Mathematica Import/Export Format

Maya (.ma)

Autodesk Maya scene description format.
3D geometry format.
Native format of the Maya modeling, animation and rendering software.
Used for storage and interchange of 3D graphical objects.
ASCII format.
Can store multiple 3D objects as polygon primitives.

Export supports Maya 4.0 ASCII files.

EXPORT

Export["file.ma", expr] exports a Graphics3D expression to a binary Maya file.

Export["file.ma", expr, elem] creates a binary Maya file by treating expr as specifying element elem.

Export["file.ma", {expr₁, expr₂, ...}, {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.

Export["file.ma", expr, opt₁->val₁, ...] exports expr with the specified option elements taken to have the specified values.

Export["file.ma", {elem₁->expr₁, elem₂->expr₂, ...}, "Rules"] uses rules to specify the elements to be exported.

See the reference pages for full general information on Export.

ExportString supports the Maya format.

ELEMENTS

General element:

"Rules"

full list of rules for each element and option

Data representation elements:

	"Graphics3D"	Maya file represented as a Graphics3D object
	"GraphicsComplex"	list of GraphicsComplex objects, each representing a 3D geometry stored in the file
	"PolygonData"	the polygon elements in indexed form
	"PolygonObjects"	list of Polygon primitives given in absolute coordinates
	"VertexData"	list of vertex coordinates

The "VertexData" element corresponds to the first argument of GraphicsComplex.

OPTIONS

Advanced option:

"VerticalAxis"

{0,0,1}

orientation to assume for the coordinate system used in the file

By default, Mathematica assumes that in the coordinate system used by Maya the vertical axis corresponds to the third coordinate.

With the setting "VerticalAxis"->{0, 1, 0}, Mathematica will apply the transformation {x, y, z}->{x, z, -y} to all graphics coordinates when exporting to Maya.