Extract Texture Maps properties

Maps to Generate

Name: Type a name for the texture extraction settings for reuse in the future. The saved settings appear in the menu’s drop-down list the next time you choose the Extract Texture Maps menu item.
Normal Map: Checking this option box specifies that a normal map is generated during the extraction process. The currently highlighted map type displays one or the other map type’s extraction options. Both the Normal Map and Displacement Map options can be selected for the texture extraction operation.
Displacement Map: Checking this option box specifies that a displacement map is generated during the extraction process. The currently highlighted map type displays one or the other map type’s extraction options. Both the Normal Map and Displacement Map options can be selected for the texture extraction operation.

Target Model

Target Model Name: Displays the name of the model to receive the extracted normal or displacement map. This model must have UV coordinates. The target model is usually the lowest subdivision level of a model with multiple subdivision levels. The final normal or displacement map produced represents the difference between the target model (low resolution) and the model(s) specified as the source model(s) (high resolution).
Use Selected: Click this button to add the name of the model you’ve selected in the 3D View to the target model name field.
Smooth Target Model: Uses a smoothed version of the target model (low resolution) for map extraction calculations. The default setting is on. If extracting texture maps for games applications where a smoothed model is not used, this option can be turned off.
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 turned on.

Source Model

Source Model Name

Displays the name of the model(s) to extract normal or displacement maps based on what is selected in the 3D View. 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.

Add All

Click this button to add the names of all of the models selected in the 3D View to the source model name field.

Add Selected

Click this button to add the names of only the currently selected models in the 3D View to the source model name field.

Remove

Click this button to remove the currently selected model name(s) from the source model name field.

Smooth Source Model

Subdivides the source model and then uses the smoothed version of the source model (high resolution model) for map extraction calculations. The default for the source model (high resolution) is on, and is useful for the majority of texture extraction applications.

Choose Samples

Determines which value to record if an extraction sample intersects the high-resolution model more than once:

Furthest outside - Samples furthest out from the source model(s) up to the range specified by the Search Distance.
Furthest inside - Samples closest to the interior of the source model(s).
Closest to Target Model - Samples closest to the target model.

Search Distance

Sets the total distance samples can travel to find the source (high resolution) model(s). Samples can travel on both sides of the target (low resolution) model based on the Choose Samples option.

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.

Image Size

Specifies the height and width in pixels of the output map(s). Preset values include: 256 x 256, 512 x 512, 1024 x 1024, 2048 x 2048, 4096 x 4096.

NoteThe larger the Image Size the more detail gets recorded in the map, at the cost of a longer extraction and larger file size.

Normal Map Output

Coordinate Space

Specifies the coordinate space for calculating normal maps. Options include:

Tangent - The coordinate space on a face defined by the normal, tangent, and the binormal.
Object - Local coordinate space for the model.
World - Coordinate space for the 3D scene.

Compatibility

When the Coordinate Space property is set to Tangent this sets how the tangent space vectors are calculated so the extracted map is compatible with other 3D applications. This setting is ignored when the Coordinate Space property is set to Object or World space. Options are:

Maya
3ds Max

Base File Name

Specifies the name for the extracted map(s) that get output. Select the format from the Save As Type drop down menu in the file browser that appears. If the target model contains UVs within multiple UV tile spaces, that is, outside the 0-1 range, Mudbox will automatically create separate maps that correlate to each UV tile. The file naming will be as follows: <mapname1>_u1_v1.tif, <mapname1>_u2_v2.tif, and so on.

Bits per Channel

Indicates the color depth for file output of normal or displacement maps based on what is specified in the Base File Name.

Displacement Map Output

Normalize to Search Distance: Remaps the results of the extraction samples into 0 to 1 color space for displacement maps whenever the Bits per Channel option is set to 8 or 16 bit. Normal maps always use -1 to 1 range.
Base File Name: Specifies the name for the extracted map(s) that get output. Select the format from the Save As Type drop down menu in the file browser that appears.

NoteIf the target 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. For example, the file naming might be as follows: <base file name1>_u1_v1.tif, <base file name1>_u2_v2.tif, and so on.
Bits per Channel: Indicates the color depth for file output of the extracted maps based on what is specified in the Base File Name.

Execution

Delete this operation: Quits the texture extraction operation without outputting a map and does not save an Extract Texture Maps setting.
Extract: Launches the texture extraction operation using the currently specified settings.
Close: Quits the texture extraction operation without extracting a map.