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Engage! Expo NYCGDC 2010SXSW Interactive FestivalIEEE Virtual Reality 2010
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Jump to: Software All product reviews |
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Introduction
Mudbox is a relative newcomer to the Autodesk lineup and as such has a lot to prove. The latest release, Mudbox 2009, improves on the previous version by adding several new sculpting brushes, the ability to paint directly on the object surface and some display improvements. Other changes make the software work better with 3ds Max and Maya, but this version still leaves some room to improve.
On a positive note, the Mudbox interface is clean and simple. It accomplishes its task in a straight-forward manner without being overly complex or confusing. The focused approach is a dramatic difference from other Autodesk packages that are so full of features that they are difficult to master.
Improved Interface
Mudbox 2009 includes a handy Welcome dialog box with several short movies just like those found in 3ds Max and Maya. These short videos are helpful for new users and provide just enough information to get you started with the software. The Welcome dialog box also includes a number of base meshes that you can load as well as a list of recent files that have been opened complete with preview thumbnails.
The main interface is divided into three tabs for viewing the 3D View, a UV View and an interface for accessing an Image Browser. Images viewed in the Image Browser can quickly be added to the available Stamp or Stencil libraries.
The left panel is divided into Layers, an Object List and Viewport Filters. The Viewport Filters allow real-time interactive rendering of the current model. The trays at the bottom of the interface hold the various tools and the resource libraries, each organized into separate tabs. The Stamp and Stencil libraries have been increased with many more samples to choose from or you can always load your own custom images into these libraries.
The entire interface has been changed so you can hide specific UI elements that aren’t in use. This lets you maximize the workspace.
New Brushes
The new Foamy brush (Figure 1) is a good choice for adding form to a model. This brush builds on top of existing forms to bulk up areas. This is like adding clay to your sculpture, but it is more refined and offers better control over the placement of the material.
The new Wax brush is similar to the Foamy brush in that it lets you build upon the current form, but the difference is that the Wax brush adds material to the object in a smooth method like adding wax to the model. If you hold down the Ctrl key, you can actually remove material. Another way to remove material is with the new Scrape brush. The Scrape brush removes material by scraping it away from the form in straight striations.
Figure 1: New brushes, like the Foamy brush, make sculpting even easier. Image provided courtesy of Autodesk.
(click for a full-size image)
Another new brush is the Grab brush that lets you pull surfaces outward to give them a lip and a stronger crease along its edge. The new Flatten brush will raise all vertices to a common height causing the area to flatten out to a raised plateau.
The Repeat brush lets you choose a stamp image that is repeated regularly across the surface as you paint with the brush. It includes options to have the stroke align with the path or you can randomize the rotation, vertical or horizontal movement or scale of the repeating pattern. This lets you quickly create regularly repeating shapes following a path like a zipper or a row of beads.
The Spray brush lets you add a stamp shape across the surface. The Imprint works with stamps to place the stamp details by dragging in to set the shape scale. The Contrast brush lets you increase the amplitude of stamped details by dragging with the brush.
If a specific surface area has the details you want, you can use the Mask or Freeze brushes to hide that area from future sculpting. Overall, these new brushes, coupled with the existing brushes, give you more ways to work with your models in new and unique ways.
Texture Painting
The new Texture Painting feature (Figure 2) allows artists to paint multiple channels directly on the model surface. You can paint diffuse, bump, specular, gloss, and reflection maps with immediate feedback. All painted textures are organized into layers that work just like the Sculpt layers, which make it easy to turn different layers on and off. For each paint layer, you can specify a color, use a stamp or stencil and adjust the size and strength of the brush. There are also randomize features for the paint brushes for creating random patterns to give the model a sense of realism.
Figure 2: The Texture Painting feature lets you apply paint directly to the object surface. Image provide courtesy of Autodesk.
Within the Paint Tools palette are Paint Brush, Airbrush, Pencil and Projection tools. There are also Color Picker and Paint Erase tools. The Projection brush is used to project paint from a stamp or stencil image onto the model using screen coordinates. This also makes it possible to paint reference images directly onto the object’s surface. This works like apply a stick-on tattoo to the object surface.
On-Target Display
Mudbox 2009 has added a lot of improvements to the real-time display of objects, which it is calling On-Target Display. Using the latest OpenGL calls that are available on the more powerful video graphic cards, the display can show multiple maps on a single mesh while still maintaining the interactivity required to sculpt.
The On-Target Display features also allow multiple realistic shadows to be viewed in the scene as well as High Dynamic Range Lighting (HDRI) (Figure 3). This ability to manipulate light sources with shadows in real-time is key for sculptors that are developing form.
Figure 3: Mudbox 2009 includes support for HDRI images. Image provided courtesy of Autodesk.
The ability to interactively adjust the view of the model within the Mudbox viewport using Viewport Filters allows the display to simulate the final platform. The default filters include a Tonemapper, for adjusting image map settings; a Depth of Field filter, for focusing the camera on a specific area; and an Ambient Occlusion filter, for self lighting the model based on how objects block light.
Better Performance
One of the key improvements is that the software works faster and is more responsive than ever before. Specifically, camera manipulation and brush speed have been speeded up to work better on large models.
Better Interoperability
The biggest hope for the software once it was acquired by Autodesk was to make it work better with Max and Maya. Mudbox 2009 offers ways to match normal and displacement maps between models in Max and Maya.
The process for extracting texture maps has been simplified and made multi-threaded, so you can continue to work while this process is running in the background.
Summary
The new features included in Mudbox 2009 make the software even stronger. New sculpting brushes, coupled with the ability to paint textures, make the package a must-have for high-res modelers.
Mudbox 2009 is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows XP and Vista. You can learn more about Mudbox and other Autodesk products at www.autodesk.com.
Kelly L. Murdock is the president of Tulip Multimedia, a design firm specializing in 3d graphics. He’s written extensively on 3d graphics including books on 3ds max, Maya, LightWave and Poser.
