Integrating with AutoDesk Maya

Install Autodesk Maya software on the same server where AEM is hosted.

Following installation, verify that you can open and use Maya and that there are no licensing issues.

In Maya, enable the Autodesk FBX® Plug‐In.

Install the MentalRay render plug-in or another desired renderer.

Following installation, verify that MentalRay is available in Maya.

Add the path to the Maya executable folder to the Windows PATH environment variable.

For example, on Windows Server 2012, tap or click Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables. Append the full path to the Maya\bin folder to the Path variable.

Make a required MEL script available to Maya by doing the following:

1. Using a browser on the server, download v3d_script.mel using the following URL:
   http://localhost:4502/apps/cq-scene7-v3D/config/scripts/maya/v3d_script.mel
   The port number in the URL above may be different for your particular deployment.
2. Move or copy the downloaded v3d_script.mel file to the scripts\others folder that is located just down from the root Maya install folder.
   For example, if Maya 2016 is installed to the default location, the path to scripts\others is c:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya2016\scripts\others\

In AEM, enable Maya as a renderer. Begin by navigating to Tools > General > CRXDE Lite.

From the CRXDE Lite page, in the left panel, navigate to the following:

/apps/cq-scene7-v3D/config/renderers/maya

Set the Enabled property to true.

See also Advanced configuration settings for integration of AEM 3D with Autodesk Maya.

Near the upper-left corner of the CRXDE Lite page, tap or click Save All.

Maya is now enabled as a renderer.

Open AEM Assets, then upload the .MA files located in sample-3D-content/models to the test3d folder.

Note that sample-3D-content.zip was previously downloaded to validate the basic 3D functionality.

Return to the Card View and observe the message banners shown on the uploaded assets.

The Converting Format banner is displayed while Maya is converting the native .MA format to .FBX.

When all processing is finished, open the <xxx>.ma asset and select the <xxx>.ma stage.

Near the upper-left corner of the page, tap or click the drop-down list and then select Render.

In the Renderer drop-down list, select Autodesk Maya, then tap or click Start Render.

Near the upper-right corner of the page, tap or click Close to return to the Card View.

Observe the message banner on the image asset that is rendering. A progress bar on the banner shows rendering progress.

After rendering completes, open the rendered image asset.

Check that the rendered image reasonably matches the image that you were viewing at the time you clicked Start Render.