KennethOwens: New page: '''Title(s):''' MA format '''Version ID:''' Maya 10.0 '''Date released:''' 2009 (10.0) / October 06, 2008 '''Creator(s):''' Alias Systems Corporation now owned by Autodesk '''Contribut...

2009-05-14T22:53:33Z

New page: '''Title(s):''' MA format '''Version ID:''' Maya 10.0 '''Date released:''' 2009 (10.0) / October 06, 2008 '''Creator(s):''' Alias Systems Corporation now owned by Autodesk '''Contribut...

New page

'''Title(s):''' MA format

'''Version ID:''' Maya 10.0

'''Date released:''' 2009 (10.0) / October 06, 2008

'''Creator(s):''' Alias Systems Corporation now owned by Autodesk

'''Contributor(s):''' see history

'''Relationships:''' - Culmination of three 3D software lines: Wavefront's The Advanced Visualizer (in California), Thomson Digital Image (TDI) Explore (in France) and Alias' Power Animator (in Canada). In 1993 Wavefront purchased TDI, and in 1995

* '''Previous Version(s):''' Not Available

* '''Contains:''' None

* '''Syntax Format(s):''' Binary Hexidecimal

* '''Family Format(s):''' None

'''Description:'''

A node based format, where a node is an such as camera angles, lighting descriptions, meshes, transformations, NURBS, polys, and SubDivs, etc. Subset of the MEL (Maya Embedded Language) format used for scripting in Maya.

'''History:''' In 1993 Wavefront purchased TDI, and in 1995 Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI) purchased both Alias and Wavefront, producing a single product line, used for films such as Jurassic Park, The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Alias' "Maya" architecture,was merge Wavefront's code with it, and upon its release in 1998, Alias|Wavefront discontinued all previous animation-based software lines including Alias Power Animator, encouraging consumers to upgrade to Maya. Alias|Wavefront was renamed Alias. In 2003, Alias was sold by SGI to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the private equity investment firm Accel-KKR. In October 2005, Alias was sold again, this time to Autodesk, and on January 10, 2006, Autodesk completed the acquisition and Alias Maya is now known as Autodesk Maya.

 

'''Example(s):'''

'''createNode''' transform -n "sphere";
'''setAttr''' ".s" '''-type''' "double3" 2.44 2.44 2.44;
'''setAttr''' ".t" '''-type''' "double3" -6.96 0 6.9;

'''createNode''' nurbsSurface '''-n''' "sphereShape" '''-p''' "sphere";
'''setAttr''' ".tw" yes;
'''setAttr''' ".rtw" yes;
'''setAttr''' ".ipo" no

 

'''Identifier:'''

'''Documentation:''' Robust modeling format with support for NURBS, polys, and SubDivs. Also, incoporates a scirpting language MEL, and has support for dynamics, and simulations.

'''File Extensions:''' .ma, .mb for binary

'''Applications:'''

* '''Native application(s):''' Autodesk Maya

* '''Interoperable applications:'''

'''Magic numbers:'''

'''Format(s):''' .ma ASCII human readable, .mb compressed binary version of .ma

'''Rights:''' Proprietary license

'''Sustainability Factors:'''

* '''Standardization:''' Proprietary but well documented

* '''Adoption:'''

** '''Licensing and patent claims:''' None

* '''Self-documentation:''' None

* '''External dependencies:''' None.

* '''Technical protection considerations:''' None

'''Typical use:''' 3D rendering, animation, simulation

'''File classification:'''

* '''Type {Binary, Text}:''' ASCII
* '''Raster data:'''
** '''Raster data 2D:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Raster data 3D:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
* '''Geometric representation:'''
** '''Implicit representation:'''
*** '''Implicit surfaces:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
*** '''Implicit curves:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' ture
*** '''Point set:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Mesh:'''
*** '''Manifold surface meshes:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
*** '''Manifold volume meshes:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
*** '''Non-manifold meshes:'''

 

** '''Parametric representation:'''
*** '''Parametric surfaces:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
*** '''Parametric curves:'''
**** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Contour sets:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''NURBS:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''SubDivs:'''
*** '''Is Supported: true'''
* '''Multi-resolution models:'''
** '''Is Supported:''' true
* '''Dynamics:'''
** '''Kinematics:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Assembly:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' Not sure
** '''Force(s):'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
* '''Boundary representation'''
** '''Manifold surface boundary representations:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Manifold volume boundary representations:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' true
** '''Non-manifold boundary representations:'''
*** '''Is Supported:''' Not sure
* '''Material transparency:'''
** '''Is Supported:''' true
** Description: multiple surface traits are expressible

MA - Revision history

KennethOwens: New page: '''Title(s):''' MA format '''Version ID:''' Maya 10.0 '''Date released:''' 2009 (10.0) / October 06, 2008 '''Creator(s):''' Alias Systems Corporation now owned by Autodesk '''Contribut...