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Preferences window

Color

  Specifies the default colors in the user interface. Click a colored rectangle to display the Paint Tool Color window then modify the default color settings for the item.

Render

Limit Wireframe to Level

  Specifies the highest subdivision level that the Wireframe display option will update on a model. Setting this number to a lower value aids in improving the interactive performance when working with complex models. For more information, see Change the model display.

Max Texture Size

  Specifies the size limit in pixels that a texture image can be displayed in order to save memory usage. Textures larger than the specified resolution are reduced to fit.

Fast Render Scale

  Increases the interactive performance when tumbling dense models in the range of 4 million quads and higher). If you want your model to look as detailed as possible and are not concerned about performance, set Fast Render Scale to a value of 0.1. Higher values in the range of 1.0 - 2.0 allow the model to tumble much faster but fine detail appears when you zoom in very close.

Level change tolerance

  A surface sampling sensitivity setting for Fast Render Scale. A low value (0.7) indicates more surface sampling, while a higher value (3) samples the surface less often. The default setting is sufficient in most situations.

Use Texture Filtering

  Mudbox applies an anti-aliasing filter to smooth the appearance of any textures painted or applied to a model. The default setting is on. If you need to view textures without this filtering applied turn this preference off. Turning off this preference can also improve performance for the Ambient Occlusion viewport filter on older graphics cards.

Files

Generate thumbnails when saving Obj files

  Specifies that a small bitmap image of the 3D View is created whenever a file is saved. This image is subsequently displayed in the Open a file area of the Welcome window to easily identify it.

Preprocessing face count upper limit

  Imported quad models undergo a pre-processing phase when loaded into the 3D View. This setting sets the upper limit for determining the range if a model is pre-processed or not. A model with pre-processing will tumble much faster when its polygon count dense (4-100million polygons).

Preprocessing face count lower limit

  Imported quad models undergo a pre-processing phase when loaded into the 3D View. This setting sets the lower threshold limit for determining the range if a model is pre-processed or not. A model with pre-processing will tumble much faster when its polygon count is dense (4-100 million polygons).

Enable Preprocessing on Load

  Imported quad models undergo a pre-processing phase when loaded into the 3D View. A model with pre-processing will tumble much faster when its polygon count is dense (4-100 million polygons). Upper and lower face count limits can be specified. Pre-processed models will not preserve the original vertex IDs.

FBX

Export ASCII FBX

  Sets the default output file format for FBX from binary to ASCII whenever this option is turned on. The recommended FBX format is binary, but ASCII can be useful when troubleshooting.

Export Layers As Blendshapes

  By default, the selected object is exported based on its current subdivision level and any detail contained on the sculpt layers associated with that subdivision level when exporting using FBX.

  Turn this option on if you want to preserve the separate sculpt layers on the current subdivision level as individual blendshapes. This produces separate blend shape targets that can be modified in Maya/Max in a manner similar to the Layer Opacity slider within Mudbox.

Reference Textures From .MUD File

  By default, when a Mudbox scene is exported using FBX, a subdirectory titled <filename> .fbx-files is created to store any existing paint layers (textures).

  If the Mudbox scene has been previously saved and a -files subdirectory already exists, the -files directory can be referenced instead.

  Select this preference to export an .fbx file that references the same -files subdirectory as the .mud scene.

Flatten Paint Layers On Export

  By default, any paint layers that exist on a model being exported (including the background color) are saved as discrete textures when exporting from Mudbox using the FBX format. If the 3D application supports it, the textures usually appear as layered textures on the model's shading material.

  Some 3D applications do not universally support multiple layered textures within a single texture channel. In these circumstances, turning on the Flatten Paint Layers On Export is recommended. This causes the paint layers to be merged into one texture per channel during export. The flatten operation also includes the background color for the material.

Import Materials and Textures

  By default, any assigned materials and textures that exist in an FBX file are automatically imported into Mudbox with the mesh. If you do not want materials and textures to be imported with the mesh, turn off the Import Materials and Textures preference. The default Mudbox Material is assigned when this preference is turned off.

Paint

Disable Paint Undo

  Turns off the Edit > Undo feature when painting (and only for painting) to improve interactive performance.

Brush Sample Area

  The Brush Sample Area controls the sample size for paint brushes directly beneath the brush ring. In most circumstances, the default setting of 0 should be sufficient.

  When painting on models that have very narrow/thin faces or larger faces relative to the size of the brush tip, visible artifacts can be produced.

  In these situations, increasing the value of the Brush Sample Area increases the sample area to extend outside the brush ring to determine the brush effect. For example, a value of 1 doubles the area that is calculated.

  Interactive performance of paint brushes can decrease as the Brush Sample Area value is increased.

Color Unloaded Tiles

  Sets the unloaded base tile color that appears on an area of the model when the associated UV texture tile is unloaded on a multi-tiled model to be the same color as the current material color. That is, there is no color differentiation between loaded and unloaded tiles when this preference is turned off. For more information, see Hide and show UV tiles on a model.

Edge Bleed

  Specifies the size of a border that is automatically extended outside the perimeter of a UV shell when painting on a model. Extending paint pixels beyond the perimeter edges is used to reduce the appearance of seams on a painted model where separate UV shells meet.

  A value of 0 specifies no edge bleed. A value of 1 specifies a one pixel border width outside the shell, while a value of 2 specifies a 2 pixel border width (based on a 1024 x 1024 resolution texture image). A value of 2 specifies a 4 pixel border when the image texture resolution is 2048 x 2048. Working range is between 0 and 10.

Texture Ratio

  Specifies the stamp texture size relative to the painted texture. The larger the ratio, the better paint quality can be achieved but the paint brush will be slower as a result. Options include: Fast, Full, and Medium.

Fast Dry Brush

  Accelerates the Dry Brush by quickly calculating the average height of the surface detail which is used as the reference for the tool. The default setting is on. Turn off this setting if the accuracy of the Dry Brush effect is not as expected.

User Interface

Linear Units

  Sets the measurement units for the world. Options are: millimeter, centimeter, meter, inch.

Double Click

  Sets the time limit in milliseconds that distinguishes a double click from two consecutive mouse clicks.

Drag Box Size

  Sets the distance (in pixels) that the cursor must be within in order to select a control point when editing the brush profile within the Brush Falloff properties.

Show Learning Movies in Welcome Screen

  Specifies whether the learning movies appear in the Welcome window whenever it is displayed. When turned off, the Welcome window appears with only the Start a new sculpture and the Open a file options displayed.

Show Informative Messages on HUD

  Specifies whether the Heads-Up Display (HUD) that indicates status (current subdivision level, polygon count) for the active model is displayed in the 3D View.

Show Welcome Dialog

  Specifies whether the Welcome window that gets displayed for the one minute movies and file open operations is displayed in the 3D View by default.

Show Help Messages on HUD

  Specifies whether the Heads-Up Display (HUD) that provides useful tool tips (hotkeys and feature usage) for some features are displayed in the 3D View.

Get Help From

  Specifies where the Mudbox Help is accessed from whenever Help > Mudbox Help is selected:

  - Autodesk Web Site - The Mudbox Help is accessed directly from an Autodesk web server. This is the default setting and provides the most current version of the Mudbox Help.
  - Local Machine/Network - The Mudbox Help is accessed directly from your local computer (or internal network location) depending on where the Mudbox Help has been manually installed. Use this option if your internet access is unreliable or if you’re working in an environment that doesn’t normally provide or allow internet access. You must first install the Mudbox Help on your computer (available off the Documentation page of the Mudbox Learning Resources web site) then set the Help Path option in Mudbox. For more information, see Install the Mudbox Help on your computer.
Expert Mode Hides

  Specifies which elements of the user interface are hidden/displayed whenever the T hotkey is pressed:

  - Status Bar - controls the display of the Status Bar at the bottom of the user interface.
  - Menu Bar - controls the display of the menu bar at the top of the user interface.
  - South Frame - controls the display of the brush and stencil trays at the bottom of the user interface.
  - East Frame - controls the display of the managers and properties windows at the right side of the user interface.

Paths

Stamps

  Specifies the directory location for stamp files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Stencils

  Specifies the directory location for stencil files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Icons

  Specifies the directory location for image icon files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Image Planes

  Specifies the directory location for image plane files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Log Files

  Specifies the directory location for log files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Temp Files

  Specifies the directory location for temporary files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Settings Files

  Specifies the directory location for settings/preferences files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Data

  Specifies the directory location for data (.mud) files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Textures

  Specifies the directory location for paint/texture files. Click ... to specify a new directory location.

Focus

Dolly With Focus

  Allows the camera to dolly when focusing its center of interest. Placing the cursor over a model and pressing the F hotkey focuses the camera on the spot under the cursor.

Import Autofocus

  Determines if and when the camera automatically focuses on objects when they are imported. The options are: Empty Scene Only, Always, and Never.

Local Focus

  Sets the aim point for the camera to the location that the sculpting brush touched last. This option prevents the model from tumbling very far from the current view whenever you are sculpting close up.

Dolly Amount

  Determines how much the camera dollies while focusing. The value indicates how much screen space the brush ring display covers after the camera focuses on the center of interest. For example, a value of 100 means the camera will dolly in until the brush ring fills 100 percent of the screen.

Status Line

Selected Face Count

  Displays the number of selected faces in the scene, on the status bar.

Visible Face Count

  Displays the number of visible faces in the scene, on the status bar.

FPS

  Indicates the rate at which the 3D View is refreshed as a value in frames -per-second.

Save Reminder

  Displays a timer on the status bar that counts the time from the last save. When the timer reaches the limit set in the Minutes option, the Save reminder box on the status bar flashes red with the word Save. Clicking the red Save reminder box cancels the current reminder and resets the timer.

Minutes

  Specifies the time before the Save reminder box flashes indicating it’s time to save the file.

Camera

Dolly Sensitivity

  Specifies how responsive the camera is to the movement of the mouse or pen while dollying.

Track Sensitivity

  Specifies how responsive the camera is to the movement of the mouse or pen while tracking.

Rotate Sensitivity

  Specifies how responsive the camera is to the movement of the mouse or pen while rotating.

Camera Navigation Style

  Specifies the camera control behavior. The Default setting causes the camera to rotate relative to the world's Y axis. The Trackball option allows the camera to rotate freestyle by rotating it relative to the screen.

Roll Area

  Determines the size of the roll area. The roll area is active only when the Trackball setting is selected within the Camera Navigation Style preference and is found in the outer portion of the 3D View. Clicking and dragging within this area will cause the camera to roll on its own axis.

Stencil

Rotate Sensitivity

  Specifies how responsive the stencil is to the movement of the mouse or pen while rotating.