Phenomena are mental ray for Maya components that look and behave like shaders but, unlike custom shaders, they require no programming knowledge of C or C++ code to create.

By exporting an assembled shading network (or portions of it) and designated attributes, you create a Phenomenon, a single node that you can then use just like a regular shader: you can build shading networks with them; save, load, and export them; write your own Attribute Editor templates; and provide icon, swatches, and help files. See the devkit for more information and examples.

Phenomena:

• Provide you with a simpler way of creating complex looks for objects other than creating custom shaders.
• Can be created during the earlier phases of production and then optimized or coded into custom shaders for later stages of the production.
• Let you restrict simplify the number and type of adjustable attributes made available to Maya artists. This provides you with a unified pallet and more control over the looks that can be achieved.