[Michael Martin]

Thanks for the video link.

I tend to hide instead of delete just so I can bring something back without having to re-import the fbx. Sometimes it's nice to have a slow down while it loads/saves.

For me I find that Mudbox doesn't always give the the sharpest results. A lot of the time it gives me a soft focus look. In Gimp i know i can get 100% pin sharp every time. Maybe not as important for SRS because of the file limits but i have clients that demand pixel perfect lol.
Mudbox has it's place helping with the wonky bits and cross panel logos. X mirror is so handy for the reason you state.
You can do the same placement trick in gimp by flipping the layer. Doesn't work with all templates but most.

I do like the shader technique. Couldn't remember how to do it so thanks for the reminder.