Autodesk’s Maya 2026.3, now available through the Autodesk Account portal, delivers substantial mid-cycle additions. The update introduces new animation management tools, Bifrost rigid bodies, expanded USD support, and deeper integration with Autodesk Flow 0.11.0.
Animation: Channel Sets and contextual tools
Animators gain new control with Channel Sets in the Graph Editor, which allow grouping and sharing collections of channels for cleaner scene management. A new toggle lets artists hide or show pins, shifting focus toward organised channel groups. Animate in Context now includes a demo project showcasing its capabilities, and the MotionMaker Editor gains a contextual right-click menu for faster access to character key operations.
Technical rigging: Dynamic Geometry Attributes
Dynamic Geometry Attributes give technical artists per-vertex analysis tools to identify rigging problem areas and improve deformation quality. They can also drive procedural effects such as animated wrinkles. Example scenes are available in the Content Browser under Animation > Dynamic Geometry Attributes.
Camera Sequencer: refined shot creation
The Camera Sequencer now offers a more intuitive and flexible shot-creation workflow. Autodesk describes this as an expansion of existing functionality rather than a major overhaul, focusing on smoother editing and management of camera sequences.
LookdevX 1.10.0: refined look development
LookdevX 1.10.0 brings colour-management updates, improved generative-texture APIs, and clearer documentation. These refinements aim to stabilise the framework for shader and material development across pipelines.
USD 0.34: new Asset Resolver
USD for Maya 0.34 introduces the Asset Resolver, simplifying asset loading and improving portability between different production environments. The update refines asset referencing and streamlines project structure handling.
Bifrost 2.15.0.0: rigid bodies debut
Bifrost 2.15.0.0 delivers its first implementation of rigid-body dynamics, adding simulation capabilities for solid objects alongside the existing fluid and aerosol solvers. It also brings fracturing, Boolean modelling tools, and a range of general stability improvements.
Rendering: Arnold for Maya 5.5.4
Arnold integration advances to MtoA 5.5.4, adding a new Inference imager, enhancements to Global Light Sampling, and various bug fixes.
Autodesk Flow 0.11.0 integration
Flow 0.11.0 now installs automatically with Maya 2026.3, connecting Maya to Autodesk’s collaborative ecosystem. It supports Animate in Context and other Flow-based features through a background desktop service.
