Plug-in Manager

Window > Settings/Preferences > Plug-in Manager

A plug-in is an add-on module that extends Maya’s capabilities. File translators are plug-ins you use to import and export various file formats. You can create or purchase specialty plug-ins to customize Maya for a specific job.

Some features that can be added through plug-ins are:

file translators
tools
objects (nodes)
MEL commands
device drivers

Related topics

The Plug-in Manager identifies which plug-ins are loaded into Maya. If you have a plug-in that you use frequently, you can make sure it is always there. The Plug-in Manager automatically scans all the directories in the plug-in path and lists available plug-in features.

loaded: Turn on loaded to load the plug-in for the current Maya session.
auto load: Turn on auto load to load the plug-in so that the next time you start Maya the plug-in loads automatically.

Information window

To view information about a particular plug-in, you must first load it, then click the i button beside the plug-in.

Maya caches the list of current plug-ins. If you have added a new plug-in, click Refresh to update any changes.

Maya displays the following information for a selected plug-in:

Name: The name of the plug-in. On Linux, plug-ins have the extension .so. On Windows, they have the extension .mll. On Mac OS X, the extension is .lib.
Path: The location of the file. On Linux, the default plug-in location is:

/usr/autodesk/maya2011/bin/plug-ins

On Windows, the default plug-in location is:

drive:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya2011\bin\plug-ins

On Mac OS X, the default locations are:

/Applications/Autodesk/maya2011/Maya.app/Contents/MacOS/plug-ins

and

/Users/Shared/Autodesk/maya/2011

Maya will check both of these locations for valid plug-ins.
Vendor: The manufacturer of the plug-in.
Plug-in Version: The version number of the plug-in.
For API Version: The version of the Maya API (Application Programmer Interface) the plug-in was compiled for.

NoteYou cannot load a plug-in for any version of Maya that predates or post-dates the version it was compiled for. That is, if a plug-in was created for Maya version 7, it will not work with either Maya 6.5 or Autodesk Maya 8. Dot releases (minor version upgrades) are compatible with their major version and vice versa; for example, a plug-in compiled for Maya 7.0 works with Maya 7.0.1.
Auto Load: Indicates whether the plug-in has been marked for auto load.
Is Loaded: Indicates whether the plug-in is loaded.
Plug-in Features: Displays a list of the features added by the plug-in (for example, commands, dependency nodes, file translators).

To display additional plug-ins, click the triangle to open the Other Registered Plug-ins section.

List of plug-ins included with Maya

The following is a list of default plug-ins that are included with Maya.

animImportExport.mll

Allows you to import or export anim curves to the API clipboard. For more information, see Animation curves.

AutodeskPacketFile.mll

Allows Maya to recognize the Autodesk Packet File (.apf) file extension.

cgfxShader.mll

Allows you to create hardware shaders. For more information, see CgFx Shader.

cleanPerFaceAssignment.mll

Does the following:

Traces material connections.
if multiple connections to one material is found, it combines them
changes the assignment order
returns a string array that can be executed as a MEL command

clearcoat.mll

Allows you to apply fresnel reflections to shaders. For more information, see Clear Coat.

DCExport.mll

Allows you to use the Direct Connect exporter.

ddsFloatReader.mll

Reads either half (16-bit) or IEEE 32-bit floating point .dds images. For more information, see Display a high dynamic range image.

decomposeMatrix.mll

Converts MMatrix into individual transformation matrix components. By default, solves assuming pivots and pivot translates are 0.

DirectConnect.mll

Enables file compatibility with Autodesk CAD products. For more information, see Maya Translators.

fbxmaya.mll

Allows Maya to recognize the FBX (.fbx) file extension. For more information, see FBX file translator.

fltTranslator.mll

Enables file compatibility with OpenFlight. For more information, see Maya OpenFlight Importer/Exporter.

Fur.mll

Enables the Fur menu in the Rendering menu set.

ge2Export.mll

Allows you to export scenes in the GE2 file format. For more information, see Game Exchange 2 Translator.

hlslShader.mll

Allows you to use the HLSL Shader material. For more information, see Work with HLSL shaders.

Iges.mll

Enables file compatibility with IGES. For more information, see IGES Translator plug-in.

ik2Bsolver.mll

Enables the 2 bone IK solver. For more information, see IK solvers.

ikSpringSolver.mll

Enables the IK spring solver. For more information, see IK Spring Solver Attributes.

MayaMuscle.mll

Enables the Muscle menu in the Animation menu set.

MayaToAlias.mll

Uses OpenMaya API to retrieve scene data, then exports using OpenModel. For more information, see MayaToAlias export plug-in.

Mayatomr.mll

Allows you to access mental ray for maya functionality, including .mi export, batch rendering, preview rendering, network rendering, and shader management.

nearestPointOnMesh.mll

Allows you to access the closestPointOnMesh node.

objExport.mll

Allows Maya to export scenes to the Object (.obj) file extension.

OpenEXRLoader.mll

Enables file compatibility with OpenEXR. For more information, see Display a high dynamic range image.

openInventor.mll

Enables file compatibility with Inventor and ivray.

ribExport.mll

Allows Maya to export scenes to the RIBexport (.RIB) format. For more information, see RenderMan (RIB) export plug-in.

rotateHelper.mll

Allows you to access the rotateHelper node.

rtgExport.mll

Allows you to output Maya scene information generically. For more information, see RTG Utility and File Format.

stereoCamera.mll

Allows you to use the stereoscopic camera type. For more information, see Using a stereoscopic camera.

stlImport.mll

Allows you to import STL files.

studioImport.mll

Allows you to import Alias® Studio® wire files. For more information, see StudioImport Plug-in and Translator.

tiffFloatReader.mll

Reads IEEE 32-bit floating point .tif images. For more information, see Display a high dynamic range image.

VectorRender.mll

Enables Maya’s hardware renderer. For more information, see . Maya Hardware renderer

vrml2Export.mll

Allows you to export scenes to the VRML2 format. For more information, see VRML2 Translator.