Autodesk Maya#Dynamics and simulation

Maya was originally an animation product based on codebase from The Advanced Visualizer by Wavefront Technologies, Thomson Digital Image (TDI) Explore, PowerAnimator by Alias, and Alias Sketch!. The IRIX-based projects were combined and animation features were added; the project codename was Maya.{{cite web|url=http://www.mayabooks.org/ |title=History |access-date=December 11, 2010 |publisher=Maya books |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125035450/http://www.mayabooks.org/ |archive-date=November 25, 2010 }} Walt Disney Feature Animation collaborated closely with Maya's development during its production of Dinosaur.{{cite journal|last=Muwanguzi|first=Michael J|date=July 1, 2010|title=Maya 2011|url=http://www.microfilmmaker.com/reviews/Issue56/Maya11_1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720201920/http://www.microfilmmaker.com/reviews/Issue56/Maya11_1.html|archive-date=July 20, 2011|access-date=December 11, 2010|format=Software Review|journal=Microfilmmaker Magazine}} Disney requested that the user interface of the application be customizable to allow for a personalized workflow. This was a particular influence in the open architecture of Maya, and partly responsible for its popularity in the animation industry.

After Silicon Graphics Inc. had acquired both Alias and Wavefront Technologies, Inc. in 1995, Wavefront's technology (then under development) was merged into Maya.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-08-fi-29352-story.html|title=THE CUTTING EDGE : A New Dimension : Silicon Graphics to Buy Two 3-D Software Firms|website=Los Angeles Times |date=8 February 1995 }} SGI's acquisition was a response to Microsoft Corporation acquiring Softimage 3D in 1994.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/15/business/company-news-an-acquisition-by-microsoft.html|title=COMPANY NEWS; An Acquisition By Microsoft|website=The New York Times }} The new wholly-owned subsidiary was named "Alias$|$Wavefront".{{cite web |url=http://www.design-engine.com/alias/history.html |work=Alias |title=Wavefront Discontinued Products and Brands |date=December 13, 2002 |first=Sam |last=Weisbard |access-date=December 10, 2010 |publisher=Design engine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822040628/http://www.design-engine.com/alias/history.html |archive-date=August 22, 2009 |url-status=dead }}

In the early days of development Maya started with Tcl as the scripting language, in order to leverage its similarity to a Unix shell script language, but after the merger with Wavefront it was replaced with Maya Embedded Language (MEL). Sophia, the scripting language in Wavefront's Dynamation, was chosen as the basis of MEL.{{citation | title = In silico: 3D animation and simulation of cell biology with Maya and MEL| last1 = Sharpe |first1 = Jason | first2 = Charles J | last2 = Lumsden | first3 = Nicholas | last3 = Woolridge | year= 2008| publisher= Morgan Kaufmann Martin | page= 263| isbn = 978-0-12-373655-0}}

Maya 1.0 was released in February 1998. Following a series of acquisitions, Maya was bought by Autodesk in October 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/autodesk-buys-alias/1030610.article|title=Autodesk buys Alias}}{{cite web |url = http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=5983502&linkID=14271593 |title = Autodesk Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Alias |access-date = October 23, 2015 |date = October 4, 2005 |author = Autodesk |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160110190511/http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?linkID=14271593&id=5983502&siteID=123112 |archive-date = January 10, 2016 |url-status = dead }}Wikinews:Autodesk to buy Alias Under the name of the new parent company, Maya was renamed Autodesk Maya. However, the name "Maya" continues to be the dominant name used for the product.

Maya is an application used to generate 3D assets for use in the film, television, video game, and advertising industries. The software was initially released for the IRIX operating system. However, this support was discontinued in August 2005 after the release of version 6.5. Maya was available in both "Complete" and "Unlimited" editions until August 2008, when it was turned into a single suite.{{cite web|title=Autodesk Maya Features – Compare|url=http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/compare/index?siteID=123112&id=13583751|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006081157/http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/compare/index?siteID=123112&id=13583751|archive-date=2010-10-06|access-date=2010-10-02|website=Autodesk}}

Users define a virtual workspace (scene) to implement and edit media of a particular project. Scenes can be saved in a variety of formats, the default being .mb (Maya Binary). Maya exposes a node graph architecture. Scene elements are node-based, each node having its own attributes and customization. As a result, the visual representation of a scene is based entirely on a network of interconnecting nodes, depending on each other's information. For the convenience of viewing these networks, there is a dependency and a directed acyclic graph.

Assets created with Maya can be imported to game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

The widespread use of Maya in the film industry is usually associated with its development on the film Dinosaur, released by Disney and The Secret Lab on May 19, 2000.{{cite book|last=Warren|first=Scott|title=Learning Games: The Science and Art of Development|date=16 June 2017|publisher=Springer|page=77}} In 2003, when Alias|Wavefront received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement, it was noted to be used in films such as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Spider-Man, Ice Age, and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, all of which were released in 2002.{{cite journal|last=Sellers|first=Dennis|date=14 January 2003|title=Maya gets Oscar for Technical Achievement|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1008800/oscar.html|journal=Macworld|access-date=8 January 2019}} By 2015, VentureBeat Magazine stated that all ten films in consideration for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award had used Autodesk Maya and that it had been "used on every winning film since 1997."{{cite web|last=Terdiman|first=Daniel|date=15 January 2015|title=And the Oscar for Best Visual Effects Goes to… Autodesk's Maya|url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/01/15/hollywood-fx-pros-i-want-to-be-an-oscars-maya-winner/|work=media|publisher=VentureBeat}} The film studio Illumination Studios Paris uses Autodesk Maya for their animated films. Walt Disney Animation Studios also utilizes Maya in films such as Frozen and Frozen II.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/disneyanimation/status/1260328901403762688|title=A character rig, setup by Character Technical Directors, can have thousands of articulation controls. This allows Animators to pose a character and craft a believable performance. #TechTuesday|access-date=2020-09-04|website=Twitter|language=en}}

On March 1, 2003, Alias was given an Academy Award for Technical Achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for scientific and technical achievement for their development of Maya software.

In 2005, while working for Alias|Wavefront, Jos Stam shared an Academy Award for Technical Achievement with Edwin Catmull and Tony DeRose for their invention and application of subdivision surfaces.{{cite web|title=PIXAR Awards|url=http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/press_box/awards.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927043045/http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/press_box/awards.htm|archive-date=September 27, 2011|access-date=November 15, 2011}}

On February 8, 2008, Duncan Brinsmead, Jos Stam, Julia Pakalns and Martin Werner received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the design and implementation of the Maya Fluid Effects system.{{cite web|date=January 6, 2003|title=Scientific & Technical Awards Winners|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/winners/2007.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216053528/http://www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/winners/2007.html|archive-date=February 16, 2009|access-date=December 10, 2010}}{{cite web|date=January 6, 2003|title=Technical Achievement Award|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/about/awards/technical.html|access-date=December 10, 2010}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|

• List of Maya plugins
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• Autodesk 3ds Max
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• Blender (software)
• Cinema 4D
• Lightwave 3D
• Houdini
• Computer animation
• Autodesk Arnold

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