SIGGRAPH: Maya 8 is here

Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 1, 2006. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

At the same time, Autodesk presented Maya 8 and 3ds Max 9 to the public at Siggraph. The most important thing first: Both applications continue to exist separately, but are now better integrated. There are also 64-bit versions of both.

For all users, Autodesk is bringing together the previous Internet forums on “The Area” website, which is intended to make communication between artists and programmers easier.

One focus of Maya 8 is speed optimization in the form of 64-bit support and expanded multi-threading. The Maya developers have also revised various algorithms and refined memory management.

Some basic new polygon tools supplement modeling: The user can now insert objects interactively into the scene, and the “Transfer Polygon Attributes” tool allows vertex-based data to be transferred between objects with different topology. Constraints and extendeded UV shells are intended to support the creation of UV maps.

In addition to expanded, cross-platform caching of animations, there is a “Substitute Geometry” tool that allows models to be switched without skinning losses.

Mental Ray 3.5 offers much that is new, but the standard shaders also receive SSS. Autodesk has expanded HDR support and extended the Render Layer system for exchange with Toxik: Maya now transfers the complete rendering with elements and revisions to the compositing software.

For games development, it is important that other plug-ins (that is: the game engine) can control the viewports. Thanks to support for the latest CG library, more flexible handling of shaders is possible.

Other new features concern the expanded Hypergraph, the Script Editor and MEL and SDK additions. The Maya developers have revised the additional modules such as Artisan, Cloth and Fluids in a number of details.

The English version has been available for download to Platinum customers since August 1, and package shipping begins two weeks later. The prices of 2,099 euros (Maya Complete) and 7,349 euros (Maya Unlimited), respectively, remain unchanged; there will not be a new PLE version this time. A date for the release of the Intel Mac version is not yet known.

You can find a detailed preview of the new Maya version in DIGITAL PRODUCTION 05:06.

Further links:

• Autodesk Maya
  The Area