbox tries to distribute resolution as uniformly as possible while matching the desired Number of Texels. Some faces may have one step higher resolution than others.
Based on Face Size

More resolution is added in areas with bigger faces in world space.

Based on UV Size

More resolution is added in areas with bigger faces in UV space.

Use PTEX Setup

(Only available when the target mesh is set up for PTEX painting - see Prepare a model for PTEX painting.) Applies the same texel distribution you defined during PTEX setup.

Image properties

Image Size

Specifies the height and width in pixels of the output map(s).

NoteA larger Image Size produces more detail in the map, but increases extraction time and file size.
Antialiasing

When on, improves the quality of the final extracted image map by applying a filter comparison between pixels in the image. Higher values increase the amount of antialiasing that occurs and the time to extract the image map. For initial test extractions, use a small Image Size value and leave the Antialiasing property turned off until you produce a final image.

Output options

Base File Name

Enter a name for the extracted map(s). To have Mudbox automatically append the target mesh name to your filename, use the wildcard characters %s.

ImportantIf you are extracting a map for multiple target meshes and Generate a map for each target is on, ensure that you use %s as part of your Base File Name. (Otherwise the map generated for each target will have the same name and overwrite the map output for the previous target.)

Click the folder icon to set save options (including file format) in the Save As window.

Note

If the model contains UVs within multiple UV tile spaces, that is, outside the 0 to 1 range, Mudbox automatically creates separate maps that correlate to each UV tile and saves to the directory you specify. For example, <basefilename>_u1_v1.bmp, <basefilename>_u2_v2.bmp, and so on.

Bits per Channel

When you select an image file type for your output map (click next to Base File Name to open the Save As options), this property indicates the color depth for the output map, based on the file type you specify.

Include Mesh Data

Only available when you select PTEX as the output format. When on (default), Mudbox also saves general data about the mesh (vertex positions, list of faces, and so on) in the output PTEX file. This can be useful if other tools in your pipeline can use this type of PTEX data, for example if you will use a PTEX viewer to inspect the output file. It is recommended that you keep this option on when extracting PTEX files.

Other extraction options

The remaining options appear below the map-specific options.

Delete this operation

Quits the texture extraction operation without outputting a map or saving any settings.

Extract

Starts the texture extraction operation using the current settings.

Close

Quits the texture extraction operation without extracting a map.

Related topics

Texture extraction overview

Extract a normal or displacement map

Extract an ambient occlusion map

Troubleshoot texture extraction