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Importer Reference

Supported Features

This page summarizes the current importer feature surface exposed by the Maya plug-in and option UI.

Open Importer Overview Install the Plug-in View Limitations

Supported File Types

  • glTF (.gltf)
  • glb (.glb)

Supported Extensions

The importer supports the following Khronos and vendor extensions.

Note: Support quality still depends on the target shader type, Maya version, and the specific asset. If you hit an edge case, check Limitations and Known Issues.

Khronos Extensions (KHR_)

Extension Description
KHR_animation_pointer Animates node visibility and light intensity via pointer paths. The importer resolves /nodes/{i}/extensions/KHR_node_visibility/visible and /extensions/KHR_lights_punctual/lights/{i}/intensity pointer targets only.
KHR_draco_mesh_compression Geometry compression for reduced file sizes
KHR_gaussian_splatting Gaussian splat point primitives
KHR_lights_punctual Point, spot, and directional lights
KHR_materials_anisotropy Anisotropic material reflection
KHR_materials_clearcoat Clear coat material layer
KHR_materials_diffuse_transmission Diffuse light transmission through materials
KHR_materials_dispersion Chromatic dispersion effects
KHR_materials_emissive_strength Enhanced emissive material strength
KHR_materials_ior Index of refraction for materials
KHR_materials_iridescence Iridescent material effects
KHR_materials_sheen Fabric-like sheen material properties
KHR_materials_specular Specular workflow materials
KHR_materials_transmission Light transmission through materials
KHR_materials_unlit Unlit/constant color materials
KHR_materials_variants Multiple material variants per mesh
KHR_materials_volume Transmission volume material properties
KHR_mesh_quantization Quantized vertex attributes
KHR_node_visibility Sets the Maya .visibility attribute on each imported node from the per-node visible flag in the extension data.
KHR_texture_basisu BasisU or KTX2 textures via import-time transcode
KHR_texture_transform Texture coordinate transforms and UV offsets

Vendor Extensions (EXT_)

Extension Description
EXT_mesh_gpu_instancing GPU-based mesh instancing

EXT_mesh_gpu_instancing: When a glTF node carries this extension, the importer creates Maya mesh instances rather than duplicating geometry. In the Maya Outliner each instance appears as a separate transform node sharing a single underlying mesh shape. The instanced transforms receive the per-instance TRS data from the extension's TRANSLATION, ROTATION, and SCALE accessors.

Supported Shader Targets

  • Standard Surface: Best all-around default for most Maya workflows.
  • Arnold: Uses Arnold-native shading nodes.
  • OpenPBR: Available in newer Maya versions, with some renderer-specific limitations.
  • StingrayPBS: Best fit when you want a simpler material setup for round-trip compatibility.

Additional Import Features

  • Material variants UI through the glTF2.0 menu
  • Animation clip management through the Animation Clips panel and Maya Time Editor
  • Optional quad reconstruction from MAYA_original_topology extras
  • Optional gaussian splat import when the gaussianSplat plug-in is already loaded with payload support
  • Texture-node round trip mode using Maya file plus place2dTexture nodes for UV transform preservation
  • BasisU or KTX2 texture import through KHR_texture_basisu, with automatic transcoding to Maya-friendly image files

Supported Image Formats

  • JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
  • PNG (.png)
  • WebP (.webp)
  • KTX2 / BasisU through KHR_texture_basisu, with import-time transcode to PNG for Maya texture nodes

Compatibility Notes

  • Shader support depends on Maya version and renderer availability.
  • Some advanced material extensions are approximated differently depending on the selected shader type.
  • Gaussian splat import is conditional: the importer will skip those primitives when the external gaussianSplat plug-in is unavailable.
  • BasisU or KTX2 textures are transcoded during import. This is suitable for viewing and general Maya workflows, but it is less ideal for strict round-trip texture editing.