ATI graphics cards do not work well with 3D modeling programs. I have similar issues in Maya and Mudbox 2009. Nvidia is the way to go right now, if you want best performance, just make sure you don’t buy a really old Nvidia card because it’s cheap or you’ll run into the same problems. Can never go wrong with a quaddro FX, but those are very pricey.
Mudbox 2009 - Black Viewport?
Unfortunately, nope. Quadro FX 3000 with the latest drivers here, MB2009 displays all models black, and crash to desktop if I so much as think about rotating in the viewport. every time without fail.
I noticed the Quadro FX 3000 was not on the hardware list on the Mudbox site- so I’ll take that as a hint.
I have the same problem only it is a white screen. All of my 3D view is white.
Mudbox 1 works fine on my machine, I guess I’ll have to stick to that.

I’m using a new macbook pro running windows with boot camp and I am having the same problem.
Mudbox installs and runs but the view screen is entirely black.
I was hoping to compare it’s performance with zbrush
The Trial at first was black for me (ATI Card) but installing the latest Catalyst cured the problem.
Now if only I didn’t get the 1 second lag plus paint/AO/DF/Shadows etc doesn’t work! Guess I won’t be free of ZBrush just yet sniff.
same here, new driver solves this for moment, but when I reboot I have white 3d-viewport again
posted this on thé area http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/17573/
Chris
Thanks for the info Haeberle, guess it’ll be resolved in time, shame though cause I just want to play!
just solved the problem !
Unbelievable, but somehow mudbox had a problem with my dual monitor setup. I just switched the monitor connections to the card and changed the desktop-setup in vista.
Works fine now.
Chris
anyone having their models turn black, not just the viewport but just the model turning entirely black. (also a mudbox newbie)
Im trying to paint on a 8k diffuse map i imported from photoshop but cant see any results when painting basic color on the mesh. And to top it off its flat black, even though the texture is flat grey to start.
Running a dual 3.8ghz, 3gigs ram, Nvidia quadro fx 3450 vid card, winxp machine
(mudbox 2009 Trial)
Thanks Clanger for posting about updating to the Catalyst driver. I did so and now Mudbox works fine. I must say at first glance it looks alot easier to use than zbrush as far as the user interface is concerned.
For those of you that are using Boot Camp on the mac…scroll down for the catalyst driver list and you will see an apple bootcamp link…you need that one…the regular windows xp drivers will not work. u need the mac bootcamp diver
Try reducing the map size I think it’s down to how much memory you have on your graphics card.
For the ck screen, I had this to at the first install. First I wasn’t having the servica pack 2 for xp 64, so I install it, and why the screen was black, it was bescause I didn’t have the latest drivers of my ati, so desinstall firts your hold driver, install the latest version and it must work. Now it work finw for me but Mudbox have a bug with the ATI card, it will be fix soon by autodesk, the bug is a little lag at the end of each stroke, kind of a 1 second lag.
I have an ATI 1600 xt pro and with the human model, I push him to 33 millions of poly and perfectly workable, almmost no lag, except the lag bug.
So have fun!
how much RAM do you have in your PC? 16GB?
I didn’t try mudbox 2 yet but it seems there are many problem right now so I still stick to ZBrush and mudbox 1 for a little more. However, I hope Mudbox 2 will allow me to sub-D more than 9millions of poly because with 4GB, I can only sub-D to that poly in ZBrush =.=
My conf.
my Quad6600,8 Gb de RAm ddr2,Nvidia 9600 GT 512 mb ddr3 and i have black viewport with mudbox.Other softwares like a zBrush functions very fine.Mudbox 1 works
Windows Vista 64 bits Ultimate
im in 11 milion polys now without any lag at all 
3gigs of ram and a singelcore 4000+
just amazing!!!
To All Nvidia users download this driver it will fix the black viewport
Link
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/41771/Nvidia-178-13-Drivers-Released
Giap: I don’t have 16 gig(will like it so… lol) I have 4 gig. Mudbox work really well except tuhe bug lag of one second after each stroke end up!
XP pro SP2 GeForce FX 5200
Driver installer from link above cannot find compatable hardware.
Still have a black viewport for Mudbox 2009 trial even after updating my drivers. Had the same problem with Messiah in the old days.
I will keep trying to solve the problem from this end but any info gratefully accepted. Mudbox edition looks neat indeed.
Cheerio Chris
Well further searching revealed that others with the nvidia gforce fx 5200 cards have driver issues. I managed to get MB running without a black viewport, but with black models and runs like a sow. More searching revealed if you are running 1 gig ram you can pretty much forget it.
I will try this app out on my newer laptop with twice as much ram and a much more powerfull nvidia card, looks nifty indeed:).
Hope this helped someone.
Chris
that’s AMAZING.