Mudbox takes advantage of your computer’s CPU speed, RAM, and graphics card memory to let you work with extremely high resolution polygonal models and produce high quality rendering and visual effects in real time.
The following tables describe areas where you can optimize memory usage to achieve optimal performance when using Mudbox.
Task | Ways to optimize memory and performance |
---|---|
Importing polygonal models from other 3D modeling and sculpting applications (CPU performance) |
Mudbox has proprietary features for optimizing the display and interactive performance when working with high resolution models. These features work best when the imported model has a low polygon count. If you want optimal system performance when importing a model from another sculpting application such as ZBrush, see Import a model from ZBrush. In addition, the interactive performance (tumble, track, and dolly interactivity) degrades as the model becomes increasingly complex. |
Working with multiple models (CPU performance) |
Dramatically increasing the number of meshes (and materials) in the 3D View will degrade the overall interactive performance. You can combine separate meshes into one model in your 3D modeling application prior to export as an .obj file. The combined model will be assigned one material in Mudbox. Keep in mind that the separate model components should have their UVs laid out so they are separated in UV space and non-overlapping prior to being combined and exported to Mudbox. |
Subdivision models (RAM) |
The number of subdivision levels on a model directly affects the number of polygon faces and how much RAM is required. Unnecessarily subdividing a model to a very high polygon count rapidly consumes RAM and limits your ability to add sculpt layers and perform other work on the model. |
Sculpting on layers (RAM) |
The number and relative complexity of sculpt layers, in relation to their associated subdivision level, has an impact on the amount of RAM required. A sculpt layer uses very little memory until sculpting gets applied to it. The more vertices modified on a sculpt layer, the more RAM required. A sculpt layer on a higher subdivision level (when many vertices are modified) requires more RAM than a comparable sculpt layer on a lower subdivision level because fewer vertices are impacted. For example, using the Flood operation on a sculpt layer affects all the vertex positions on the entire layer, so it would increase the amount of RAM required to store that information. |
Increasing the size of a sculpt tool (CPU performance) |
The size of a sculpt tool affects interactive performance especially when sculpting on dense models at higher subdivision levels. In these situations, a large sculpt tool may need to update the position of several hundred thousand polygons as you stroke. A more efficient approach is to apply large sculpt strokes (to make coarse adjustments to the model) at lower subdivision levels where the interactive performance is improved. |
Subdividing UV texture coordinates (RAM) |
UVs are required when painting, extracting texture maps, or applying texture and displacement maps to a model. UVs increase the overall RAM requirements for a model and can be imported after your sculpting is complete using File > Import UV. By default, UVs are not subdivided when the model is subdivided. Mudbox only subdivides the UVs when the Mesh > Add New Subdivision Level > Subdivide UVs option is on. If you need to subdivide the UVs for a particular subdivision level, use the Page Up or Page Down keys to display that level and select Mesh > Recreate Level UVs. |
Organizing stamps and stencils (RAM) |
The stamp and stencil tray contents are loaded into RAM when Mudbox is launched. Reducing the number of stencils and stamps stored on the trays reduces RAM requirements. |
Other software applications (RAM) |
If any RAM-intensive software applications are running on your computer they can reduce the amount of available memory when running Mudbox. Exit any applications you do not currently require. |
Mudbox takes advantage of the graphics processing unit of your computer's graphics card to produce high quality rendering and visual effects in real time.
In general, performance issues related to reduced graphics card (GPU) memory include slower display updates, display of black texture maps, and slower interactive performance.
Using all of the described graphics-related features simultaneously can overload even the most powerful computer graphics card. Consider the impact of the following items on GPU memory usage (in relation to your particular workflow) so you can obtain optimal performance from your computer hardware when using Mudbox.