# Maya to Sketchfab to ArtStation A practical pipeline for taking a Maya scene online: export it, present it in Sketchfab's 3D editor, then showcase the interactive model on ArtStation. Plan limits, plugin compatibility, and site UIs change. When a setting or menu label is uncertain, this note says so and links the official page. Confirm current [Sketchfab plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans) and [ArtStation help](https://help.artstation.com/) before you rely on a limit. ## Contents - [[#Overview]] - [[#What you need]] - [[#1. Prepare the Maya scene]] - [[#2. Export from Maya]] - [[#3. Upload to Sketchfab]] - [[#4. Open the 3D Settings editor]] - [[#5. Scene, camera, background, and camera limits]] - [[#6. Lighting and environment]] - [[#7. PBR materials]] - [[#8. Post-processing]] - [[#9. Annotations and callouts]] - [[#10. Animation playback and clips]] - [[#11. Sketchfab embed options]] - [[#12. Embed or showcase on ArtStation]] - [[#13. Alternative: Marmoset Viewer on ArtStation]] - [[#Troubleshooting]] - [[#Checklist]] - [[#Sources]] ## Overview The reliable path for current Maya versions is: 1. Clean and check the scene in Maya. 2. Export **FBX** (with media embedded) or **glTF / GLB**, or zip the model with its textures. 3. Upload to Sketchfab (or use Sketchfab's Maya exporter if your Maya version is still supported). 4. In **Edit 3D Settings**, set the scene, materials, lighting, post-processing, annotations, and animation. 5. On ArtStation, create a new artwork, choose the **Sketchfab** asset type, and paste the model URL. Sketchfab's preferred upload format is **glTF**, then **FBX**. OBJ + MTL is next if you need a simpler mesh-and-texture package. See [Sketchfab developer guidelines (File Formats)](https://sketchfab.com/developers/guidelines) and the [supported formats list](https://sketchfab.com/features). ## What you need - Autodesk Maya, with the FBX plug-in loaded. In Maya: **Window → Settings/Preferences → Plug-in Manager**. On Windows the plug-in is `fbxmaya.mll`; on macOS it is `fbxmaya.bundle`. Official steps: [Export an FBX file from Maya](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2024/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-C64CFD18-517C-47A2-9E5D-489EC5D6480C.htm). - A [Sketchfab](https://sketchfab.com/) account. Check [Plans & Pricing](https://sketchfab.com/plans) for file-size, annotation, and upload-per-month limits. - An [ArtStation](https://www.artstation.com/) account if you are embedding there. - Optional, Maya 2014–2022 only: the [Sketchfab Maya exporter](https://sketchfab.com/exporters/maya) (last listed update 2021-09-30). - Optional, for glTF / GLB and multiple animation clips: the [Babylon.js Maya plugin](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya/). Maya does not ship a built-in glTF exporter. Confirm current Maya version support on that page and on the [Babylon.js Exporters releases](https://github.com/BabylonJS/Exporters/releases) before installing. ## 1. Prepare the Maya scene Do this in Maya before any export. A clean scene saves more time than fixing a bad upload later. 1. **Delete what you do not need.** Construction history, leftover cameras, lights, and hidden helpers all add weight. Export a named selection if the scene is messy. 2. **Check working units.** In Maya, open **Window → Settings/Preferences → Preferences**, then the **Settings** category. The FBX exporter uses these system units when it decides whether to scale the file. Official note: [FBX Export options — Units](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2025/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-FE8DBEAA-C2DD-43B3-9933-4BA4CDDEAA89.htm). Pick one unit (often centimeters) and model consistently. Sketchfab can still look tiny or huge if the asset was built at the wrong real-world scale; you can adjust VR/AR scale later, but it is better to get units right here. 3. **Freeze transforms and center the pivot** on the root of the asset so it sits on the ground plane and faces a predictable axis. Maya is Y-up; FBX exports Y-up by default. 4. **UVs and textures.** Sketchfab expects UV-mapped image textures. Procedural Maya shaders, layered utilities, and unbaked lighting will not travel reliably. Bake those to texture maps first. 5. **Name texture files clearly** if you want Sketchfab to assign PBR maps automatically. The documented pattern is `MaterialName_suffix.extension`, for example `Helmet_basecolor.png` and `Helmet_roughness.png`. Avoid extra periods, underscores, or hyphens inside the name, which can break the matcher. Suffixes Sketchfab looks for include `diffuse` / `albedo` / `basecolor`, `metallic` / `metalness` / `metal`, `roughness` / `rough`, `normal` / `nrm`, `ao` / `occlusion`, `emissive` / `emission`, and `opacity` / `alpha` / `transparency`. Source: [PBR Automatic Texture Mapping](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/automatic-pbr-texture-mapping/). 6. **Normals.** Inspect face normals in Maya and reverse any faces that are pointing inward before export. If you are unsure of the current Maya menu path for your version, use Maya's documentation rather than guessing. In Sketchfab you can also change **Face culling** on a material if the mesh still looks inside-out. 7. **Animation range.** Set the Time Slider to the exact start and end of the clip you want. The FBX baker reads those timeline values by default. 8. **Multiple clips.** Maya's native FBX export writes the scene animation as a single take, named **Take 001** unless you enable **Use scene name**. Official: [FBX Export options — Animation](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2025/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-FE8DBEAA-C2DD-43B3-9933-4BA4CDDEAA89.htm). If you need several named clips (Walk, Idle, Jump) in one Sketchfab model, the documented Maya path is the Babylon.js plugin's **Animation groups** editor, which writes multiple clips into glTF / GLB. See [[#Optional: glTF or GLB (including multiple clips)]]. > [!tip] > Upload as a **Draft** (or keep the model unpublished) until the 3D Settings look right. Draft mode lets you finish the presentation before the model appears in followers' feeds. Official mention: [Sketchfab developer guidelines](https://sketchfab.com/developers/guidelines). ## 2. Export from Maya ### Recommended: FBX, with media embedded This is the most reliable Maya-native path, and it is what the official Sketchfab Maya exporter uses internally. 1. In Maya, choose **File > Export All** or **File > Export Selection**. Official walkthrough: [Export an FBX file from Maya](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2024/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-C64CFD18-517C-47A2-9E5D-489EC5D6480C.htm). 2. Set **Files of type** to **FBX export** (the Autodesk dialog also lists this as **FBX**). If FBX is missing, load `fbxmaya.mll` / `fbxmaya.bundle` in the Plug-in Manager. 3. In the FBX options, start from the **Autodesk Media & Entertainment** preset, which Autodesk describes as the best general animation starting point. 4. Turn on the options below. Names follow Autodesk's [FBX Export options](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2025/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-FE8DBEAA-C2DD-43B3-9933-4BA4CDDEAA89.htm) and Sketchfab's [Maya exporter](https://sketchfab.com/exporters/maya) page. | Option | Why | |---|---| | **Embed Media** | Packs textures into the FBX so Sketchfab can find them. Required when the original texture paths will not be available on Sketchfab's servers (they will not). Increases file size. | | **FBX File Format → Type: Binary** | Smaller than ASCII; faster to upload. Sketchfab recommends this. ASCII FBX 2010 and earlier cannot embed media. | | **Smoothing Groups** | Converts edge hardness to smoothing groups. Autodesk warns that smooth-edge polygons can reimport with incorrect normals if this is off. | | **Tangents and Binormals** | Useful for normal-mapped meshes. The mesh must have UVs. | | **Preserve Instances** | Keeps Maya instances instead of expanding them into unique objects. | | **Animation** | Enable if the scene is animated. | | **Bake Animation** | Bakes unsupported constraints and controllers to curves so Sketchfab can play them. Start and End default to the current Time Slider. **Step** defaults to `1` (a key on every frame). Those three values are not stored in presets. | | **Deformed Models**, plus **Skins** and **Blend Shapes** as needed | Exports skinning and morph / blend-shape animation. | | **Up Axis: Y-up** | Maya's default. Change only if you have a specific reason. | 5. Click **Export**. > [!warning] > If **Embed Media** is off, the FBX only stores texture paths. Those paths are useless once the file leaves your machine, which is the usual cause of missing textures on Sketchfab. If the FBX is still over your plan's size limit after embedding, zip it (ZIP, RAR, or 7z) or shrink textures, rather than leaving media unembedded. **Constraints:** FBX can export supported constraints (Point, Aim, Orient, Parent, IK handle) without baking if the destination app supports them. Sketchfab is not one of those apps in any documentation reviewed for this note, so bake animation for Sketchfab. ### Optional: Sketchfab's Maya exporter (Maya 2014–2022) Official page: [Maya Exporter](https://sketchfab.com/exporters/maya). Sketchfab lists compatibility as **Autodesk Maya 2014–2022**, with a last update of **2021-09-30**. If you are on Maya 2023 or later (including Maya 2026), do not assume this plugin will load. Use the manual FBX or glTF upload instead. If your Maya version is in range: 1. Install the Windows MSI, macOS PKG, or Linux SH package from that page. The scripts go into Maya's plugin path, and the exporter should appear in the **Custom** shelf. 2. Confirm the FBX plug-in is loaded, as above. The exporter publishes as FBX. 3. Sketchfab also tells you to confirm **Embed Media** and **Binary** in **File → Export All...** with **FBX export** selected, so those Maya FBX settings are in a good state. 4. Click the shelf icon to open the **Sketchfab Uploader**. 5. First run: **Settings → Sketchfab Settings**, paste your API token, add any default tags, and Save. The token is in your Sketchfab account settings; treat it like a password. 6. Enter a title, description, and tags. Mark **Private** and/or **Draft** if you need to. Private / password options are paid-plan features on current pricing. 7. Click **Upload to Sketchfab**. On success, the model URL appears. 8. Errors and texture-format warnings go to **Window → General Editors → Script Editor**, and to a log in your Maya preferences directory. ### Optional: glTF or GLB (including multiple clips) Sketchfab prefers glTF, then FBX. A `.glb` is a single self-contained file (mesh, buffers, and textures). A `.gltf` is a JSON file plus a `.bin` and texture files — zip that folder before you upload. Maya has no built-in glTF exporter in the Autodesk documentation reviewed for this note. Two third-party options: - **Babylon.js Maya plugin.** Install from the [official install guide](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya/) and [GitHub releases](https://github.com/BabylonJS/Exporters/releases). After it is loaded, Maya gets a **Babylon** menu. - Open **Babylon File Exporter** (Babylon docs: *Babylon tab on the top menu*, then *Babylon File Exporter*). - Set **Output format** to `gltf` or `glb`. Official: [Export Maya scene as glTF](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya_to_glTF/). - For PBR, Babylon recommends **AiStandardSurface** (Arnold) or legacy **Stingray PBS**, which are closer to the glTF material model than Lambert / Blinn / Phong. Those standard materials are converted, but the conversion is an approximation. - For **multiple animation clips**, open **Babylon → Animation groups**. Create a group, name it (Walk, Idle, and so on), and set start and end frames. Official section: [How to export multiple animation clips to .gltf format](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya_to_glTF/#how-to-export-multiple-animation-clips-to-gltf-format). - Confirm the plugin build supports your Maya version before you rely on it. Check the install page and latest release notes; do not assume a 2026 build exists. - **Commercial glTF exporters**, such as listings on the Autodesk App Store. Use the vendor's own docs for menu paths and supported Maya versions. This note does not invent those paths. ### Optional: OBJ + MTL, zipped with textures Use this for a static mesh when FBX or glTF is not convenient. Export the OBJ and its MTL, put them in a folder with every texture file, and compress the folder as ZIP, RAR, or 7z. Sketchfab recommends compressing uploads to stay under plan limits. OBJ does not carry animation. ## 3. Upload to Sketchfab If you did not use the Maya exporter: 1. Sign in at [sketchfab.com](https://sketchfab.com/). 2. Start a new upload (the site currently labels this along the lines of **Upload** / **Add a new model**; if the label has changed, use the upload control on your dashboard). 3. Drop the FBX, GLB, or archive onto the page, or browse to it. You can also add the loose `.gltf`, `.bin`, and images together, but a zip is simpler and often smaller. 4. While it processes, fill in the title, description, categories, and tags. Character limits documented for the API (useful as a ceiling) are: title 48, description 1024, tags 48 characters, at most 42 tags. Source: [developer guidelines](https://sketchfab.com/developers/guidelines). 5. Save as a draft until the presentation is finished, then publish. Current plan caps, from the official [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans) page as of this writing: | Plan | Max file size per model | Annotations | Uploads / month | |---|---|---|---| | Basic (free) | 100 MB | 10 | 10 | | Pro | 200 MB | 20 | 50 | | Premium | 500 MB | 50 | 200 | | Enterprise | 500 MB | 100 | Custom | The file size includes the mesh, textures, and any other files in the upload. A model marked downloadable does not count against the monthly upload limit. Private and password-protected models are Pro and above. > [!warning] > Sketchfab's older [Features](https://sketchfab.com/features) page still lists **50 MB** and **5 annotations** for free accounts. The [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans) page and the [developer guidelines](https://sketchfab.com/developers/guidelines) both say **100 MB** and, on Plans, **10 annotations** for Basic. Trust Plans for current entitlements, and recheck before you cut a file down or upgrade. ## 4. Open the 3D Settings editor After processing finishes, open **Edit 3D Settings** (sometimes shortened to **3D Settings**) from the model page or from the model's menu in your library. This is only available on models you own. The editor is a row of tabs. Official feature list: [Sketchfab Features — Editor](https://sketchfab.com/features). University write-ups that match the current tab set (icons in parentheses are from those guides, not a Sketchfab menu dump): - **Scene** (gear) — orientation, camera, background, camera limits, shading / wireframe - **Lighting** — environment / HDRI, lights, shadows - **Materials** — PBR or classic maps and material options - **Post-processing** — bloom, SSAO, depth of field, and other filters - **Annotations** (pin) — numbered hotspots / callouts - **Animation** (film strip) — clip list, speed, cycle, playback - **AR / VR** — scale, floor, initial view - **Sound** — optional audio Always click **Save settings** (and **Save View** when you set the default camera) or the work is lost. Source for the save-view step: [7 Essential Settings to Make Your Uploads Look Great](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/). If a control you expect is missing, it may be limited by plan. Check the in-editor note and [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans). ## 5. Scene, camera, background, and camera limits Work in the **Scene** tab. ### Orientation and pivot 1. Sit the model on the ground grid, bottom down, front toward the viewer. 2. Use the axis buttons (X / Y / Z) for 90-degree corrections, then the advanced rotation control if you need a finer aim. Official walk-through: [7 Essential Settings — Orientation & pivot](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/). 3. Double-click the background (or press Space on desktop) to reset the pivot to the model's bounding-box center. Double-click a part of the mesh to pivot around that point. 4. Frame the default camera, then click **Save View**. That view becomes the loading thumbnail in galleries and search. > [!tip] > If you orbit the model without using the straighten / orientation tools, you may be rotating the model and the ground plane together. Straighten the model relative to the grid first, then save the view. ### Field of view and navigation The editor includes **FOV** and camera parameters ([Features](https://sketchfab.com/features)). The viewer supports orbit, first-person, and (in VR) teleportation. Set a FOV that matches the subject: tighter for a hero prop, wider for an environment. ### Camera limits Camera limits live in the **Scene** tab, under the camera section (gear icon). Official announcement: [Introducing Camera Limits](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/introducing-camera-limits/). 1. Enable limits. 2. Constrain horizontal rotation, vertical rotation, and zoom (and pan, if the current editor still exposes it — the 2017 post documents rotation and zoom). 3. Drag the on-screen gizmo and use the preview so you can feel the constrained navigation. Use limits to hide an unfinished back, stop people from peeking under a ground plane, or keep a product shot on its best angle. Limits do not apply in VR — the 2017 post is explicit that the model remains viewable from all angles there. The 2017 announcement introduced this as a **Pro** feature. Current entitlement can change; confirm on [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans) if the control is disabled. ### Background In **Scene**, choose a background: - A **solid color** is the usual choice and works on every plan. - Sketchfab also ships built-in **image** and **HDRI** backgrounds. - **Custom** background images, HDRs, and matcaps are a paid-plan feature. The 2021 settings guide says **Pro and above**; confirm on [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans) (**Custom backgrounds**). A background should support the model, not compete with it. If you need the model to sit on a webpage's own color, prefer a matching solid color here rather than a transparent embed (see [[#11. Sketchfab embed options]]). ## 6. Lighting and environment Open the **Lighting** tab. Official capabilities from [Features](https://sketchfab.com/features): - **Image-based lighting (IBL)** from the environment / HDRI. - Up to **3 dynamic lights**: directional, hemispheric, point, or spot. - **Realtime shadows**. - A **ground shadow catcher**. Practical starting points, from [7 Essential Settings — Lighting and Ground shadow](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/): - Leave **Lit** mode on for most PBR assets. - Use **Shadeless** only when lighting is already baked into the textures (many raw scans, hand-painted or cartoon scenes, lightmapped environments). Adding Sketchfab lights on top of baked lighting will look wrong. - **Baked AO ground shadows** suit static models and work in Lit or Shadeless. - The **shadow catcher** suits static *and* animated models. It needs Lit mode and at least one light with shadows enabled. It reads as a directional key (sun) rather than soft ambient contact. Rotate the environment until the highlights sit well on metals and skin. Then add a key / fill / rim with the three dynamic lights if the HDRI alone is flat. Keep shadows soft enough that they do not flicker during orbit. A longer official walk-through is [How to Fine-tune your Lighting and Shadows on Sketchfab](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/how-to-fine-tune-your-lighting-and-shadows-on-sketchfab/). ## 7. PBR materials Open the **Materials** tab and select each material in the list. New uploads default to **PBR** rather than Classic. Source: [PBR Automatic Texture Mapping](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/automatic-pbr-texture-mapping/). Sketchfab supports two PBR workflows, plus a Classic mode. Official channel lists from [Features](https://sketchfab.com/features): **Metalness workflow:** Base color, Metalness, Specular F0, Roughness / Glossiness, Normal / Bump, Ambient occlusion, Cavity, Transparency, Emission, Subsurface scattering, Clear coat, Refraction, Face culling. **Specular workflow:** Albedo, Specular, Roughness / Glossiness, and the same extra channels as above. **Classic:** Diffuse, Specular, Normal, Bump, Lightmap, Transparency, Emission, Environment reflection, Face culling. Use Metalness for almost all game-style and product assets. Use Specular if your texture set was authored that way (some older or specular/gloss pipelines). Use Classic mainly for colored lightmaps or other cases PBR cannot represent well. For each material: 1. Confirm the workflow (Metalness vs Specular). 2. Check that auto-assigned maps landed in the right slots. Swap or disable a map if a roughness file was picked up as a normal, which happens when suffixes are vague (`_r` vs `_nrm`). 3. Set **roughness** and **metalness** values if you exported constant values instead of maps (dielectrics: metalness 0; raw metal: metalness 1 and a darkish roughness as needed). 4. Add **AO** and a **normal** map when you have them. AO is typically a grayscale map; do not leave a color texture in that slot. 5. For glass or cutouts, enable **Transparency** and pick the blending mode that matches the surface (cutout / alpha mask for foliage, blend or refraction for glass). Face culling is often off for thin surfaces such as leaves or planes you need to see from both sides. 6. Use **Emission** for screens, LEDs, and glowing elements. Keep it conservative; bloom will amplify it later. Supported texture formats in the viewer are listed as JPEG, PNG, and TGA, with more formats accepted at upload ([Features](https://sketchfab.com/features)). Prefer PNG for maps that need a clean alpha or uncompressed detail, and JPEG for large color maps if you are close to the file-size cap. ## 8. Post-processing Open the **Post-processing** tab. Official filters: Screen Space Reflection, Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, Grain, Depth of field, Sharpness, Chromatic Aberrations, Vignette, Bloom, Tone mapping, Color balance. Source: [Features](https://sketchfab.com/features). A longer guide: [The Sketchfab Guide to Post-Processing Filters](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/the-sketchfab-guide-to-post-processing-filters/). Recommended starting point from [7 Essential Settings](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/): - **Sharpness** — often useful; sometimes turn it *down* for scans. - **SSAO** — adds contact shading in cavities. - **Tone mapping** — affects both the model and the background. Adjust until the midtones look right. > [!warning] > Less is more. SSR, SSAO, Bloom, and Depth of Field are the expensive filters. They look good, but they make orbiting heavier, especially on laptops and phones. Add one, save, and view the published page on a phone before stacking all four. Grain, vignette, and chromatic aberration are easy to overuse in a portfolio embed. If the ArtStation page already has a strong frame, keep these subtle or off. ## 9. Annotations and callouts Annotations are the numbered hotspots viewers click to fly the camera and read a callout. They are the right tool for material callouts, animation "stops" in the narrative sense, and process notes on an ArtStation breakdown. Limits follow your plan (see the table in [[#3. Upload to Sketchfab]]). Steps, from Sketchfab's original announcement [Want your models to tell a story? Meet our new ANNOTATIONS feature](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/want-your-models-to-tell-a-story-meet-our-new-annotations-feature/) and the settings guide: 1. Open the **Annotations** tab (pin icon). 2. Move the camera to the framing you want for that callout. 3. **Double-click** the surface where the marker should sit. 4. Enter a **title** and **description**. Descriptions support Markdown: links, lists, emphasis, and images with ``. Official Markdown reminder is on Sketchfab; keep external image URLs stable. 5. Click the **camera** icon on that annotation in the list to store the current view. If you skip this, the camera may not fly to the framing you intended. 6. Drag annotations in the list to reorder them. Drag a numbered marker on the model to reposition it. Edit or delete from the list (pencil / trash). 7. For each annotation, decide whether the orbit pivot should stay on the scene center or jump to the annotation itself. A wrong pivot makes the camera feel like it is sliding off the subject. 8. **Save settings.** In the published viewer, people can click markers in any order or step through them with the annotation bar. Embeds can also run annotations on **Autopilot** (see [[#11. Sketchfab embed options]]). > [!tip] > Annotations travel with the Sketchfab viewer. When the model is embedded on ArtStation, the callouts and stored camera views go with it. The Model Inspector does not. Source: [ArtStation + Sketchfab help](https://support.fab.com/s/article/ArtStation?language=en_US). ## 10. Animation playback and clips If the file contained animation, open the **Animation** tab (film-strip icon). What Sketchfab plays, from [Features](https://sketchfab.com/features) and the [Animation feature page](https://sketchfab.com/features/animation): - Skeletal (bones / skin), rigid / solid animation, and morph targets (blend shapes). - An **animation list editor** and **animation selector** when the file has more than one clip. - **Speed** control and **cycle** (loop) control. - Standard **playback** controls in the viewer. Setup: 1. Confirm the clip (or clips) appeared. If the list is empty, the export did not include animation — go back to [[#Troubleshooting]]. 2. Pick the default clip for first playback. 3. Set speed and whether the clip loops or plays once. 4. If you exported several clips (typically via glTF animation groups), use the clip manager to name, order, and choose which ones are available in the selector. The editor manages clips that are already in the file; there is no official documentation that it can *split* one baked take into several clips. If you exported a single Maya take that is really several actions laid end to end, either re-export as separate groups or accept one long clip. 5. Save settings, then watch a full loop in the public viewer, not only in the editor. All clips have to live in **one** uploaded file. Sketchfab does not combine a mesh FBX with a separate animation FBX. That limitation is called out in contemporary coverage of the feature (for example [3DPrint.com's write-up](https://3dprint.com/110162/sketchfab-animations-in-3d/), which also pointed readers to Sketchfab's Help Center animation page). Geometry-cache / nCloth style vertex caches are an FBX feature in Maya, but they are not something to assume Sketchfab will play. Prefer skinned bones, baked transform animation, or morph targets. ## 11. Sketchfab embed options On the model page, open the **Embed** control (Sketchfab's 2021 post documents it as the `</> Embed` link below the model name). Official write-up: [Discover our New Embed Settings](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/discover-our-new-embed-settings/). Useful options: - **Autostart** — the model starts without a play click. - **Animated entrance** — a short spin-and-settle on load. - **Turntable / autospin** — automatic orbit. `1` is the default speed; `0.2` is slower; a negative value reverses direction. You can also set this as a URL parameter, for example `autospin=0.2`. - **Preload textures** — avoids low-res textures popping in. Not recommended as a default, especially for iOS. - **Transparent background** — lets the host page show through. It costs some performance, disables anti-aliasing (jagged edges), and can break filters such as depth of field. A solid color in 3D Settings is usually better. - **Annotations** — show or hide markers on load, **preselect** a starting annotation, and enable **Autopilot** with a pause (in seconds) on each one. - **Theme**, caption, and fixed pixel size vs. responsive size. Hiding header / controls is a higher-plan embed option. Removing the Sketchfab logo or outbound link is a still higher (Premium / Enterprise) option. Confirm on [Plans](https://sketchfab.com/plans). For a generic website, copy the iframe code. For ArtStation, you usually paste the **model URL**, optionally with query parameters, not the raw iframe. ArtStation documents that **preload** and **autostart** URL parameters are supported: [ArtStation Sketchfab help](https://support.fab.com/s/article/ArtStation?language=en_US). Example of a URL with parameters (replace with your model id or short link): ``` https://sketchfab.com/models/YOUR_MODEL_ID/embed?autostart=1&preload=1 ``` If ArtStation's field wants the model page URL rather than `/embed`, add the same `?autostart=1` (and any other supported parameters) to the page URL instead. If a parameter is ignored, fall back to the documented model URL with `preload` and `autostart` only. ## 12. Embed or showcase on ArtStation Do this only after the Sketchfab presentation is saved: default view, materials, lights, annotations, and animation. Current official steps, from Epic / Fab's ArtStation article [(Sketchfab) ArtStation](https://support.fab.com/s/article/ArtStation?language=en_US): 1. On ArtStation, click **Upload** in the top-right corner and choose **New Artwork**. 2. Among the asset options, choose **Sketchfab**. 3. Paste your Sketchfab **model URL**. 4. Append supported URL parameters such as `preload` and `autostart` if you want the viewer to start immediately. 5. Add stills, process shots, a title, description, tags, and software credits as you would for any ArtStation project. ArtStation recommends breakdowns alongside 3D: [How do I get more visibility for my work?](https://help.artstation.com/en/articles/16155143-how-do-i-get-more-visibility-for-my-work). 6. Publish. The **Model Inspector** is not available inside an ArtStation embed. Viewers can still orbit, play animation, and use annotations. > [!tip] > Older ArtStation and Sketchfab posts (2014–2015) say to click an **Add 3D Model** button and paste the URL. If your account still shows that wording while editing an existing project, it is the same idea: add a Sketchfab asset and paste the URL. Prefer the current **Upload → New Artwork → Sketchfab** path from the Fab help article when you are starting a new post. The model on Sketchfab must be **publicly viewable** (or otherwise accessible to anonymous viewers). A private or password-protected Sketchfab model will not display correctly in an ArtStation portfolio for other people. ## 13. Alternative: Marmoset Viewer on ArtStation ArtStation also hosts interactive 3D through **Marmoset Viewer**, without Sketchfab. Official help: [How do I showcase a Marmoset scene?](https://help.artstation.com/en/articles/16155239-how-do-i-showcase-a-marmoset-scene). 1. In **Marmoset Toolbag 2**, use **File → Viewer Export** to write a `.mview` file. (The help article specifies Toolbag 2. If you are on a newer Toolbag, confirm the current export command in [Marmoset's documentation](https://marmoset.co/docs/) — this note does not invent that path.) 2. Add the `.mview` file to the ArtStation project. ArtStation's file-size caps for this path, per that article: - Free accounts: **15 MB** per file - Pro: **50 MB** per file Use Marmoset when you already light and present the scene in Toolbag and want that look on ArtStation. Use Sketchfab when you want annotations, clip switching, a shareable Sketchfab page, and the Maya-to-web path described above. You can also put both on the same ArtStation project, next to stills and video. ## Troubleshooting ### Missing textures - Re-export FBX with **Embed Media** enabled, or zip the model with every texture in the same archive (and an MTL, if you used OBJ). - Confirm the maps are UV textures, not Maya procedurals. - Check the Maya **Script Editor** if you used the Sketchfab exporter; texture-format warnings land there. - In 3D Settings → Materials, see whether the slots are empty or swapped, then assign maps manually. - Very large or unusual image formats can fail even when "most formats" are accepted at upload. Convert to PNG or JPEG and retry. ### Scale and units - If the model is tiny or enormous, check Maya **Preferences > Settings** units and the FBX **File units converted to** / **Scale Factor** values. Official: [FBX Export options — Units](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2025/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-FE8DBEAA-C2DD-43B3-9933-4BA4CDDEAA89.htm). A Scale Factor of `1.0` means no conversion. - Do not change Maya's system units as a way to "resize" a finished scene unless you understand that Maya can change the unit label without scaling the geometry. - After upload, use Scene orientation so the model sits on the grid, and use the **AR / VR** tab to set real-world scale for headset / AR viewing. Source: [7 Essential Settings — VR/AR scale](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/). ### Flipped or black faces (normals) - Reverse the affected faces in Maya and re-export with **Smoothing Groups** on. - In Sketchfab, try the material's **Face culling** option, or turn culling off for thin shells. - A normal map in DirectX vs OpenGL orientation can look inset rather than raised. If the surface lighting looks inverted but the mesh is fine, flip the green channel of the normal map and re-upload, or check whether the material editor offers a Y / green flip. If that control is not present in your editor, fix the map offline rather than guessing at a menu name. ### Animation does not play - Confirm **Animation** and **Bake Animation** were on, and that Start / End covered the clip (Step `1`). - Enable **Skins** and **Blend Shapes** under **Deformed Models** if the character is skinned or uses morphs. - Bake Maya constraints, IK, and procedural controllers. Unsupported constraints will not evaluate on Sketchfab. - Put every clip in a **single** file. Do not upload a mesh and a second animation file. - For multiple clips, export glTF / GLB with Babylon **Animation groups**, not a single FBX Take 001, unless you only need one take. - Vertex caches / nCloth geometry caches are not a documented Sketchfab playback path. Bake to a supported method. - After a successful upload, check the **Animation** tab and save settings so playback and looping are actually enabled. ### File is rejected or will not finish processing - Compare the compressed upload size with your [plan limit](https://sketchfab.com/plans). - Downsize textures (2K instead of 8K where it will not show), convert to JPEG for color maps, remove unused UV sets and history, and export a Binary FBX or a Draco-compressed GLB if your glTF tool supports Draco. - Zip the upload. Sketchfab recommends ZIP / RAR / 7z both for bandwidth and to pack sidecar textures. - If you hit the monthly upload cap, remember that making a model downloadable stops it from counting, and that next-month quota resets according to your account — confirm the current rule on Plans rather than assuming a calendar month. ### The Sketchfab Maya exporter does not appear - It is documented only for **Maya 2014–2022**. On Maya 2023+, use manual export. - Confirm the shelf is set to **Custom**, and review the Script Editor for load errors. - The official exporter page is the right place for installers and support: [Maya Exporter](https://sketchfab.com/exporters/maya). ### The ArtStation embed is blank - Confirm the Sketchfab model is published and publicly viewable. - Paste the model URL, not only an iframe snippet, unless ArtStation's current form explicitly asks for embed code (the official article says URL). - Try the URL with and without `/embed` and with `autostart=1`. - Temporarily disable a transparent background or heavy post-processing if the viewer starts but looks broken. ## Checklist - [ ] Scene cleaned; units checked; pivot and orientation sensible in Maya - [ ] Procedurals and lights baked to textures where needed - [ ] Texture files named with PBR suffixes - [ ] Normals inspected; hard edges / smoothing groups considered - [ ] FBX exported as **Binary** with **Embed Media**, **Smoothing Groups**, and (if animated) **Bake Animation** at Step `1` — or a glTF / GLB / zip equivalent - [ ] Multiple clips, if any, exported as named animation groups in one file - [ ] Upload is under the plan's file-size cap - [ ] Uploaded to Sketchfab as a draft - [ ] Scene orientation, pivot, default camera, and **Save View** done - [ ] Camera limits set if the presentation should be constrained - [ ] Background and IBL chosen; lights and ground shadow checked - [ ] Each material's PBR slots verified - [ ] Post-processing kept light enough for phones - [ ] Annotations placed, titled, and given stored cameras - [ ] Animation plays, loops (or does not), and clip switching works - [ ] Settings saved; public page reviewed on desktop and a phone - [ ] ArtStation artwork created with the **Sketchfab** asset type and the model URL - [ ] Stills / breakdowns added beside the embed; project published ## Sources Official documentation and vendor pages used for this note. Prefer these over older blog posts when they disagree. - [Sketchfab Maya exporter](https://sketchfab.com/exporters/maya) - [Sketchfab Features and specifications](https://sketchfab.com/features) - [Sketchfab Plans & Pricing](https://sketchfab.com/plans) - [Sketchfab Animation](https://sketchfab.com/features/animation) - [Sketchfab developer guidelines (formats, size limits, metadata)](https://sketchfab.com/developers/guidelines) - [Sketchfab Viewer API](https://sketchfab.com/developers/viewer) - [Autodesk: Export an FBX file from Maya](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2024/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-C64CFD18-517C-47A2-9E5D-489EC5D6480C.htm) - [Autodesk: FBX Export options](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2025/ENU/Maya-Interoperability/files/GUID-FE8DBEAA-C2DD-43B3-9933-4BA4CDDEAA89.htm) (Maya 2025 help; option names also apply to current FBX export in later Maya versions, but confirm in your copy of the dialog) - [Babylon.js: Install the Maya plugin](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya/) - [Babylon.js: Export Maya scene as glTF](https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/Exporters/Maya_to_glTF/) - [ArtStation: (Sketchfab) help](https://support.fab.com/s/article/ArtStation?language=en_US) - [ArtStation: How do I showcase a Marmoset scene?](https://help.artstation.com/en/articles/16155239-how-do-i-showcase-a-marmoset-scene) - [ArtStation: How do I get more visibility for my work?](https://help.artstation.com/en/articles/16155143-how-do-i-get-more-visibility-for-my-work) Sketchfab community posts and a university guide used for editor walk-throughs (tab labels and click-by-click steps). These are accurate to the editor as described, but they are not a substitute for Sketchfab's Help Center if a control has moved: - [7 Essential Settings to Make Your Uploads Look Great](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/7-essential-settings-to-make-your-uploads-look-great/) (2021) - [PBR Automatic Texture Mapping](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/automatic-pbr-texture-mapping/) - [Want your models to tell a story? Meet our new ANNOTATIONS feature](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/want-your-models-to-tell-a-story-meet-our-new-annotations-feature/) - [Introducing Camera Limits](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/introducing-camera-limits/) - [Discover our New Embed Settings](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/discover-our-new-embed-settings/) - [The Sketchfab Guide to Post-Processing Filters](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/the-sketchfab-guide-to-post-processing-filters/) - [How to Fine-tune your Lighting and Shadows on Sketchfab](https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/how-to-fine-tune-your-lighting-and-shadows-on-sketchfab/) - [Union College: Editing 3D Settings](https://libguides.union.edu/sketchfab/3d-settings) and [Changing Scene Settings](https://libguides.union.edu/sketchfab/scene) Sketchfab's in-product Help Center is referenced from several of the pages above, but a stable public URL for each topic was not confirmed while writing this note. If a menu label here does not match what you see, start from the model page's **Edit 3D Settings** and from the Help Center link inside the Sketchfab UI.