Maya Bonus Tools Resource Page - BonusTools 2018 Available

The link to the Maya LT bonus tools is broken. Would it be possible to repair it?

Any idea when bonus tools for maya 2018 will be out?

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Wonderful Website. http://taperedplugs.com/metal-tapered-plugs-for-heat-exchangers/

For anyone who meets the problem like "Can't find Unfold3d" in 2017 LT, check this post. http://antanas.curonia.lt/2017/05/fix-unfold3d-in-maya-lt-2017-bonus-tools.html

Create Digital Number node broken in Bonus Tools for Maya 2017! I just can't find "polydigits1" WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, AUTODESK?

Create Digital Number node not working. PlyTools.mll installed (ckeck in plugins). What wrong?

I see now that there's Orientation option, however the tool should generate the Normals outward not default 1 inward.

Hi Steve, good to have BT back in 2017, I was happy to try the new simple Tube to Mesh script only to find out that the resulting mesh still has reversed normals. Why is that? Why can't the script generate the mesh with already correct normals?

Hi, I have a issue with Maya 2016 Ext 2 and bonus tools. >I recive this "bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 970: Cannot find procedure "u3dUnfold" I've tried to change with the new bt_autoUnwrapUVtool but it still don't work... any help?

Auto Unwrap doesn't seem to work when render layers exist. Is there a fix for this, or do I have to do all my unwrapping prior to building render layers? (I'm using 2016, and I have installed the 7-20-16 unwrap fix. Thanks, David

Maya 2017 BonusTools list of Items does not display in the Plugin manager therefore enabling 3DS import becomes unreadable , Bonus Tolls is loaded and still works fine. Why Items not displayed?

Hi man, Just tested with the new fix 07-21-16, works perfectly. But One thing I noticed is that, before autounwrap used to scale all the UV shells relative to its size. but now it doesn't seem to work, and some parts are left without scaling..

Tcampos - Sorry about that. While trying to fix a recent problem related to Maya 2016 Ext 2, I inadvertently broke this tool for 2016 users. I've posted another fix up about.

Hi there.. I downloaded the bonus tools but the unfold3D was not working then I came here. I've juste downloaded the new bt_autoUnwrapUVtool and replaced it in my folder but it still don't work... Sad... Someone have an idea ? Here is my error : // Error: file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2016/bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 970: Cannot find procedure "u3dUnfold". // bonusToolsHelp "/docs/MayaBonusTools-2016.pdf";

@sketchguy - Sorry for the problems. There is now a fix for the Unfold3D issue posted above.

Don't know if my previous post made it through: Attempting to run Auto Unwrap UVs with Maya 2016.5 (Extension 2) OS X 10.11.5 and get following error: // Error: file: /Users/Shared/Autodesk/ApplicationAddins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2016/bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 970: Cannot find procedure "Unfold3D". // Plugin is loaded - version 1.0 API 201650 Thx.

@ STLR Your post: @dwhite - The Auto Unwrap tool uses the unfold3d plugin which needs to be loaded from the plugin manager. This error means the plugin isn't loaded. -- I couldn't tell you how long it took me to look that up, and here it was all along. Thanks for the help. We have multiple people log in to our computers, so I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work for just one user. There it was...Preferences. Just so you can look it up, I will include the code that I saw, just in case someone copies and pastes it here... my error file read... Error: file: /Users/Shared/Autodesk/ApplicationAddins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2016/bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 970: Cannot find procedure "Unfold3D". Maya 2016 - Mac OS 10.10.5

Thx a lot for your help. I need only this particular tool but i guess others wouldn't be needless.

@SmartBanana - if you use the regular Maya 2016 BonusTools installer it is included. If you use the LT BonusTools install package (zip) it is not.

Sry, my bad.Just trying to find normal randomize tool.

@SmartBanana - are you using the LT version? If so no unfortunately not, as it's based on a Python script and therefore not compatible with LT.

I can not find randomize tool. Is it in the pack? [img]https://pp.vk.me/c631520/v631520759/14900/CekBia9H8K0.jpg[/img]

?????? ????! ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ??????????????? ?????? ??? ??????

installed but now i get this error maya2016 ext1sp3 win7x64 // Error: file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2016/scripts/startup/autoLoadPlugin.mel line 46: The specified procedure could not be found. (PolyTools) // updateRendererUI; // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "channels" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "floatComposite" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorComposite" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "floatCondition" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorCondition" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "floatConstant" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorConstant" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "floatCorrect" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorCorrect" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "floatLogic" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorLogic" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorMask" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "colorMath" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "premultiply" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "unpremultiply" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. // // Warning: line 1: (Mayatomr.Nodes) : Node "simplexNoise" is expected to be existing in Maya. It will be translated according to ghost shader declaration. //

maya2015/2016 bonustools assembly manager get error :ElementTree.py line 647:2# Anyone got error like this? Whats wrong with this error? how to fix this?

Not sure if this helps. I the Script editor this what appears when Maya initially loads. I haven't yet clicked on LayOut tools. // Error: line 1: Cannot find procedure "l". // if (`layout -ex LT_form` && `dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock` && (`optionVar -q LT_UIMode` != 0)) {dockControl -e -visible 0 LT_Dock;optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; raiseChannelBox;}else if (`layout -ex LT_form` && `dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock` && (`optionVar -q LT_UIMode` == 0)) {optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 0; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;}else if (`layout -ex LT_form` && (!`dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock`)){optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 0; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;} else {optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 1; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;}; // Error: manipMoveAlignHandleWith($edgeCheck[0], $dummyList); // // Error: "C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_transformProcs.mel" line 139.55: Wrong number of arguments on call to manipMoveAlignHandleWith. // // Error: manipMoveAlignHandleWith($faceCheck[0], $dummyList); // // Error: "C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_transformProcs.mel" line 156.55: Wrong number of arguments on call to manipMoveAlignHandleWith. // // Error: manipMoveAlignHandleWith($directionalEdge, $moveObjs); // // Error: "C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_transformProcs.mel" line 239.54: Wrong number of arguments on call to manipMoveAlignHandleWith. // // Error: manipMoveAlignHandleWith($targetFace, $moveObjs); // // Error: "C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_transformProcs.mel" line 314.49: Wrong number of arguments on call to manipMoveAlignHandleWith. // if (`layout -ex LT_form` && `dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock` && (`optionVar -q LT_UIMode` != 0)) {dockControl -e -visible 0 LT_Dock;optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; raiseChannelBox;}else if (`layout -ex LT_form` && `dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock` && (`optionVar -q LT_UIMode` == 0)) {optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 0; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;}else if (`layout -ex LT_form` && (!`dockControl -q -visible LT_Dock`)){optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 0; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;} else {optionVar -intValue LT_RebuildUI 1; optionVar -iv LT_UIMode 1; LT_UI;}; // Error: file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_UI.mel line 42: Cannot find procedure "LT_snapAlignProcs". // Cheers MR H

I have Bonus Tools loaded and so far everthing is working OK. When I went to use Layout Tools this is what popped up. // Error: "C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_transformProcs.mel" line 314.49: Wrong number of arguments on call to manipMoveAlignHandleWith. Then when I click on Layout Tools again this then pops up. Cannot find procedure "LT_snapAlignProcs". Start of trace: (file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_UI.mel, line 42). LT_snapAlignProcs (file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/LT_UI.mel, line 42). LT_UI (command window: line 1). Not sure what is wrong. I checked that LT_snapAlignProcs was in the correct folder. That was OK. Any feed back would be great. I just love this plugin Layout Tools. Cheer & Merry Christmas Steve Regards MR H

Thanks for replying I've been awaiting long time :-) I now understand how the Zero Pivot Tools works, thanks for the reference point on the video. Let me understand, with regards to Insert Intermediate Mesh Shape, so I'm following you, whether I find this useful I'll have to put it though it's paces then hopefully I can let you know whether you should dangle it in future versions of Bonus Tools, or remove it completely ? I select a mesh, run Insert Intermediate Mesh Shape, then modify the mesh in the node that is spliced and only this node, it then runs downstream to the mesh ? Can you add topology to the mesh while retaining topology if used for BlendShapes ? I'm wondering if this node adds the function for different point counts whereas typically point counts for blend shapes must remain the same, or am I completely wrong ? What is Snap Align Objects ? I thought you can snap objects to polygon mesh while retaining the orientation, for example, you wanted a series of boxes on a sphere, the boxes would orient to the faces or normals on the sphere, there is already another tool for this, correct ? Snap and Lock Curve Points, this locks the locators to point on a curve or until the curve moves, in other words the curve can't move? Orient to Vertices / Edges Tool, I was unable to get it to work ? I have a suggestion for Create Menu from Shelf, is it possible in a future versions of Bonus Tools that the shelf gets saved even when restarting Maya ? The new UV Creation Tools in BT2015, is it also possible in future versions to pin vertices so they don't get affected by the unwrap ? Also the ability to straighten UV shells edge ? Is it required that the mesh have a UV projection applied, that is what I understood how the new tool works, it would be nice if this wasn't required ! I want to mention I like the File Browser, really beneficial, what I don't like is the GUI it doesn't fit into Maya native UI !

@FalconCrest - Zero Pivot Tools: In Maya if you move the pivot of an object then it will apply that move as local pivot value. The Zero Pivot Tools allow you to transfer/convert the local values of the pivot on a given object to the actual transform values, thus making the local pivot values 0,0,0 ( i.e. "zero" ) I cover this in the "what's new in BT 2015" movie at the top of this page, starting at about the 4:55 mark. Insert Intermediate Mesh Shape: I did not write this tool and have not been able to locate the person who did write it. It's quite old so I imagine that person is no longer at AD. I'm a little unclear myself of what the original intent of the tool is. I've considered retiring it as I'm not sure if anyone even needs/uses it. Technically it will create a mesh node and splice it in upstream of a mesh edit node (e.g. polyExtrudeFace) that you have selected from the ChannelBox. In theory you could then make edits to that mesh shape that would be applied to the middle of the construction history and then passed downstream. I personally have not found a practical use for doing this, but apparently someone out there had a use for it in some special case (maybe BlendShapes?) I'd say it's probably not all that useful to 99% of users.

Few Bonus Tools questions ! Q1. I don't understand the Zero Point Tools, can you create a video tutorial of the difference between the traditional Maya pivot tools and the Zero Point tools ? Q2. Mesh History Edit > Insert Intermediate Mesh Shape How do you use this node, do you simply select a node in the node editor, and a duplicate of that object is created with the node operation you selected in the node editor ?

@lasercade - I have heard of similar issues from other users but I can not seem to reproduce this myself. The issues appear to have started when people upgraded to the 2015 Extension, but I am using the Extension and no matter what I try I can't reproduce. Do this happen only on certain objects or all objects? Have you tried it on a simple sphere?

I LOVE the AUTO UNWRAP UVs Tool esp with UNFOLD 3d. However, since installing Win64 2015 Ext 1, I'm getting errors when I try to use the tool: // Error: file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 643: No object matches name: unwrapBaseShaderSG Any way to fix this? I'm seeing other users experiencing the same thing. Thanks! mm

@moifa - the way the installer is setup it will only install the tools that were available for BT 2014 for Maya 2014. Some of the newer bonusTools are dependent on features that are only in Maya 2015. That said... I think the newer LT stuff should work fine in Maya 2014. So in theory you can search for the scripts with "LT_" prefix and then copy them from the BT 2015 scripts folder to the BT 2015 scripts folder. It should work.

Firstly thanks for this great toolset. It is awesome! I recently installed the new bonustool 2014/15 onto my Maya 2014. But the LayoutTools is grey out for some reason, do I need to install additional plugin to get it working? Isn't this intergrated to the bonus tool package installer?

@squeez - there is a movie at the top of this page that covers all of the new features in 2015. @dwhite - The Auto Unwrap tool uses the unfold3d plugin which needs to be loaded from the plugin manager. This error means the plugin isn't loaded.

// Error: file: C:/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins/MayaBonusTools/Contents/scripts-2015/bt_autoUnwrapUVTool.mel line 814: Cannot find procedure "Unfold3D". hmmm Files missing?

Hello Master, where are the BonusTools Tips, Tricks and Tutorials for the Maya 2015 Bonus Tools ?

@cully_o - Unfold3D is a plugin so you will need to load it from Plugin Manager @Rivojen - It's possible. Looking into but probably wont' happen right away as it will have to be simplified for LT (i.e. it's not just a simple thing to do.) Summer is too crazy but I can try to work on it this fall.

I'm with Rivojen, would love to have Bonus tools for Maya LT, after seeing the workflow alone for auto unwrap would love to be able to have this feature. Any idea if this will be added?

Any chance the BT's are coming over to Maya LT?

Great Tools, thanks for the update. Had an error, unable to find "Unfold3D" in one of the bonustool mel scripts on line 811. Fixed it by deleting prefs in documents folders for anyone that may get the same issue. Again, thanks and keep up the good work.

Glad to finally have BT and LT in hand. Glad to see what feels like a move toward more cross-version compatibility. Maybe that will help to make it easier to have Maya and BT release simultaneously in the future. Those heads-up widgets have sure been a problem (as I recall, they had been broken before keeping you from updating BT due to use in the AutoUnwrap UVs Tool). I personally prefer floating HUD-style controls as more ergonomic than marking menus when one needs to do multiple accesses (like with Modeling Toolkit tools). It would be nice if they could look as nice as the Edit Mesh (Face) Extrude controls.

@VoidTheVision - not sure what's going on there but you might want to try with a fresh set of prefs. Also try typing in "bonusToolsMenu" from the command prompt.

Really need help. I just installed Bonus Tools for Maya 2012, but the menu is not showing. I tried putting the python and the MEL script in my maya prefs folder, but it's not working.

@otisMcuevas - We are so close. Just doing some final QA. Soon!!

I was curious if Bonus Tools for Maya 2015 is coming soon?

Another perhaps more import suggestion is script to create perfect circles on the surface! I have this one little script "sort circle tool" from CreativeCrash but it's not longer available there(https://vimeo.com/65246315). It does it's job but it's very limited compared to the one form link bellow! Great example how this could be made is plugin for Softimage called MX_Roundish. --> http://maxfoxlab.com/mx_roundish.html Please if possible something like this, i would be eternally grateful!

Any chance for some more "robust" selection actions? So basically beside selecting every n-th edge ring/loop at least to have also option to select every n-th face and n-th vertex. Good example of that more robust selection plugin is from Nitro4D --> http://nitro4d.com/blog/freebie/magic-select/ Very useful and interesting for different selection action from randomize selections to even various patterns! It would be nice to have something similar in Bonus Tools also!

to STLR: Thank you, sir!

@pioneercolin - looks like they reorged the plugin page somewhere along the way. Here is the new link. I'll update the main link above as well. area.autodesk.com/downloads/index/plugins/8/views/

the " Legacy Maya BonusTools Installers " link is died, what's going on? I can't download 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013, anyone can tell me what's happen about the sever of AREA

@STLR. Thank you

@STLR - okay thank you. I think the software that installs/uninstalls must check that Maya if first installed and then aborts if it's not. Works well for an install but not for an uninstall. I will have to leave it installed, bleh.

@akhon - There is a link at the top of the page for legacy installers. You can find the 2013 installers there. @s0rbet - Sorry you're having trouble. I have not actually seen this happen myself. I'm not sure what is going on there but we will look into it. In the meantime I unfortunately don't know of an alternative. @ayhan35 - This is in part why it's an unsupported plugin. There have been reports of this happening with certain 3ds files. I would recommend opening the 3ds file in Max and then exporting to fbx for transfer to Maya.

I installed Maya 2014, installed the 2014 bonus tools, uninstalled Maya 2013 and went to uninstall the 2013 bonus tools - but it won't let me run the uninstaller because it needs Maya 2013 installed "prior to installation" - but I'm not installing! I want to uninstall - are you seriously saying I have to reinstall Maya 2013 just so I can uninstall the bonus tools? That seems a bit ridiculous. Please let me know if there's a work around, I don't want to download and reinstall a piece of software I don't need just for a 39MB uninstall.

Do you know where I can download Bonus Tools for Maya 2013? I downloaded Bonus Tools 2014, but it didn't work for Maya 2013. Thanks!

Hi, I've installed the 3ds plugin into the plugin folder. It seems to be that Maya 2014 (Mac) imports the 3ds file, but I can't see it anywhere. Any idea where I make a mistake? Thanks for your help.

A big thank you to STLR for posting the 3DS import Plug-in for the Mac....I am so happy!!! You are a gentleman and a scholar of the highest order!

I've added the MAYA_MODULE_PATH approach to my blog. Many thanks for your insight :)

I suppose either approach will work. Although use the suggested approach would probably require fewer steps. You wouldn't need to worry about multiple separate paths (e.g. python) but instead just one.

Thank you STLR, I solved it like described here in my blog: http://fredrikaverpil.tumblr.com/post/52395394167 Do you think that the MAYA_MODULE_PATH approach is better or did I cover everything that needed to be done?

@Fredrik - One option is to install it on 1 computer in the default location, then copy the full BT install folder wherever you want it. Then you will need to simply add that location/path to your MAYA_MODULE_PATH env variable for that computer/user.

In regard to my previous post. This is one way to extract the contents of the MSI installer but it will require you to manually rename the MacOS, linux or win64 directories to "plug-ins" (and perhaps other things as well): msiexec /a filepath to MSI file /qb TARGETDIR=filepath to target folder

Hi, I miss the possibility to install Bonus Tools onto a central location and then have it load from each workstation in the office without the need of a local installation on each machine. The new installer for Bonus Tools 2014 does not offer the possibility to choose your own installation path. Is there any workaround? Regards, Fredrik

Thank you STLR

@stumanchu - the mac 3dsimport plugin has been posted above.

@zzz7net - I just tried it in both 2013 and 2014 and it works fine for me. Does it do this on every mesh or just certain meshes? What happens if you try it on a default sphere?

The problem is that you can`t undo the Mirror Instance Mesh. So you need to open the scene again

Mirror Instance Mesh still not working as in 2013 ... pfffff ... Undo mirror instance mesh action will destroy whole mesh ... wow :(

Hello STLR, Good question! I primarily find thousands of free .3ds models on the internet from various free model sites and furniture and lighting design companies. I use these models for architectural visualizations and building themed environments. This type of activity can demand a huge library of models to cover any style of environment I want to create. It's true, Max only runs on the PC, but even if you are on a Mac using Maya, you can still import and use .3ds models and the .3ds Import Plug-in is a massive timesaver when it comes to quickly opening and viewing a .3ds model to see if it is useable and if all the parts are in tact. Often times the models import a little strange, they may be off in outer space, which is quickly fixed by adjusting the perspective camera clipping plane by adding a 0. Sometimes the models are extremely large and just need to be scaled back down to a usable size on the grid, and then just freeze transformations and save as a .MA or .MB and put it in the library. After I check in the outliner to see if all the parts are separate and not blended into a single mesh (which can sometimes be a massive problem to remap UV's), I usually just move on to better models. I also just reassign a single default lambert to the entire model if all the pieces are intact, and re-texture as needed. Sometimes I will use the FBX viewer to preview models before taking them into Maya because the FBX preview provides a quick drag and drop alternative to opening them first in Maya. If the model doesn't open in the FBX viewer, chances are it will be corrupt and not open in Maya. The popularity of Max over the years as the main tool for creating models of all kinds, good modelers generously upload for free or sometimes non-commercial use (or use with permission), and a huge variety of works have been created and can easily be harvested from the internet. When assembling an environment, it's very easy to rack up a huge number of various models and that's why I try and convert and archive as many models as I can find. It's a laborious task sometimes but it's worth it when you need a specific style of furniture or lights or props etc. So, that's why I love the .3ds Plug-in and although it has it's faults, many of the problems can be quickly fixed manually, and I suspect that the instability issues are caused by the actual original creation methods of the model and the method that was used to save the model in the .3ds format. Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated on my end. Thanks for the good work on your tutorials as well....I always learn something good from you... Cheers! Stu

@stumanchu - I think I should be able to post the Mac plugin as well. I'll look into it. Stay tuned... But I'm curious to know more about your workflow though. So you have 3ds files that you use in Maya on a Mac... but where did those files come from? Since Max only runs on PC are you using both PC and Mac? Or are these just legacy assets that you made in the past that you simply want to reuse? Do you have an entire library of assets in 3ds format that you repurpose or just a few misc files? What's the end result for those files? Are you assembly environments? Do you ultimately render in Maya? Going to Unity by chance? Sorry to be nosy but I'm just curious and wanting to understand how the plugin is being used? I'm sure it's a bit different for everyone but I am particularly curious about your situation... being on a Mac.

Hey guys, Thanks for responding so quickly to requests for the .3DS Import. I just downloaded the .3DS Import Plug-in and noticed that the package only contained a .mll, and I'm on a mac....Is there any chance of getting this as a .bundle format? Sorry to be a pain! Thanks for anything you can do! All the best!

@swanny2070 as Steven said, we've been putting our effort into FBX over 3DS and that is our recommended format for interop. If you're going between Softimage, 3ds Max and Maya, we recommend the "Send To" workflows. If FBX is not working, please let us know where

Since Autodesk owns both Maya and 3DS, WHY can't you just add natively .3ds files to import in Maya? Every single time I use a new version, I need to scour the Area or Autodesk site looking for the damn .3ds import plugin. It totally sucks. I can't believe this hasn't come up in a developer meeting or something. I believe you should be able to import/export files between Max, Maya, Softimage, etc.

Hello STRL my apologies , I forgot to tell you that I'm working on mac so i'm waiting the bundle file , hope you make it thanks

NOTE: The 3dsImport plugin has now been posted above.

The Adjust Clipping Plane (in Bonus Tools>Display) just saved me a ton of headaches! I am new to Bonus Tools -- never heard of them before today. Great tools and tips. I'll be here more often.

@Manel - I'm looking into the feasibility of posting the 3dsImport plugin separately. In the meantime the standalone fbx converter should be able to convert your 3ds files into fbx, which can then be opened directly in Maya. If you have a chance, try that workaround out let me know if it works.

hello stl fbx isn't available with vue xstream export, and i only have 2 option for export : obj or 3ds (when you work with maya ), and 3ds on maya 2013 work very well , never have problem , ans it keep groups and layer , obj no, 3ds export on vue is a very flexible option for export (decimation master,baking light and maps etc....so all for game resolution) and for me it was a very good and quick workflow befor exporting for unity.i built halt of scene in maya (props, arch etc...) landscape in vue, and rebuild all in low in maya by 3ds export from vue ,and final export on unity. fbx -dae is only available for import in vue not in export option. Please , give us 3ds import option , in 2013 it was working very well, never have bugs or unstable result.

Could someone link the BonusTools 2014 as a regular download link? It just won't download on the apps exchange page (says shortly "loading" and vanishes without a download). It's pretty annoying not to get it ...

@manel - it was actually retired due to stability issues. Have you tried using the fbx standalone coverter to converts your 3ds files to fbx which can then be imported directly. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=16126812

all work fine but i don't see 3ds import , did you forget it ? i really need it , i have somme 3ds scene to import and i cant.

@tinanewtonart5 - I'm sorry but I have only seen this happen in the initial 2013 release due to a bug, but that bug was fixed in the first SP. Assuming you have uninstalled 2013 and then installed SP1 or SP2 then the HUD buttons should work fine. I wish I had an answer for you otherwise. The only thing that I can think to recommend is to try it on a different machine which I understand may or may not be an option.

I have to say I have done everything in this forum and all other ones on the issue "Auto UV Unwrap controls are not displaying in HUD window." I have copied the mel and python files to the scripts folder in the my Docs> Maya> 2013x64> scripts folder. I installed the service pack 1 & 2 after uninstalling maya each time. I have attempted to see if any other HUD plugins were conflicting. I even reset maya to defaults and reinstalled bonus tools. I am quite upset by this dilemma. Since my instructor wants us to use it to UV map our projects that are due in 3DAYS!!!!!!!!

bt_SceneAnnotation will not delete: I never posted a file before, how do you go about doing that?

where is fti_exporter? I need it to create icons for new shaders!

@rnj1223 - Weird. No idea what is going on here. Is there a way that you can posted the problematic file so I can take a look at it?

First, Thank you for your help. Below is from the script editor of one of the Maya-2013.5 files that I created the bt_SceneAnnotation window in. I tryed the ls "bt_SceneAnnotation*"; and delete "bt_SceneAnnotation*"; as shown below. ====================================================== // Warning: Could not find an appropriate startup camera: side. A substitute will be used. // Creating node bt_SceneAnnotation. Adding notes attribute to node. Creating scriptNode for opening Scene Annotation window. ls "bt_SceneAnnotation*"; // Result: bt_SceneAnnotation bt_SceneAnnotationScript // delete "bt_SceneAnnotation*"; file -save; // Result: C:/Users/xxxxxx/xxxxxxxx/IN WORK FOLDER/Maya - Object Scene/XXXScene.mb // ==================================================== After saving the file and closing it down, I reopened that same file. As you can see below in the copy from the script editor, it is still creating the bt_SceneAnnotation. ===================================================== // Warning: Could not find an appropriate startup camera: side. A substitute will be used. // Creating node bt_SceneAnnotation. Adding notes attribute to node. Creating scriptNode for opening Scene Annotation window.

@rnj1223 - That's odd. When you use "Delete Scene Annotation" and save then it really should get rid of it so that it won't open the next time. You might have run into a bug although honestly I've never seen that happen. I guess for some reason you are getting multiple scene annotation nodes. Try this ls "bt_SceneAnnotation*"; If it prints more than 2 nodes then that is the problem. You can delete them and save your file and that should fix it. If not let me know. delete "bt_SceneAnnotation*";

How do you permanently delete the Scene Annotation window? I created some Scene Annotations for multiple Maya-2013 files, and been getting complaints on how it pops up every time they launch the files. I tried the "Delete Scene Annotation" and then saving the file. However it still comes up the next time the file is opened. I really don't want the Scene Annotation attached to the Maya file anymore. Can you help?

aaaah ok I thought Id only override the original and not uninstall it. i try this and ty for your help :)

@ninchen - it looks like the service pack may not have actually been installed. This looks like it's just the original install of Maya 2013. Did you definitely uninstall the original and reinstall SP2? BTW - SP2 is a super-set of SP1. You only need the latest service pack not both.

autodesk maya 2013 x64 cut id: 201202220241-825136 hope that was the right :)

@xixac - glad I could help. sorry for the oversight @ninchen - not sure what is going on there as I have tested in both and it works fine on my end. Can you double check by going to Help->AboutMaya and look at the version printed at the top?

download SP1 and SP2 but the HUD buttons are still invisible :/

Thanks for updating DrawSplit and DrawReduce tools for us lowly Mac users ; )

Subtract my previous comment...I am a DA!

Hmmm how do I get theses to show up in Maya??

Bonus Tools for 2012 64-bit can be found here: http://area.autodesk.com/downloads/plugins/bonus_tools_for_maya_2012_win64

I downloaded Maya Bonus Tools 2013 and in the plugin manager selected all the ones I wanted yet i still don't see a drop down menu to select the tools.The same thing happened to me with 2011 Bonus Tools. What am i doing wrong ? And can anyone prvide me with some assistance ? I would greatly appreciate some help. Regards Patrick

anyone know where download bonus tools for 2012?

*** SP1 fixes the HUD button bug that was affecting a number of BonusTools. *** You can download it here... http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=19834912&linkID=9242259

timd1971 - hahaha... well timd1971, going by your profile pic you are not one to judge when it comes to role playing ;)

*** HUD BUTTONS *** The disappearance of the HUD buttons for various tools is a known (and unfortunate) issue. It is actually a bug in Maya 2013 and unrelated to BT. It is logged and should be fixed in an upcoming Service Pack. *** HUD BUTTONS ***

None of the HUD buttons are showing for me..

What the hell is up with the Andy Warwhore role playing getup?

hello stlr thanks you for the new tools like symmetry hope to see maya begin again the first one

Thanks again for posting these. Unfortunately the set of UV Tools seems to be completely broken. None of the HUD interface elements like buttons are visible. This is on a Mac w/ Maya 2013. Python path is OK and no other issues so far.

Regarding the "Create Digital Number Node" It says in the instructions: "Note: This requires the PolyTools.mll plug-in to be loaded - see BonusTools section of the Plug-in Manager." However, I can't find any PolyTools.mll or a BonusTool section in my Plug-In manager! It is installed and the other tools work correctly I think. My Python path is also set... What's up?

awesome Thanks

Thanks Steven! ^___^

"ronviers - there will be a 2013 version of BT posted very soon with many new updates." Cool - looking forward to it. Thanks for these, -NB

virt87 - Mac installer link is at the bottom of this page... http://area.autodesk.com/bonus_tools

CAn you tell me,please,how to do it on mac?I

ronviers - there will be a 2013 version of BT posted very soon with many new updates.

bonus tools are working fine now

no. still not working. must be missing a step. i will post a question on the forum

spoke too soon. also needed to put a copy of the script files from here: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts into my scripts folder, here: \\nas\Documents_nas\maya_ws\scripts seems to be fine now though:)

never mind. just needed to move: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts\bonusToolsMenu.mel to here: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya2013\scripts\startup thanks for the excellent tools:)

if i try to install 2012 bonus tools to maya2013 (per the 2012 docs) i get this error message: // Error: file: //NAS/Documents_nas/maya_ws/2013-x64/scripts/userSetup.mel line 1: Cannot find procedure "bonusToolsMenu". // anyone know what i'm doing wrong? btw, bonus tools were working fine with maya 2012 thanks, ron

couple questions about Create Sun Light: - Time. This is in 24HR format I assume - Time Offset. What is this? Is this for GMT adjustment? - what is considered North? -Z? - the docs mention the ability to set "...attributes such as latitude, longitude, day of year and time in order to simulate the sun." Longitude isn't available and I don't think it matters thanks

Okay, sorry for the panic. I figured it out from some of the other posts and responses. Thanks to the guys that posted and to the author I believe you should add this information about appending the userSetup.mel in the bonus tools scripts folder to the section where you talk about installing the userSetup.py in the pdf doc.

I looked in the docs pdf and there is nothing about what to do if the bonus tools menu dos not appear maya! I assume some other plugin is interfering but do not know where to check. I am guessing in the userSetup.mel which currently has on line in it... eval("source \"startup/GoZScript.mel\""); What do I need to add and where and why when I uninstall and reinstall does it not get added without me having to manually do things that are UNDOCUMENTED! If this is in fact the problem!

okay I am going out of my mind I cannot figure out why I am not getting a bonus tools menu in maya!!!!!! All the plugins seem to be there in the plugin manager and the installation went fine! What is conflicting and how the bloody hell do I fix it?

I just installed the latest maya 2012 x64 bonus tools. There weere no errors during installation but I have no bonustool menu when I launch maya??? There may be a conflict with another plugin but I am just guessing. But I recall this being a problem in the past with bonus tools. Is there a way to check why the bonus tools menu is not appearing and possible manually install it?

I find toggle selected face display has a bug. When I hide some faces, then I select edges to extrude, the new faces won't show. And in face extrude, new faces show perfectly.

Could you please provide very specific instructions for installing Bonus Tools for Maya 2012 (student version) running on Mac Lion, including manually? I can't seem to get the installation to happen by any of the methods I've tried.

The download link for OSX craches around 7.5mb... Could you please fix it? Tanks a lot!

itd be great to get these bonus tools, but it seems the autodesk site isnt working, a few bytes a second until the download stalls and cancels.. the autodesk factor- never failed to dissapoint, not once in years! it blows me away, whenever i have to interact with an autodesk product or website

Thanks for the updated Tools. I can't find the python scripts (i.e.-bt_randomizer, AlignUVShells). The installer placed the MEL scripts in the right directory (/Users/Shared/Autodesk/maya/2012/scripts) but the python folder there is empty. Am i looking in the wrong place? Can these be made available separately? Thanks for the help! Mac OSX 10.6.8, Maya2012

mihirmahapatra - make sure you're selecting the right things before you apply. For single chains you select the base and end joints that you want to effect. for multiple chains you only select the base joints in order.

I am having problem with making joints dynamic. I do not see any changes in the bone chains and I am not able to move the entire chain. Any body can help? Thanks

Hanks - check the docs... it is probably an issue with your userSetup.mel file. You may need to manually add the line... bonusToolsMenu; to that file if you have one already.

Can somebody help me? is not working for me it was, but idk why is not showing the Bonus tools in the top tryed unistall and install again, but doesnt work

This is so much cleaner and easier to navigate around than the past bonus tools. Thank you!

hi i had problem with bonus tool and think for wielek13 and the direction his bin given thanks allot

emygorf - thanks for the feedback. Yes you are right... I can see how this would be easy to do inadvertently. I think the easiest solution will be to add a dialogue box for confirmation (e.g. Are you sure you want to delete?) That should be easy enough to add, so I will do it for the next release.

Scene annotations is great. One practical problem: "Save and Close" and "Save Without Closing" are right next to one another (not to mention "Delete Annotation" as well). If I am leaving long notes, I go to exit, it would help me as a user to put some space between those options because I have consistently lost work because they are right next to one another. Solution: Remove the Drop-down menu and put buttons at the bottom or top of the interface or; use a reminder for Save without Closing or Delete Annotations: "Information is about to be lost... Are you sure" or something similar. A great tool. I use it to save detailed notes in lectures as I go through Maya tutorials so that I can reference it later on. Thank you.

5thsun - Thanks for the reminder on the PoseBlend tool. I realized that this tool is sorely lacking in documentation and more importantly in need of a face lift. I'm working on updating it now and will have a new version and a tutorial for it in a few weeks. Alisa K - Unfortunately there is no way (currently) to do a mirror of a range of frames with this tool. It's a good idea though, so I will put it on my "to do" list :) in the meantime you might want to checkout Creative Crash to see if there might be a script that would do something similar... post your question on one of their forums. http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/home

I am new to Maya, but have worked in 3dsMax before. I am dying for a mirror pose feature for animation. I noticed Bonus Tools has a Mirror Animation tool which works nicely, but is there a way to constrain its effect to just the current or a selected range of frames? I have searched the internet for a solution but nothing works for Maya 2012. Please HELP! I am on the trial and doing test anims hoping to land a job. I need this ASAP! Thanks to anyone who has a solution!

s there anyway u can do a tutorial on the pose blend shape editor the documents give no help on how to use this tool. or can u provide the email yo the person who wrote it

Thank you Steve. I think I actually got it to work by changing the multi-slices value and reverting it back to 1. By default it didn't cut a thing.

How to create a sub-menu for BonusTools in main menu, i can not see it. Thanks

stou - sorry for the late reply. The Draw Split Tool should be working. It was when I last tested it anyway. You might want to try resetting the options and starting fresh. It sounds like it might be specific to the multi-split option but not sure.

Is the Draw Split Tool supposed to work? It doesn't cut anything, and gives me this: // Error: INVALID "EDGE-SNAPPING TYPE"! // // Error: INVALID "EDGE-SNAPPING TYPE"! // // Error: INVALID "EDGE-SNAPPING TYPE"! // multiSliceSplit("pCubeShape1", 0, 0, 0, {9, 5, 4}, {5, 1, 0}, {5, 3, 2}, {7, 1, 0}, {0, 0, 0}, -1, -1, -1, -1); // Error: Cannot convert data of type int[] to type float[]. // // Result: Performed a "multiSliceSplit". Even if I desable the edge snapping, I don't get any error but it still doesn't cut anything... I read the pdf about the tool to be sure I wasn't doing it wrong, but apparently that's the tool that is broken. BTW, good thing to show in dark grey what tools can be activated in the plugins. But after having activated them, they are still dark grey, it needs a restart of maya to be able to use them.

Caypiranha - sorry for your frustrations. First of all... for the BT install issues... What version of Maya/BT are you using and on what platform? Did you try the useSetup.mel process suggested below? As for BT not being part of Maya's install. We're actually considering that for future versions. But regardless BT will continue to be developed differently and independently from the regular Maya dev cycle. This is what makes BonusTools "Bonus" tools. But many many tools that began in BT have made there way into Maya proper. Tools like ConvertEdgesToCurves, MergeVertexTool, ExtrudeVertex, CutPoly, Poly Marking Menus... just to name a few, all started as BonusTools. Regarding VP2. Completely rewriting the Maya viewport is a -huge- undertaking. There is no way it could be done in one pass. Therefore we are doing it incrementally over several releases. They will coexist for a while until everything is working and then VP2 will eventually become "the" viewport. Something that big with so many implications just takes time, especially with a product that is as complex as Maya. As for AD development in general... I came over from Alias and I was skeptical at first. But I have seen a number of releases that have been quite aggressive. As I said... it's hard with some things (e.g. vp2, HIK, Sequencer) to get it perfect on the first try. But over the last few years I think we have had a pretty good track record of sticking with things and continuing to improve them. IMO our recent history on that front is much improved over our past history at Alias.

STLR... Sorry, but i am alos tortally frustated... bonus tools appeared one time.. then it was gone .. why doesn´t AUTODSK install it DIRECTLY in the software? ... nobody understands that. fIf the Productmanagement would work fine for Maya, a lot of tools could be changed to theire advantage, and other (e.g. out of the Bonustools palette) might be implemented directly... tzzzzzz ... I fell asleep - i everytime think of WHY WHY WHY... in my opionion it´s a worsse thing, that all 3D packeges are owned by 1 (!) company... no competitors in these segments at all! Good for autodesk - instead of fusing all theire power to the packeges, it seems a little profit is the only thing to go for... I just remember for e.g. "Viewport 2.0" - what joke to get Customers for the new viewport in 2011.. OMG! and finally in 2012 it got working.. damn.. why? tell you employer to release Software only, when the QUALITY it RIGHT... sorry dude - but here is someone really fedup - an d my list of things like thin about Maya is looooong.... to long... if I only could I would change but best regards - an User

vinceppp - yes it is directly in Maya now in Modify->Convert->PolygonEdgesToCurve

where is the tool to convert polygon edges to curve in maya 2012. I hope its there.

Hi! I also had a problem with the BonusTools, after I installed GoZbrush. After installing this plug-in, menu BonusTools disappeared! Following the recommendation I made it: - from C: \ Program Files \ Autodesk \ MayaBonusTools2012 \ scripts \ userSetup.mel, copied and then pasted userSetup.mel to C: \ users \ name \ My Documents \ maya12-x64 \ prefs \ scripts. - from C: \ Program Files \ Autodesk \ MayaBonusTools2012 \ python \ userSetup.py, copied and pasted userSetup.py to C: \ users \ name \ My Documents \ maya12-x64 \ prefs \ scripts, and then I started Maya 2012. after starting, Bonus Tools menu, returned to his seat. Thank you for your help STLR! PS. I have Windows 7 x64 bit

Making double post on The Area is WAAAAY too easy.. Can the webmaster do something about this? Sorry about my double post before..

How does someone actually join the BonusTools dev team ? These don't seem to be Autodesk only people..

How does someone actually join the BonusTools dev team ? These don't seem to be Autodesk only people..

STLR: All I needed to do was put the line: bonusToolsMenu; in my userSetup.mel I keep that file in a unique scripts directory so Maya doesn't copy all my scripts with each upgrade. The reason the installer missed it in my case is that it probably didn't check to see where my userSetup.mel is located. Thanks.

STLR ..... it seems were finally getting this sorted out. I must thank you and others, OH and myself for putting in there 2 cents worth. It gets people thinking and eventually something good comes from it. THANKS again ALL CHEERS MR H

MR HOLLYWOOD and others... Sorry for the frustration. Not sure why the setup has been difficult for some and not others. My only thought is that is has something to do with older versions of bonusTools being previously installed. We'll try to get to the bottom of it, but thanks your patience in the meantime. The reality is that all the userSetup.mel file really contains that matters is a single line, which is a call to... bonusToolsMenu; The other stuff in there has been removed or commented out due various changes to the BT structure. So really, you can just create your own file called userSetup.mel that contains this one line and put it in your scripts folder and it should work fine.

HI ALL ....... Boy these Bonus Tool Installers are a real piece of work !!! Of all the Versions of Maya only once did the Bonus install work properly. It was V2009 I think. If you have installed Bonus Tools but can not see the menu then you may need to update your userSetup file. See below... Copy C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts\userSetup.mel Copy C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\python\userSetup.py Paste both in C:\users\name\My Documents\maya12-x64\prefs\scripts This line I'm not sure of ......... C:\users\name\My Documents\maya12-x64\prefs\scripts .......... mine is C:\users\name\My Documents\maya\2012-x64\prefs\scripts I tried the copy and paste and nothing. Tried rebooting, still nothing. Individual plugins show up in the plugin manager as PixelDroid mentions but nothing at the TOP. By chance do I have to delete the other file in C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts\userSetup.mel & C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\python\userSetup.py "LOL LOL LOL you won't believe how I got it to work. LOL LOL" Go to this file C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts\userSetup.mel and right click on " userSetup.mel " and then click on OPEN IN MAYA that's it. Now for this one " userSetup.py " there was no way of doing that. CHEERS MR H

rachid - sorry about that, I have no idea what's going on there. I don't think anyone in particular (i.e. a moderator) would delete your posts, so there must be some sort of bug or something. Pixel Droid - it sounds like you need to edit or create a userSetup file. See below... If you have installed Bonus Tools but can not see the menu then you may need to update your userSetup file. See below... Copy C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\scripts\userSetup.mel Copy C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaBonusTools2012\python\userSetup.py Paste both in C:\users\name\My Documents\maya12-x64\prefs\scripts

I installed, and the individual plugins show up in the plugin manager, but I don't have the Bonus Tools Menu - even when I autoload some of the plugins! Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Thank You :) !

each time I post a comment or say thanks..after one day the comment are gone, removed... who is responsible for that and why? sure the moderator but why? can you give one reason?

Hello all - BonusTools 2012 is finally available for download! http://area.autodesk.com/bonus_tools Sorry for the delay.

Hi Steve, Is the Bonus Tools 2012 not officially available? Its not downloadable from http://area.autodesk.com/bonus_tools Is it not ready? Is it too awesome and it can't be released unto the world? Whats the dealio?!

@sme -> this error occurs when you open Maya scene that you previously closed with the Render View open. I don't think this error is new to 2012 though...

Any word on Bonus Tools will be out? IDFour

It seems that opening the scene in a default Maya 2012 solves the problem, but I hope not to have to do this everytime I want to render something.

Hi! I encountered this on Maya 2012: Error: setParent: Object 'renderView' not found. So nothing is rendered. Using Mental Ray with global illumination and hdri. How can I solve this? I have no knowledge on programming. thanks.

sueds - thanks for the feedback on that, I'll look in that.

thabks for your answer. Unfortunately maya 2012 doesn't seems to import assets properly.

Hi all - yes BT 2012 should be posted very soon. Sorry for the delay. I will post a message here as soon as it's available. LT 2012 is also in the works but in the meantime LT 2011 should work fine in 2012.

Hi all - yes BT 2012 should be posted very soon. Sorry for the delay. I will post a message here as soon as it's available. LT 2012 is also in the works but in the meantime LT 2011 should work fine in 2012.

So when layout tool is going to be available ? Look awsome

Hi Steven, any work on 2012 bonus tools?

Very welcome (if long overdue) update!

Any approximate date for when we'll have Bonus Tools for Maya 2012?

+1 for a modular installation option. No worries though, feel lucky to get them at all. Great work and look forward to the 2012 release. -NB

I just installed the bonus tools for maya 2011 x64 on W7. At first it told me I needed to run isscript.msi so I did a search, found it ran it then ran the bonus tools installer again and it worked.

hey steve, when will bonus tools be avaliable? can't wait hehe br mayanic

Smann - I could probably zip these up and post them separately at some point. Although you could just install it once, then find the scripts in the install location and copy/zip them up on your end for reuse as and when you need them. F. Ross - I run Win7 64bit but never saw that problem. Although I believe that should be fixed. I hope so anyway :)

Hey Steve, love the bonus tools, and its awesome you are updating them. Can you make the mel/python scripts available separately. I would much rather add one or two or them, instead of using an installer. I generally find I run the installer, pull out the scripts, and then put them in my scripts dir, and then uninstall ( if i can ) . that way we have 100% control over the scripts we use and update. as to avoid name conflicts and getting the scripts out to everyone in our facility. Rather than individually installing on each persons computer. thanks -=s

I certainly hope the fatal installation issues with Bonus Tools will be fixed for the next release. Check the comments on the Maya 2011 Bonus Tools download page. Many frustrated users cannot get the package to install on Win7 64 due to a Macrovision bug.

Very good indeed!! I look in subscription center every day for Maya 2012. I suppose it will be available in beginning of April. The only thing in Maya I miss, working with automotive visualization, is a fast, physical right, GPU renderer like iRay.

vfxforge - sorry but it's not available quite yet... this is just a preview of what's to come. It will be available for dl soon after the release of Maya 2012.

where to dl the new version?

woohoo! thanks Steve.