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Importer Reference

Technical Details

Use this reference for translator names, scripting entry points, and implementation details behind the Maya importer.

Open Importer Overview Install the Plug-in View Supported Features

Translator Name

After installation, Maya exposes the importer as glTF2.0 Import.

You can use it from Maya's file dialog or through MEL and Python.

MEL Example

file -import -type "glTF2.0 Import" -ignoreVersion -ra true -mergeNamespacesOnClash false -namespace "AssetA" -options "shaderType=Standard Surface;mergeVertices=1;importQuads=0;importGaussianSplats=1;unitScale=1.0;shadingOption=Use Normal Data;usePlace2dTexture=1;useRelativePath=0;openTimeEditor=0;importAnimations=1;importBlendshapeAnimations=1;importAO=0;importMaterials=1;importSkinBinding=1;importBlendshapes=1;focusView=1;animate=1;animationFPS=24;" -pr -importFrameRate true -importTimeRange "override" "PATH_TO_GLTF";

Python Example

import maya.cmds as cmds

cmds.file(
    "PATH_TO_GLTF",
    i=True,
    type="glTF2.0 Import",
    ignoreVersion=True,
    ra=True,
    mergeNamespacesOnClash=False,
    namespace="AssetA",
    options="shaderType=Standard Surface;mergeVertices=1;importQuads=0;importGaussianSplats=1;unitScale=1.0;shadingOption=Use Normal Data;usePlace2dTexture=1;useRelativePath=0;openTimeEditor=0;importAnimations=1;importBlendshapeAnimations=1;importAO=0;importMaterials=1;importSkinBinding=1;importBlendshapes=1;focusView=1;animate=1;animationFPS=24;",
    pr=True,
    importFrameRate=True,
    importTimeRange="override",
)

Maya File Command Flags

The examples above include two kinds of settings:

  • Standard Maya file command flags such as -namespace, -mergeNamespacesOnClash, -importFrameRate, and -importTimeRange
  • The glTF importer translator options passed through the -options string

This is useful when you want to reproduce the same import behavior that Maya uses from the file dialog.

Import Options String

The translator accepts a semicolon-separated key=value options string. Any option you omit falls back to the built-in defaults.

Material Options

  • shaderType: Standard Surface, Arnold, OpenPBR, Stingray Default: Standard Surface
  • shadingOption: Use Normal Data, Harden Edge, Soften Edge Default: Use Normal Data
  • usePlace2dTexture: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • importAO: 0 or 1 Default: 0
  • importMaterials: 0 or 1 Default: 1

Geometry Options

  • mergeVertices: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • importQuads: 0 or 1 Default: 0
  • importGaussianSplats: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • unitScale: Auto, 1.0, 100.0 Default: Auto
  • importSkinBinding: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • importBlendshapes: 0 or 1 Default: 1

Animation Options

  • animationFPS: 15, 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60 Default: 24.0
  • importAnimations: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • importBlendshapeAnimations: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • openTimeEditor: 0 or 1 Default: 0

Viewport and Extraction Options

  • focusView: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • animate: 0 or 1 Default: 1
  • useRelativePath: 0 or 1 Default: 0

Full Example

file -import -type "glTF2.0 Import" -ignoreVersion -ra true -mergeNamespacesOnClash false -namespace "AssetA" -options "shaderType=Standard Surface;mergeVertices=1;importQuads=0;importGaussianSplats=1;unitScale=1.0;shadingOption=Use Normal Data;usePlace2dTexture=1;useRelativePath=0;openTimeEditor=0;importAnimations=1;importBlendshapeAnimations=1;importAO=0;importMaterials=1;importSkinBinding=1;importBlendshapes=1;focusView=1;animate=1;animationFPS=24;" -pr -importFrameRate true -importTimeRange "override" "PATH_TO_GLTF";

Notes

  • importGaussianSplats=1 only succeeds when the external gaussianSplat plug-in is already loaded and supports payload import.
  • usePlace2dTexture=1 is recommended for round-trip workflows because the exporter can read Maya file plus place2dTexture nodes more reliably than the older aiImage-based import path.
  • importQuads=1 only affects assets that contain compatible topology metadata.
  • openTimeEditor=0 only controls whether Maya opens the Time Editor window automatically after import. If the imported file contains animation clips, the importer still creates the corresponding Time Editor clips during import.
  • Maya may append standard file-command flags such as namespace handling, frame-rate import, and time-range import around the translator-specific -options string.

Texture Handling

For details on how the importer maps glTF sampler wrap modes and UV channel overrides to Maya texture nodes, see Texture Handling.