Autodesk Mudbox

Mudbox is a proprietary computer-based 3D sculpting and painting tool. Currently

 developed by Autodesk, Mudbox was created by Skymatter, founded by Tibor Madjar,

 David Cardwell and Andrew Camenisch, former artists of Weta Digital, where it was first 

used to produce the 2005 Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. Mudbox's primary application 

is high-resolution digital sculpting, texture painting, and displacement and normal map creation, although it is also used as a design tool.

Feature

The Mudbox user interface is a 3D environment that allows the creation of movable cameras
 that can be bookmarked. Models created within the program typically start as apolygon mesh
 that can be manipulated with a variety of different tools. A model can be subdivided to
 increase its resolution and the number of polygons available to sculpt with. 3D layers allow
 the user to store different detail passes, blending them with multiplier sliders and layer masks.
 Using layers the user is able to sculpt and mould their 3D model without making permanent
 changes.

As a detailing app, Mudbox can import and export .obj, .fbx, and .bio files, as well as its own .
mud format. A typical workflow is to create a relatively simple (low polygon count) model in a
3D modeling application and then import it to Mudbox for sculpting. Subdivision of models
 occurs using the Catmull-Clark subdivision algorithm.

The sculpting tool set contains an assortment of brushes with adjustable falloffs.

The use of 3D layers allows for design visualization, non-destructive sculpting, and high polygon counts. Since the layers combine additively, their ordering is unimportant for the final model and
may be created arbitrarily. Curves can be created and projected on a mesh for use as precise
 masking. All of the standard transform and selection tools are here as well. Paint layers were
added in Mudbox 2009.

Design visualization plays an important role in Mudbox's production value. Simple poly primitives
 can be created from within Mudbox, facilitating the creation of busts, props, terrain, etc.

Mudbox also includes stamps and stencils. Stencils work by overlaying a grayscale, or
 "alpha channel" image, such as a bump map, over the mesh. The artist can then project
 part or all of the image's detail onto the mesh through brush strokes, providing a method
 to quickly sculpt surface detail.

The underlying architecture of Mudbox was updated in Mudbox 2009 to allow the sculpting
 of models with larger polygon counts compared to earlier versions. In Mudbox 2009
 3D painting and texturing features were introduced to allow artists to paint directly on
 their models in 3D. In addition, features to display the model with depth of field and
 ambient occlusion were added for the release.

In Mudbox 2010, an application programming interface (API) was introduced via a software
 development kit (SDK). In addition, functionality t