DynaMaya : Dynamo For Maya

DynaMaya

Dynamo for Maya

DynaMaya is an implementation of Dynamo with Maya. This is in beta and should be considered experimental.  DynaMaya uses your base dynamo instillation so it will always follow the latest Dynamo development. In fact if you have Dynamo installed for Revit then you already have it installed for Maya! When you open Dynamo inside Maya it will see any additional packages you have already installed as long as they are not Revit specific.

The goal of the plugin is to create a fully unified workflow and overcome some the issues associate with interoperability between programs. By using Dynamo as a common platform you can access the full power of Maya with all of its advanced geometry creation including nCloth, blend shape, animation, joints and IK . While in Maya you can access the parametric powers of Dynamo by building on the Maya geometry with a familiar parametric node based system as well as access the numerous design and analysis tools such as solar analysis , and surface rationalization.   The structure of the plugin is designed in such a way that the Maya geometry can be embedded into the Dynamo dyn file and directly opened in Revit or any other software that Dynamo is embedded into. This is meant to eliminate the need to export files or other methods needed to transfer from one software to another.

If you need to find out more about Dynamo  please visit http://dynamobim.org. there is a wealth of information as well as access to the latest versions and downloads.

  • DynaMaya is fully integrated into Maya. Take advantage of parametric abilities of Dynamo and the advanced modeling and dynamics of Maya
  • Access all the Dynamo libraries for use in Maya such ad paneling, Solar Analysis, and Structural plugins.
  • The goal is to unify the workflow from concept to construction. DynaMaya will play nice with others including Revit.
Download
Go to the download page by clicking here

Kown Issues


  1. Maya will crash if the geometry is updating rapidly. For instance, if you have Dynamo set to update automatically and you linked in, and animated object and are playing the animation in Maya it could overload Dynamo and crash. Optimizing this is a high priority. A workaround currently is to set the refresh rate of the selection nodes to 250 ms or more.
  2. Some crashing has been noticed when creating new Maya or dynamo document within a session. This has been mostly stabilized but still, might happen.
  3. Surfaces do not support trimmed geometry.

FAQ


Does it work with Dynamo Studio
Dynam studio support is being tested now. Since Dynamo 1.0  DynaMaya should be able to run using the Dynamo Studio 2017 installer with Maya.  But there still might be some issues. It has been tested to work with the Dynamo for Revit installer, but I understand the need to just work with Studio installer, so official support for that is coming.
It keeps crashing
DynaMaya is currently in Beta and is very experimental at this point. It is evolving rapidly, and many things will break and not work. Please be diligent in submitting any issues you find.
Why is not in the package manager
The goal is to get it in the Package Manager but do to the installation requirements it is currently must be installed using the installer. Please note that the installer does not install Dynamo, it uses the version you already have installed (Studio or for Revit).  The install contains a Maya plugin and the Dynamo Package as well and adds the appropriate variables in Maya and a shelf for DynaMaya t run.
Which version of Maya do I need
DynaMaya is targeted for Maya 2016 and higher. It should run in 2015, but this is not supported

Basic Introduction

Note: Dynamo 9.0 or higher is currently required to install Beta 1

1>

Install DynaMaya using the installer found at dynamaya.cerver.org.

2>

After successfully installing the plugin you should see a new tab called DynaMaya with one button in it. This will start DynaMaya.  BUT DO NOT PRESS IT YET!dminst01

3>

You need to activate the Maya plugin. To do that go to Windows > Settings/Preferences > Plugin Manager. Then activate the DynaMaya Plugin.

DMpluginactivate

4>

Dynamo will open and you will see some node under the heading DynaMaya. PLEASE IGNORE THE HEADING THAT SAYS DYNAMAYANODES. Those are useless classes that need to be hidden from the UI

dminst02

5>

That’s it, use Dynamo and Maya together to make amazing things.