Last updated: Last updated: March 3rd 2008
Contents of this document
Workstations and graphics cards have been tested on MAC OS X 10.5.2 with Leopard Graphics Update 1.0.
To tell which version of Mac OS X is installed, select "About this Mac" in the Apple menu. The general OS version number will be just below the logo; e.g., Version 10.5.2
To find the precise build number, click the version text. It will change to the build number; e.g., Build 9C31. (Occasionally Apple will release slightly different Versions with the same version number but which may behave differently. It may only be possible to identify the OS version by the build number.)
G3 and G4 based workstations and laptops are no longer tested, though it's possible to continue to use Maya with these machines. See General Disclaimer note in the Readme First.
Legend
Qualified Un-tested.
PowerPC based | ||
PowerMac G5 | Dual Proc G5 @ 2.5 GHz | |
Dual Proc G5 @ 2.0 Ghz | ||
MacIntel based | ||
MacPro | Dual Core Intel XEON @ 2.66Ghz | |
Dual Quad-Core Intel XEON @ 3.0Ghz | ||
Quad Core Intel XEON @ 3.2Ghz | ||
Imac | Intel Core Duo @ 2Ghz | |
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.16Ghz | ||
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4Ghz | ||
Intel Core 2 Extreme @ 2.8Ghz | ||
MacBook Pro | Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.33Ghz | |
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4Ghz |
Note: All Macs with built in Flat Panels (iMacs and PowerBooks) are limited to built-in screen resolutions. These resolutions may limit the use of Maya; for example, menu bars may not be fully drawn and windows may need screen resolution that is not available. Using an external monitor and setting the resolution to 1280 x 1024 allows full use of Maya menus and windows.
All qualifications are performed using only the official Apple default drivers that are included with a particular version of an OS (e.g. 10.5) or OS update (e.g. 10.5.2). Drivers acquired by any other means; e.g., directly from a graphics vendor, are considered unsupported and therefore not qualified. We cannot guarantee the stability of Maya using unsupported drivers. We have received numerous reports of problems with drivers other than those released by Apple as part of the OS.
To verify which version of a video driver is installed on your Mac OS X system, In a Finder window, navigate to /System/Library/Extensions/(vendor extension file). With this file selected, choose File -> Info to view the version information. For example, to determine the version of the video driver installed for the Nvidia GeForce FX 6800 Ultra, select the /System/Library/Extensions/NVDANV40Hals.kext file and then choose File -> Info.
Legend
Qualified
Qualified with caveats (refer to caveat list)
Qualification planned. Results coming shortly
Qualification failed due to serious problems.
Models | Status |
NVIDIA | |
Quadro FX 4500 | |
Quadro FX 5600 | |
GeForce 7300 GT | |
GeForce 7600 GT | |
GeForce 8600M GT | |
GeForce 6800 GT | (1,2) |
GeForce 7800 GT | (1) |
ATI | |
Radeon X2600 HD | (3,4) |
Radeon X1600 | |
Radeon 9600 Pro |
Cards not listed in the chart above are no longer tested. However, these cards may still be acceptable for use with Maya. Please refer to earlier Maya for OS X qualification charts to evaluate a particular card's previous use in Maya. While you may continue to use one of these cards, please note that we may not be able to provide support for any issues you encounter.
Dual monitor supportApple systems can be run in Dual Monitor configuration by using a single graphics card which supports dual output (e.g. Nvidia GeForce 6800 or ATI Radeon x850xt).
Card Model | Limitation / Caveat | Status |
GeForce 6800GT | (1) #295830 CGfx shaders with environment textures may not display properly.
| Issue reported to vendor. Radar tracking #5777721 |
GeForce 6800GT | (2) #296084 NURBS CV's do not display properly.
| Issue reported to vendor. Radar tracking #5777804 |
Card Model | Limitation / Caveat | Status |
x2600HD | (3) #285168 Shadows are not displayed properly in the Hardware Renderer or the High Quality Viewport
| Issue reported to vendor. Radar Tracking #5707401 |
x2600HD | (4) #295472 Tumbling the viewport when the High Quality viewport is Enabled may update with a slower than expected frame rate.
| Issue reported to vendor. Radar Tracking #5751761 |
If you are building plug-ins for Maya, note that the Maya API requires a specific compiler and linker, on each of the platforms Autodesk supports in order to build compatible plug-ins. Autodesk Maya 2008 is built on: Mac OS X 10.4 with the XCode version 2.4.1 using the gcc 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, inc. build 5367 ) compiler. Using this compiler will guarantee binary compatibility when building plug-ins.