- 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 options.
- Specify the low resolution (target) model
by selecting it within the 3D View,
then click Use Selected.
The target model name
appears in the Target Model field.
NoteThe target model
is the model that receives the extracted map. If 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.
When extracting ambient occlusion maps, the currently active subdivision
level is used on the target model. If a different subdivision level
is required, you must step up or step down to that subdivision level
using the Page Up or Page Down keys.
- 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, simply select the item and click Remove.
NoteThe source model
is the model from which the sculpted detail is derived. If the current
subdivision level displayed beside the source model name is not
the subdivision level you want the map produced from, you can specify
a different subdivision level by selecting it from the level drop-down
list located to the right of the source model name. When extracting ambient
occlusion maps the feature automatically takes into account all
of the visible objects in the scene as being source models. This
is why no source options exist for this extraction type.
- Specify the Locate Method used
for the extraction (Raycasting or Subdivision).
For more information on when to use each method, see Extract Texture Maps properties.
- Enter a Search Distance for
the extraction by entering a value.
The Search
Distance is a physical measurement that determines how
far the texture extraction feature will search to find any 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
- Specify the Image Size for
output.
The Image
Size determines the resolution of the image map and of
the surface sampling between the source and target models.
- Click the folder icon beside Base
File Name and enter a file name Save
As window that appears.
This name is used as
a prefix for the file name of each texture output.
- To see how the normal map appears on
your target model, ensure that the Preview As Paint Layer 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.
- In the Save As window,
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)), and click Save.
For more information,
see
Image bit depth and texture extraction.
- 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.