When creating new paint layers, users have the option of choosing a channel before creating the layer. Diffuse(color), specular, gloss, and incandence are a few of the channel types you can use to build your paint/texture files from. A newly added channel, normal map, has been added so you can paint those as well. Normal maps and bump maps can now be displayed simultaneously.
Different aspects of a chosen sculpt tool can be modified in its property window.
The new Color Chooser in Mudbox is the same one that is used in Maya 2011. It gives users that ability to Color Pick new colors, save custom colors, and load your own color palette at a later time.
Improvements have been made to the process of extracting textures. The new Vector Displacement Map option transfers height and directional information from a model and places it on another. And if you need to save that information to a texture map, a new Subdivision sample method allows for height data to be stored as a pixel value.
There are two new ways to export movies of your work to other users. The Record Movie feature records the actions in the user interface so that users can record the sculpting process so that others can learn from it. The Create Turntable Movie creates a movie of your model rotating so that others can see it in its entirety.
Lower levels of subdivisions of your mesh allow you to work out the basic silhouette while higher levels permit finer detailing.
Performance
Mudbox is built with performance in mind. Most 3D programs when dealing with high polygonal mesh density will freeze or crash with the simplest movement of the camera. Not only can Mudbox handle opening and moving around highly subdivided mesh, it performs really well when trying to sculpt or paint the geometry. The application scales with the needs of the user, allowing it to step up or down the level of subdivisions as you work. Present day computer equipment will be able to manage this type of weight, giving even more leeway to workstations that are tuned for higher processing needs.
