The following lists general file format support. There may be slight differences in support between platforms and depending
on variations in file formats. For example, TIFF is a very loosely defined format. It may be possible to save TIFF files in
another program that Maya cannot open.
Translators
Translators are plug-ins that let you open and/or save data in a given file format. You must have the proper translator plug-in
loaded to be able to open, save, import, or export data in the format.
Use the to load or unload translators.
| Data Import |
Plugin Name |
Windows |
Mac OS X |
Linux |
Ext. |
| Maya ASCII
|
|
|
|
|
ma
|
| Maya Binary
|
|
|
|
|
mb
|
| MEL
|
|
|
|
|
mel
|
| audio
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FBX
|
fbxmaya
|
|
|
|
fbx
|
| DAE_FBX
|
fbxmaya
|
|
|
|
dae
|
| DXF_DC
|
|
|
|
*3
|
dfx
|
| DWG_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
dwg
|
| CATIAV4_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
model
|
| CATIAV5_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
cat-product
|
| IPT_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
ipt
|
| animImport
|
anim-Import-Export
|
|
|
|
anim
|
| Autodesk Packet File
|
Autodesk-Packet-File
|
|
|
|
apf
|
| OBJ
|
|
|
|
|
obj
|
| IGES_DC
|
|
|
|
*2
|
iges
|
| StudioTools® wire
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AIFF
|
|
|
|
|
|
| image
|
|
|
|
|
|
| fluidCache
|
|
|
|
|
|
| editMA
|
|
|
|
|
editMA
|
| editMB
|
|
|
|
|
editMB
|
| studioImport
|
studioImport
|
|
|
|
wire
|
| JT_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
jt
|
| PTC_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
prt.*
|
| SPF_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
wire
|
| STEP_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
stp
|
| SW_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
sldprt
|
| IV_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
iv
|
| CSB_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
csb
|
| move (ascii motion)
|
|
|
|
|
mov
|
| VRML2
|
wrl2ma*
|
*4
|
*4
|
*4
|
|
| EPS
|
|
|
|
|
eps
|
| Adobe® Illustrator®
|
|
|
|
|
ai
|
| OpenFlight®
|
flt-Translator
|
|
|
|
flt
|
| STL_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
*1
|
stl
|
| UG_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
prt
|
*1 On Linux, use STL from the stlImport plug-in
*2 On Linux, use IGES from the Iges plug-in
*3 On Linux, use "DFX"_"FBX" from the fbxmaya plug-in
*4 standalone 'wrl2ma' on all OS
| Data Export |
Plugin Name |
Windows |
Mac OS X |
Linux |
Ext. |
| Maya Ascii
|
|
|
|
|
ma
|
| Maya Binary
|
|
|
|
|
mb
|
| MEL
|
|
|
|
|
mel
|
| FBX export
|
fbxmaya
|
|
|
|
fbx
|
| DAE_FBX export
|
fbxmaya
|
|
|
|
dae
|
| DXF_DCE
|
DC-EXPORT
|
|
|
*6
|
dxf
|
| OBJexport
|
objExport
|
|
|
|
obj
|
| iv2
|
open-inventor
|
|
|
|
iv
|
| IGES_DCE
|
DC-EXPORT
|
|
|
*5
|
iges
|
| DWG_DC
|
DC-EXPORT
|
|
|
|
dwg
|
| StudioTools wire
|
|
|
|
|
|
| move (ascii motion)
|
|
|
|
|
mov
|
| editMA
|
|
|
|
|
editMA
|
| editMB
|
|
|
|
|
editMB
|
| VRML2
|
vrml2-Export
|
|
|
|
wrl
|
| apex-Clothing-Exporter
|
physx
|
|
|
|
ctp
|
| PhysX
|
physx
|
|
|
|
|
| GE2
|
ge2-Export
|
|
|
|
grp
|
| AliasWire-Export
|
MayaTo-Alias
|
*7
|
|
|
wire
|
| RTG
|
rtgExport
|
|
|
|
rtg
|
| mental ray®
|
Mayatomr
|
|
|
|
mi
|
| animExport
|
anim-Import-Export
|
|
|
|
anim
|
| Autodesk Packet File
|
Autodesk-Packet-File
|
|
|
|
apf
|
| SPF_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
wire
|
| STL_DC
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
stl
|
| RIB_export
|
ribexport
|
*8
|
|
|
rib
|
| Open Inventor2
|
|
|
|
|
|
| OpenFlight®
|
flt-Translator
|
|
|
|
flt
|
| Shockwave3D
|
|
|
|
|
|
| UG_DCE
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
prt
|
| ZPR_DCE
|
Direct-Connect
|
|
|
|
zpr
|
*5 On Linux, use IGESEXport from Iges plug-in
*6 OnLinux, use DXF_FBX export from teh fbxmaya plug-in
*7 Win 32 only
*8 Win 32 only
NoteThe mayaAscii and mayaBinary file formats are the only ones that preserve all the information contained within your scene.
Setting the output format for an export using the box will change your default export format for the current and subsequent export operations. If you set the output format
to something other then mayaAscii or mayaBinary and export using that format and then quit without saving the entire file
then you can lose data.
Always check the export type in the export file browser to ensure you are writing the file using the expected file format.
| Image Input |
Windows |
Mac OS X |
Linux |
Ext. |
| Adobe ® Photoshop ®
|
|
|
|
psd
|
| ALIAS PIX
|
|
|
|
als
|
| AVI
|
|
|
|
avi
|
| DDS (fixed point)
|
|
|
|
dds
|
| DDS (floating point)
|
|
|
|
dds
|
| GIF
|
|
|
|
gif
|
| JPEG
|
|
|
|
jpg
|
| Kodak Cineon
|
|
|
|
cin
|
| MAYA IFF
|
|
|
|
iff
|
| mentalrayCT
|
|
|
|
ct
|
| mentalrayMAP
|
|
|
|
map
|
| mentalrayST
|
|
|
|
st
|
| OpenEXR (Floating point, half)
|
|
|
|
exr
|
| PNG
|
|
|
|
png
|
| Postscript
|
|
|
|
eps
|
| Quantel
|
|
|
|
yuv
|
| Radiance Picture
|
|
|
|
pic, hdr
|
| Silicon Graphics
|
|
|
|
sgi
|
| Softimage ®
|
|
|
|
pic
|
| SonypPSX
|
|
|
|
tim
|
| Targa
|
|
|
|
tga
|
| TIFF
|
|
|
|
tif
|
| TIFF (floating point)
|
|
|
|
tif
|
| Wavefront
|
|
|
|
rla
|
| Windows Bitmap
|
|
|
|
bmp
|
| XPM
|
|
|
|
xpm
|
| Image Output |
Windows (Maya Software/Hardware/Hardware 2.0/mentalray/Vector) |
Mac OS X (Maya Software/Hardware/Hardware 2.0/mentalray/Vector) |
Linux (Maya Software/Hardware/Hardware 2.0/mentalray/Vector) |
Ext. |
| Adobe ® Illustrator ®
|
*4
|
*6
|
|
ai
|
| ALIAS PIX
|
|
|
|
als
|
| AVI
|
*1, *8
|
|
|
avi
|
| CINEON
|
*1
|
|
|
cin
|
| Dassault
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
picture
|
| DDS
|
*1
|
|
|
dds
|
| EPS
|
*2
|
|
|
eps
|
| Encapsulated Postscript
|
*4
|
|
|
eps
|
| GIF
|
*1
|
|
|
gif
|
| HDR
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
hdr
|
| JPEG
|
|
|
|
jpg
|
| MacPaint
|
|
|
|
pnta
|
| Macromedia SWF
|
*4
|
|
|
swf
|
| MAYA IFF
|
|
|
|
iff
|
| MAYA 16 IFF
|
*1
|
|
|
iff
|
| mentalray Color
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
ct
|
| mentalray Alpha
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
st
|
| mentalray Normal
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
nt
|
| mentalray Motion
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
mt
|
| mentalray Depth
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
zt
|
| mentalray Tag
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
tt
|
| mentalray Bit
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
bit
|
| mentalray HDR
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
cth
|
| Portable Pixmap
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
ppm
|
| Postscript
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
ps
|
| PSD
|
*3
|
|
|
psd
|
| PSD Layered
|
|
|
|
psd
|
| PNG
|
|
|
|
png
|
| OpenEXR
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
exr
|
| Quantel
|
*1
|
|
|
yuv
|
| Quantel PAL
|
*3
|
|
*7
|
yuv
|
| Quantel NTSC
|
*3
|
|
*7
|
yuv
|
| Apple® QuickDraw®
|
|
|
|
pict
|
| Apple® Quicktime Image®
|
|
|
|
gtif
|
| Apple® Quicktime Movie®
|
|
|
|
mov
|
| RLA
|
*1
|
|
|
rla
|
| SGI ®
|
|
|
|
sgi
|
| SGI 16 ®
|
*1
|
|
|
sgi
|
| Softimage ®
|
|
|
|
pic
|
| Swift3DImporter
|
*4
|
|
|
swft
|
| Targa
|
|
|
|
tga
|
| TIFF
|
|
|
|
tif
|
| TIFF 16
|
*1
|
|
|
tif
|
| TIFF uncompressed
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
tif
|
| Wavefront
|
*3
|
*5
|
*7
|
rla
|
| Windows Bitmap
|
|
|
|
bmp
|
| Sony Playstation
|
*1
|
|
|
tim
|
| SVG
|
|
*6
|
|
svg
|
| XPM
|
*1
|
|
|
xpm
|
*1: For Windows > Maya Software, Maya Hardware, Maya Hardware 2.0, and Vector
*2: For Windows > Maya Software,Maya Hardware, Maya Hardware 2.0, and mentalray
*3: For Windows > mentalray
*4: For Windows > Vector
*5: For Mac > mentalray
*6: For Mac > Vector
*7: For Linux > mentalray
*8: Export of .avi files limited to a size of 2GB.
