Model file formats

Mudbox currently supports the following file formats for storing and transferring model data.

File extension	File type	Entities supported/Uses
.mud	Native Mudbox file format	The .mud format is the Mudbox proprietary file format. Unlike an .obj format file, it can contain multiple subdivision levels, sculpt and paint layers, lights, materials, cameras, and reference painted textures. All entities created in Mudbox are stored using this format with the exception of the bitmap files associated with paint layers which are stored separately in a -files directory using the file formats specified when you create a paint layer. For a list of supported image formats, see Paint file formats and color bit depth. Use this format when storing your normal Mudbox projects.
.fbx	Autodesk FBX	FBX supports a subset of entities created in Mudbox. See also Compatibility across products using FBX. The .fbx format is useful for importing and exporting data between 3D applications that support the format, such as Autodesk® Maya^® and 3ds Max^® . For more information, see Export a Mudbox model using FBX. Use this file format when you need to transfer models, UVs, simple shading information, sculpt layers, and paint layers between 3D applications that support FBX.
.obj	Open geometry format	The .obj format supports polygon mesh data and can be useful for importing and exporting polygon models to and from other 3D applications. An OBJ represents 3D geometry only (no paint layers, shading materials, or lights) — the faces that make each polygon, the position of each vertex on a face, the UV texture coordinate associated with a vertex, and the normal at each vertex. Use this file format to import and export models and UV texture coordinates (and models into existing sculpt layers) when transferring between 3D applications that do not support FBX. OBJ also supports selection sets.

File extension

File type

Entities supported/Uses

.mud

Native Mudbox file format

The .mud format is the Mudbox proprietary file format. Unlike an .obj format file, it can contain multiple subdivision levels, sculpt and paint layers, lights, materials, cameras, and reference painted textures.

All entities created in Mudbox are stored using this format with the exception of the bitmap files associated with paint layers which are stored separately in a -files directory using the file formats specified when you create a paint layer. For a list of supported image formats, see Paint file formats and color bit depth.

Use this format when storing your normal Mudbox projects.

.fbx

Autodesk FBX

FBX supports a subset of entities created in Mudbox. See also Compatibility across products using FBX.

The .fbx format is useful for importing and exporting data between 3D applications that support the format, such as Autodesk® Maya^® and 3ds Max^® . For more information, see Export a Mudbox model using FBX.

Use this file format when you need to transfer models, UVs, simple shading information, sculpt layers, and paint layers between 3D applications that support FBX.

.obj

Open geometry format

The .obj format supports polygon mesh data and can be useful for importing and exporting polygon models to and from other 3D applications.

An OBJ represents 3D geometry only (no paint layers, shading materials, or lights) — the faces that make each polygon, the position of each vertex on a face, the UV texture coordinate associated with a vertex, and the normal at each vertex.

Use this file format to import and export models and UV texture coordinates (and models into existing sculpt layers) when transferring between 3D applications that do not support FBX. OBJ also supports selection sets.

Model file formats

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