Autodesk Mudbox is a 3D digital sculpting, texturing and painting software, Mudbox is considered as a retopology tool. Retopology presents the surface properties of a 3D model (e.g. is the surface made of triangles, quads, n-gons or all of them? how many polygons make up the surface of the model?  The polygon count of the model’s surface?).

Autodesk Mudbox was used in the creation of many games like; Alan Wake, Halo 4 and Medal of Honor are just an example. It was also used in the creation of many movies and TV shows like; Avatar and The Troop. Learning Autodesk Mudbox is very important and helpful for any digital artist working in the games, movies or the TV industry.

This post is a road map for anyone willing to start learning Autodesk Mudbox online for free from scratch, the post will present and compare between the best online sources where beginners can start from and follow along, the sources stated in this post are full structured courses so you won’t find a link to a single video or a group of unrelated tutorials.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Autodesk Mudbox) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Start Learning Autodesk Mudbox for Free from Scratch

Trap PCG (Update: Not Available)

Trap PCG is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Mudbox through video tutorials. You don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 4 lessons, each lesson covers certain topics in Autodesk Mudbox.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video tutorial will start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The instructor makes it easy for beginners to follow along.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of Autodesk Mudbox, though that won’t be a problem for beginners.

Verdict: This is the best place for beginners to start learning Autodesk Mudbox online for free from scratch.

3D Tutorials

3D Tutorials is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Mudbox through video tutorials; you don’t need to register to have access to the training.

Structure: There’s no real structure or organization for the training. The training is divide into 97 video tutorials, these tutorials cover many topics in Autodesk Maya.

Interface: The interface is very simple, click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video will start.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training covers the topics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using Autodesk Mudbox.

Cons

1. There’s no structure for the course.
2. There’s no way by which the training could be organized to make it helpful for beginners (e.g. playlists).

Verdict: Though this outlet covers most of the topics in Autodesk Mudbox in depth; but the lack of structure and organization makes it not suitable for beginners.

Mudbox – Intro Tutorials

Mudbox Intro Tutorials is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Mudbox through video tutorials. This is a Vimeo Album dedicated to Autodesk MudBox.

Structure: The training is divided into three video tutorials, each video tutorial covers some of the basics of Autodesk Mudbox. This is more of an overview about the software than a complete training for beginners.

Interface: Vimeo Standard Interface.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers only the very basics of Autodesk Mudbox and it’s not a suitable stand alone source for beginners.

Verdict: This outlet is suitable for those who’re using another software and want to get an overview about Autodesk Mudbox.

Mudbox Live

Mudbox Live is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Mudbox through video tutorials. As the other sources here, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training available on this outlet has the “learn by doing” style. The training is divided into 14 video lessons, each lesson covers certain topics in Autodesk Mudbox. You’re learning Mudbox while creating a character.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video tutorial will start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The instructor makes it very easy for beginners to follow along.
3. The training is  well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of Mudbox, though that won’t be a problem for beginners.

Verdict: This is the best place to learn Autodesk Mudbox, specially for beginners who prefer the “learn by doing” style.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Autodesk Mudbox for free

1. Mudbox Live is the best place for beginners to start learning Autodesk Mudbox.
2. Mudbox Intro Tutorials  is the the best place for those who wants have an overview about the software.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in Autodesk Mudbox.