# Maya — Process **Role in the pipeline:** Maya is the finishing and interchange tool around MetaHuman: sculpt and mesh cleanup before Mesh to MetaHuman, props and set pieces, skin weights, mocap cleanup, and USD/FBX hand-off to Unreal. It is not the character's home; Unreal is. **Version (Sept 2026):** Maya 2027 (released March 2026). MetaHuman for Maya tools support Maya 2026 as of MetaHuman 5.8; confirm 2027 support before upgrading. Subscription $255/month or $2,010/year; **Maya Indie** $330/year for creators earning under $100k. ## Inputs → outputs | In | Out | |---|---| | Portrait and photo references, photogrammetry scans, HABS drawings | Clean head/body meshes for Mesh to MetaHuman | | Mocap takes (FBX) | Cleaned, retimed animation on the MetaHuman skeleton | | Period object references | Props with UVs, LODs and collision (spectacles, telescope, ledger, casks) | | MetaHuman DNA (via MetaHuman for Maya) | Custom facial deformation edits, corrective shapes | ## Steps 1. **Likeness mesh.** Sculpt (ZBrush or Maya) from the reference stack in [[Specification — Full-Body Historical Virtual Human]] §3 Stage 2. Keep neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. 2. **Prepare for Mesh to MetaHuman.** Clean scale (cm), orientation, no non-manifold geometry; export head and body (MetaHuman 5.8 accepts arbitrary topology for both). 3. **Props and set pieces.** Model to real dimensions; two LODs (kiosk, headset/phone); export FBX or USD (USD for Maya 0.35 in Maya 2027 adds a Component Creator and Variant Manager). 4. **Skinning.** For props with joints (e.g. a telescope stand) or custom garments, use Maya 2027's layer-based skinning (integrated ngSkinTools). 5. **Mocap cleanup.** Import solved body takes, fix foot contacts, hand poses and hip drift with HumanIK and animation layers; export back to Unreal. 6. **Hand-off.** Name assets per repo convention; commit; the character artist validates in UE. ## Watch-outs - Do not rebuild the MetaHuman facial rig in Maya; edit through MetaHuman DNA tools only. - Keep Maya and MetaHuman-for-Maya versions matched to the season's engine lock. - Maya's generative MotionMaker and Autodesk Assistant are for staff productivity, not for historical performance. See also: [[MetaHuman for Maya — Considerations]] · [[ZBrush — Sculpting for MetaHuman]] **Owners:** character artist, technical animator. Tutorials: [[Maya — Tutorials]] (local tutorials for DNA, Expression Editor, skinning, Pose Editor correctives, HumanIK mocap cleanup, hand poses, USD, FBX presets and Python export)