Import a model from Maya

You can send a variety of data, such as meshes, UVs on meshes, and materials associated with meshes between Maya and Mudbox. You can then add paint or sculpt layers to an object in Mudbox and send it back to Maya using the Send to Maya commands in the Mudbox File menu.

Note: Send to Mudbox is only available in the File menu if you have matching versions of Maya and Mudbox. (Maya 2020 and Mudbox 2020 are matching versions.) If your versions do not match, use the techniques in Import a model from a different version of Maya, below.

To send objects from Maya to Mudbox

1. In Maya, select the object(s) you want to send.
   Note: You can only send polygonal objects to Mudbox.
2. Select File > Send to Mudbox, then select from the following options:
   • Send as New Scene: Opens a new scene in Mudbox, and sends the selected objects. If you have selected objects in the scene, only those objects are sent; otherwise, the entire scene is sent.
   • Update Current Scene: Available only if Mudbox is running. Updates the Mudbox scene by sending the current selection. If no objects are selected, this option sends the same selection that was previously sent.
     Note: You can also click the Update button in the Maya status bar to update the current scene in Mudbox.

     Tip: Before updating your current scene, step down to level 0, or whichever level corresponds to your Maya mesh as detail transfer works best when source and target meshes are close to each other in shape.

   • Add to Current Scene: Available only if Mudbox is running. Sends the current selection to Mudbox. Any selected objects that have already been sent are duplicated in the Mudbox scene.

   A connection indicator displays at the bottom of the Maya interface.

   

Note: If there is a problem matching an object during the Send to operation, an error message appears displaying a list of unmatched objects. This message is sent to the Log window in Mudbox.

Import a model from a different version of Maya

It is recommended to share data between 3ds Max and Mudbox using the Send to Mudbox feature in the Maya File menu. However, if you are attempting to share data between differing versions of the software, for example, Maya 2019 and Mudbox 2020, the Send to Mudbox feature is absent. Instead try the Autodesk FBX® file format.

See also Import and export using FBX and Compatibility across products using FBX.

1. Before saving your file as a FBX file in Maya, ensure the model meets the criteria described in Prepare a model for sculpting.
   • Use the UV Texture Editor to determine whether any UVs are overlapping by selecting Image > Shade UVs.. (To view the UV texture coordinates for a model in Maya, select the Polygons menu set, then select Edit UVs > UV Texture Editor.)
   • Default camera information is not exported when using FBX. If you want to export camera or image plane information to Mudbox with your model, you must first duplicate the default cameras in Maya and set these as required prior to exporting your FBX file. For more information, see Compatibility across products using FBX.
2. In Maya's scene view, select the mesh and select File > Export Selection.
3. In the General Options section, set File Type to FBX, then select Export Selection.
   Note:

   When a model in Maya has multiple UV sets, only the currently active UV set is exported whenever the model is exported either as an .fbx or .obj file.

4. In Mudbox, depending on your requirements, select File > Open or File > Import, and select the model you exported from Maya. For more information on import options, see Open a model or Import a model.

Note: If your Maya file contains Quick Select sets that you want preserved when you export it, see Create and select a selection set.

Related topics

Model file formats

Import using FBX

Import a model from 3ds Max

Import a model from Softimage