Toolkit 2 - Mudbox Tutorials (Chapters 9 and 10)

Chapter 9 - Texture Painting

Part 1 - Paint Tools

In this part the tutorial walks through the various paint tools at ones disposal in Mudbox.

Part 2 - UV Painting in Mudbox

This part explains how you can paint straight onto a UV map rather than the 3D model if you want to.

Starting with the Goblin head model.

Using [opt. T] (Yes, I'm on a Mac) Mudbox opens up the UV map. To better view of it, switch the perspective view to the front orthographic view.

Here's the UV map with a cavity map overlayed.

Using a stencil and the projection brush, you can paint a texture straight onto the UV.

Here's the skin painted on the UV.

And here's what that looks like on the Goblin's 3D model.

Part 3 - Ptex Painting

Ptex is an alternate texture method to UV. Unlike UVs it works solely in 3D, but can be much quicker to set up.

Stating, once again, with the base Goblin Head. The model must be its lowest subdivision level before being able to apply Ptex.

Here's the Ptex layout in the UV view. As you can see it doesn't make very much sense, which is why you shouldn’t use it for painting in photoshop.

Once you apply Ptex settings to a model, the model appears like this. Here you can customise the resolution.

Once a resolution has been set, the diamond pattern disappears. Clicking on the model will prompt the creation of a Ptex paint layer. Once a layer has been created you can begin painting. I added a stone stencil over this just to test.

Part 4 - Transfering Paint Layers

This part then covers how to transfer paint layers from one model to another, using the example of transferring the paint layers on the helmet horns to a retopologized version.

The original horns model.

The retopologized horns model.

Paint transfer menu.

The retopologized model with the original’s textures.

Chapter 10 - Painting Workflow

Part 1 - Base Painting

Starting with the Goblin's head at the highest subdivision level.

Using the paintbrush tool,  you can flood the entire model with one colour.

Here's that but with flat lighting, which currently lacks any detail.

Which is where cavity maps come in. Here's the settings for the cavity map used here.

And here's the cavity map applied.

To create light contrast, paint around the mouth and eyes with a lighter shade on a seperate paint layer. This can be tweaked with the strengh slider if the effect is too strong.

Then, to create temperature, apply a warm colour to the eyelid, cheeks and mouth. It currently looks like some very vibrant make-up.

But to make it look more natural, use the strength slider to adjust.

Then add blue to around the eyes, behind the cheeks and the chin to create a cool temperature.

And here's all the paint layers visible with proper lighting.

Part 2 - Projection Painting

Starting with just the base colour and the cavity map on flat lighting.

Using a custom stencil and the projection brush, skin has been added to the model. (Will be colour corrected later)

And now how to use projection brush with a UV map, starting with the helmet.

Here's the helmet UV.

And here's the helmet with a stone texture projected onto the steel part of the helmet.

The helmet back in 3D.

Part 3 - Colour Correction

Starting with the head painted in the last chapter.

Here the skin layer has been switched from 'normal' to 'overlay'.

Now it has been colour adjusted to appear more red. 

Lowered the layer strength to get it to blend better with the base colour.

The helmet painted in the last chapter.

Colour corrected to appear more blue.

Went mad with burn, dodge, contrast and sponge tools.

Part 4 - Using Layers

Starting with the Goblin Helmet. As you can see some of the steel colour has gone onto the wood. 

Too address this, the tutorial has you create a mask, using a cross image that can be imported as a mask layer.

From there, the mask needs to be inverted in order to cover over the steel.

Once the mask has been created, it can then be placed over the steel layer to mask it out from the wood.

Next the tutorial shows how to create a bump map.

The skin spots texture is duplicated and put solo, so that it is easier to edit. In colour adjust, make the layer black & white.

Once every other layer is visible agian, the skin spots appear to be much darker.

From there, move the duplicated skin spots from the diffuse tab to the bump map file. 

Then invert the bump map.

Part 5 - Painting Details

This part goes over how you can add even more details with the paint tools, looking at the horns.

Using a crack stamp, cracks can quickly be added to the horns.

The crack layer is then switched from 'normal' to 'overlay'. 

Then go over the cracks with the contrast brush.

Moving onto some finer detail with the helmet.

Signs of the helmet being worn down was added to the edges of the steel with the dry brush.

Part 6 - Mudbox and Photoshop Live Bridge

It is possible to create a live bridge between Mudbox and Photoshop. By right clicking any layer in the diffuse tab, you can select 'Export Channel to PSD', it will then prompt you to save a PSD file.

It will then automatically open up in Photoshop. From here you can do anything you want with the UV map, as usual.

On Mudbox, this box pops up waiting for you to port changes back over to Mudbox, which is updates accordingly. However I was unable to do this as Photoshop crashed, annoying me to no end.