Autodesk Maya
A 3D computer graphics application that provides modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering tools used to create characters, environments, and effects for film, television, and games
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| + | Polygon & NURBS Modeling | Creates 3D models using geometry based on vertices, edges, and faces, or from geometric primitives and drawn curves, covering both organic and hard-surface work. |
|---|---|---|
| + | Sculpting Toolset | Provides brush-based tools for shaping and detailing models with a hands-on approach to surface refinement, similar to working with physical clay. |
| + | UV Editing | Displays and edits UV texture coordinates for polygon, NURBS, and subdivision surfaces inside a dedicated 2D view to ensure textures wrap accurately. |
| + | Boolean Modeling | Combines, subtracts, or intersects mesh geometry, including a volume-based mode for blocking out organic shapes such as creatures and characters. |
| + | Predictable Bevel & Extrude | Extrudes faces on a mesh in a flexible, surface-following way that minimizes manual geometry cleanup normally required after modifying complex shapes. |
| + | Bifrost Visual Programming | A node-based visual programming environment lets users build custom graphs or use ready-made ones to create effects such as smoke, fire, explosions, and destruction without traditional scripting. |
| + | Bifrost Rigid Body Dynamics | A procedural destruction workflow lets users adjust physics settings and constraints and re-simulate without rebuilding the setup from scratch, speeding up iteration on effects shots. |
| + | Flow Wedging | Generates multiple simulation variations in parallel on the cloud directly from the simulation graph, letting users compare several outcomes at once instead of running simulations one at a time. |
| + | Arnold Renderer Integration | A built-in Monte Carlo ray-tracing engine lets users switch between CPU and GPU rendering and preview lighting, shadows, and material changes without leaving the scene. |
| + | Third-Party Renderer Support | Beyond the built-in renderer, the application integrates with external rendering engines such as V-Ray, RenderMan, Octane, and Redshift, letting studios keep an existing render pipeline. |
| + | LookdevX Material Authoring | A dedicated toolset builds procedural, render-agnostic materials that carry over across multiple rendering and lookdev tools to standardize shading look-development in production. |
| + | OpenUSD Interoperability | Native support for the open, layered scene-description standard lets scenes and assets move between different pipeline applications without loss of data or non-destructive edits. |
| + | Open-Source USD Plug-in | The interoperability layer that imports and exports scene data to the open standard ships as an open-source project a studio can customize. |
| + | HumanIK Retargeting | Maps and retargets animation data between character skeletons of differing proportions and hierarchy, eliminating the need to re-animate every model from scratch. |
| + | Time Editor | A non-linear, clip-based interface allows users to arrange, blend, and cut keyframe animations on any keyframeable object or attribute using a timeline layout. |
| + | Graph & Node Editors | A graph editor, node editor, and dope sheet give animators several ways to inspect and adjust keyframes, curves, and node connections depending on the task at hand. |
| + | Cached Playback | This background system stores evaluated animation and simulation frames in memory to let animators scrub and preview their work in real time within the viewport. |
| + | AI Motion Generation | Machine learning systems generate walking or running locomotion animation from a handful of keyframes or a drawn path, covering human, canine, and equine character types. |
| + | Machine Learning Deformer | This tool approximates complex character deformation in real time to allow interactive posing, blocking, and crowd work without waiting for primary rig calculations. |
| + | MASH Motion Graphics | A procedural node network creates scattering, replication, instancing, and geometric animations for design and visual effects layouts. |
| + | XGen Grooming & Instancing | This generation tool populates meshes with hair, fur, feathers, or large-scale environmental elements such as grass, rocks, and debris. |
| + | nCloth & nHair Dynamics | A shared physics-based solver framework simulates cloth, hair, and other dynamic behavior through fields, forces, and constraints. |
| + | Modernized Sequencer | A high-DPI, non-destructive timeline lets layout and previs artists move across multiple shots and tracks, with color coding, labels, and automatic thumbnails for organization. |
| + | Scene Referencing System | Assets can be referenced into a scene rather than copied in directly, so updates to a shared model or rig propagate automatically across every shot that references it. |
| + | Crowd Simulation Plug-in | A bundled crowd simulation and character layout plug-in lets users populate scenes with anywhere from a handful to thousands of digital characters. |
| + | MEL & Python Scripting | Two embedded scripting languages, along with a documented C++, Python, and .NET API, let users automate repetitive tasks and build custom tools tailored to a studio’s pipeline. |
| + | Game Engine Live-Link | This data bridge streams viewport animations directly into external runtime environments such as Unreal Engine, letting developers test assets under final engine conditions while still editing. |
| - | Subscription-Only Licensing | Perpetual licenses are no longer sold. Continued access depends on an active subscription, and cancelling removes the ability to open project files in the full application. |
| - | High Subscription Cost | Full commercial subscription pricing sits well above many competing tools, a cost that can be difficult for freelancers and small studios to justify outside of the discounted individual tier. |
| - | Steep Learning Curve | The breadth of tools and node-based systems across modeling, rigging, animation, and rendering means new users need substantial time before becoming productive. |
| - | Limited Non-Destructive / Procedural Modeling | Core modeling and animation tools are less procedural than dedicated systems. Modifying early decisions down the construction history chain often breaks the model, forcing creators to rely on external plug-ins for non-destructive pipelines. |
| - | Restricted Linux Distribution Support | Certified Linux support is limited to specific Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Rocky Linux releases, so users on other distributions may run into compatibility issues. |
| - | Heavy Hardware Requirements | Complex scenes, simulations, and renders demand a capable multi-core processor, a dedicated graphics card, and substantial memory, limiting smooth use on lower-end computers. |
| - | Restrictions on Sound Imports | Users cannot import a sound file whose filename begins with a number. |
| - | Lack of GPU Support for Deformer Falloffs | Computations for deformer falloffs run on processors, not on GPUs, which reduces playback speeds. Animators cannot view deformations instantly. |
| - | No Playback Caching by Dynamics Nodes | When scenes contain particles or cloth simulations, playback caching stops and animators cannot preview animation in memory. |
...31 more features. Contact us to get a complete list of features and system requirements.
System Requirements
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 7 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 6 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 4 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
| # | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |
| 2 |
| |
| 3 | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| 4 | Card from the official hardware-certification list | |
| 5 | 2 GB free for installation | |
| 6 |
| |
| 7 | Three-button mouse |
Ratings
4.155
| Creative Blog | 4.05 based on professional's opinion |
|---|---|
| G2CROWD | 4.35 based on 266 reviews |
| Gartner | 4.35 based on 86 reviews |
| PCMag | 4.05 based on professional's opinion |
Repository
Autodesk Maya being a proprietary software, its source code is not publicly hosted.
License
Categories
Notes
- Maya: The primary 3D computer graphics application
- Maya Creative: The low cost, pay-as-you-go variant, with slightly less number of features.