- Select Maps
> Extract Texture Maps > New Operation.
The Extract
Texture Maps window appears. For a complete description
of all of the extraction properties see
Extract Texture Maps properties.
- Select Normal Map, Displacement
Map, or both in the Maps to Generate list.
- Specify the low resolution target model
by selecting it within the 3D View, then
click Add Selected.
The target model name
appears in the Target Model list.
NoteIf the default base
mesh for the target model (subdivision level = 0) is not the subdivision
level you want the map produced for, you can specify a different
subdivision level for the target model by selecting it from the
level drop-down list located to the right of the target model name.
- Specify the high resolution source model(s)
you want to sample by selecting it in the 3D View,
then click Add Selected.
The source model name(s)
appears in the Source Models list. If an incorrect
item appears in the list, select the item and click Remove.
NoteEnsure you select
the subdivision level you want the map produced from using the level
drop-down list next to the source model name.
- Specify the Method used
for the extraction (Ray Casting or Subdivision). For
more information on when to use each method, see
Method.
- Enter a Search Distance value
for the extraction.
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. You can select the Best
Guess option if you are unsure.
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). You may
need to experiment with the
Search Distance value
to get best results. See
Troubleshoot texture extraction.
- Click the folder icon beside Base
File Name to open the Save As options.
- In the Save As options,
do the following:
- enter a file name
This name is used as
a prefix for the file name of each texture output.
- Select an appropriate file format from
the Save as type drop-down menu (which
also specifies the Bits per Channel for the output
texture(s)),.
- Click Save.
For more information,
see
Image bit depth and texture extraction.
- To preview how the map appears on your
target model, ensure that the Preview As Normal Map or Preview
as Bump Map setting is turned on.
NotePreviewing an extracted
normal map on your low resolution model lets you determine whether
or not the normal map extraction is correct before exporting it
to another 3D application.
- Click Extract to
begin the texture map extraction.
A progress indicator
appears during the extraction process.
NoteMudbox supports the
extraction of displacement maps on models with UVs that exist outside
the 0 to 1 range. Each UV tile is extracted as a separate image
file and saved to the extracted files directory. These files use
the naming convention: <filename>_u1_v1_g1.tiff where
the U and V flags indicate the UV tile coordinates, and g indicates
the gain value for displacement.
If the texture extraction
process fails to produce a map, or the map produced doesn’t meet
your expectations, see
Troubleshoot texture extraction.
Note Remember to set
the subdivision level appropriately so the normal map preview accurately
reflects how it will appear when applied. Failing to do so will cause
the model to appear with both the high resolution sculpting and
the normal map effects which may not be desirable. For example,
you can apply the normal map to the base level of the target model
so it represents the sculpting on higher subdivision levels. Another
workflow may require that the model be subdivided once or twice
before sculpting and require the normal map to be applied at a subdivision
level other than the base level.