The following describes the items located under the File menu.

New Scene

Clears the current scene and creates a new one. Mudbox prompts you to save the current scene before creating a new one when unsaved changes exist.

Open

Loads a saved scene, replacing the current scene. Supported file formats include: .mud, .obj, and .fbx.

Save Scene

Saves the current scene. Supported file formats include: .mud, .obj, and .fbx.

Save Scene As

Saves the current scene under a new name. Supported file formats include: .mud, .obj and .fbx.

Send to Maya...

Exports items from Mudbox and immediately launches Maya (if its installed on the computer) and loads the files. If the application is already running, it prompts to save current work before importing the Mudbox file. For more information, see Send files to Maya

• Send: All Meshes - Specifies that all items in the scene get exported to the receiving application.
• Send: Selected Meshes Only - Specifies that only selected items be exported. You must select those items prior to selecting the Send To feature.
• Don’t send paint layers - No paint layers get exported. The model will appear in the receiving application with the default shading material.
• Flatten the paint layers in each channel - When a paint channel contains multiple paint layers, the layers are collapsed to one layer before export. One paint layer for each channel type (Diffuse, Bump, Gloss, and so on) is exported (should they exist).
• Send paint layers separately - All paint layers that exist on a model get exported combined as a layered shading material. The appearance of paint layers in the receiving application may differ from how they originally appeared in Mudbox based on how layer blend modes are handled by each application. Normal and displacement maps cannot be combined into a layered material, so they are collapsed into one layer within their associated channel prior to export. For more information on where the paint layers are saved, see Export using FBX and FBX.
• Flatten sculpt layers before sending - Keep in mind that only the current subdivision level is exported when exporting a mesh from Mudbox. You may wish to use the Page Up or Page Down keys to display another subdivision level prior to sending to the other application. Any sculpt layers not locked to the current subdivision level are baked into the resulting mesh when it gets exported. The current subdivision level becomes the base level for the exported mesh.
• Export sculpt layers on current mesh level as blendshapes - Preserves the separate sculpt layers for export. Only sculpt layers associated with the current subdivision level are exported as blend shape/morph targets in the FBX file.

Export Screen to PSD...

Captures an image of the 3D View and saves it as a .psd file intended for subsequent use within Photoshop. The .psd file contains five layers:

• The Background layer containing an image of the 3D View’s background and camera settings that are used to replicate the camera view when the .psd file is subsequently re-imported after editing in Photoshop. The numerical string listed after the layer name records camera information to reset the camera view back to its original location at the time of capture so the stencil layer will align correctly
• The Mudbox Geometry layer contains a screen capture of your model(s) as it appeared within the 3D View. It displays a non-shaded preview (flat shaded) of the model with the assigned shading material. This layer is used to accurately composite any paint edits you make when the file is re-imported to Mudbox. This layer is locked by default and should not be modified.
• The Mudbox Texture layer is where you paint or apply any paint edits. These are applied to your model after saving the .psd file and re-importing it to Mudbox. Do not change the layer name for this layer as it will result in the import being aborted when re-importing to Mudbox.
• The Mudbox Original Texture layer contains a copy of the original paint layer(s) as it appeared from the camera’s viewpoint at the time of screen capture. This layer is used to make a comparison between the original paint layers and any edits you might make on the Mudbox Texture layer. This layer is locked by default and should not be modified.
• The Mudbox Shading layer contains a screen capture of the 3D shading of your model(s) as it appeared within the 3D View. This layer is used to accurately composite any paint edits you make when the file is re-imported to Mudbox. It’s useful to keep this layer visible for reference purposes when painting your textures in Photoshop. This layer is locked by default and should not be modified.

Higher resolution output and different aspect ratios can also be specified by entering values in the Height and Width fields. Otherwise, click Use Screen Size to export an image at the same resolution as the 3D View.

• Use 2X Screen Size - Clicking this button specifies to save the image at twice the resolution as the 3D View.
• Use 4X Screen Size - Clicking this button specifies to save the image at four times the resolution as the 3D View.
• Export to PSD... - Displays the file browser to specify a file name prior to saving the .psd file.

For a description of the associated workflow, see Create and edit paint layers using Photoshop.

Re-import from PSD...

Imports a .psd file containing layers saved from Photoshop that was previously exported using the Save Screen to PSD feature.

The Mudbox Texture layer within the .psd file is automatically projected back onto the model in the 3D View updating only the pixels that were modified compared to the original capture.

For a description of the associated workflow, see Create and edit paint layers using Photoshop.

Import

Loads an existing model stored on disk and adds it to the 3D View. Supported file formats include: .mud, .obj and .fbx.

Import As Layer

Loads an existing model stored on disk into the 3D View and stores it as a layer on the active object. You can specify whether the imported model is corresponded to the active object via Vertex IDs or by UV positions. Use Vertex IDs when the model being imported is identical to the active object. Use UV positions when there have been updates to the imported model that would not allow for a vertex ID correspondence. Delta to Base Layer imports the model to a layer ignoring all layers except the base mesh (default). When turned off, all layers including the base mesh are taken into account during the import. Supported file formats include: .mud, .obj and .fbx.

Import UV

Imports UV texture coordinates from a user-specified file and applies them to the selected model. Supported file formats include: .obj, .mud, and .fbx. The imported UVs can be corresponded on the selected model using vertex ID’s or by comparing the world space positions of the vertices on the two models.

Export Selection

Exports the currently selected items (faces, objects) on the model as a separate file. Supported file formats include .obj, .mud, and .fbx.

Recent Files

Select a file name in this list of recently opened files to open it in the 3D View.

Exit

Quits Mudbox. Mudbox prompts you to save before quitting when changes exist in the current scene.