RapidPipeline for Maya
An introduction on how to use the RapidPipeline Maya plugin coming with powerful 3D Processor Features.
Maya Actions Guides
In the following you can find guides going through the usage of each RapidPipeline Action within the Maya Plugin:
Basic Usage
An introduction on how to use the RapidPipeline Maya plugin coming with powerful 3D Processor Features.
The RapidPipeline Maya Integration is not released yet. It will be released at upcoming Siggraph 2025.
Basic Usage
For installation instructions please refer to the RapidPipeline for Maya Reference Docs.
Import a 3D or CAD Model
- First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin for Maya is installed and ready to use.
- The Plugin should load and show up together with Maya. You can dock the Plugin window just like any other maya widget.
- Select the
Import 3D or CAD Filebutton. - Choose from one of the available importer actions.
- Browse for your file to import.
- File is now imported into the scene. Note that CAD files are tessellated.
- You can now further edit the imported assets with
Processing Actions!
Processing a 3D Model or Scene
- Open a model in Maya.
- Select any meshes or model parts by clicking on them in the Viewport or Outliner, or the whole scene by do not selecting anything.
- Select the RapidPipeline Processing Action as desired.
- Click the Run button.
- The selected meshes are processed.
- The source mesh is hidden and a new Group is created for the results
Exporting a 3D Model
- On top of the 3D Viewport choose
RapidPipeline. - Select the
Export 3D Filebutton. - Depending on the 3D format to export you can set some settings and press
save.
All Operations above are powered by the Actions Feature.
Maya Action Guides
RapidPipeline Actions are now available together with the new integrations.
In the following you can find guides going through the usage of each RapidPipeline Action within the Maya plugin:
Import CAD Format
| This tutorial contains these key points: |
|---|
| ✔️ Use the Maya Plugin |
| ✔️ Select a part |
| ✔️ Run "Import CAD Format" Action |
| ✔️ Examine the results |
This tutorial shows how use the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin in Maya to import a 3D or CAD model.
It walks you through the use of the Import 3D or CAD file Option, focusing on the Import CAD Format Action, and explains the available import options.
The Plugin runs on a powerful 3D data optimization and automation toolset, more about it here: 3D Processor Reference.
As an example model see below a coffee machine model, in SolidWorks Part format (.SLDPRT), can be easily imported into Maya with the RapidPipeline Plugin. During this process, the model gets automatically tessellated, see a preview of this process below:
The example asset in this tutorial is based on a Coffee Machine model by bob-640, sourced from GrabCAD, solely used for documentation purposes and in accordance with GrabCAD’s Terms of Use.
The coffee machine original model (in SolidWorks).
The coffee machine model inside Maya.
Import CAD Format Action
Here are the steps to achieve the same result as seen in the preview above.
First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Integration for Maya is installed and ready to use.
Open the Plugin via the Menu Bar, clicking on RapidPipeline and Show Plugin Window.
Select the Action Import 3D or CAD file.
Select your model in the file explorer.
Inside the pop-up Import Action options window, select Import CAD Format.
Press the Import button.
Location of the UI in the Menu Bar.
Location of the Import 3D or CAD file in the Plugin window.
The pop-up window with Import Action options.
This will import your CAD model with default values. However, there are different settings you can tweak to fix common CAD-related issues during import, or even already perform optimization during the import step, like:
- Tessellation Resolution: Tessellation resolution for imported CAD surfaces.
- CAD Sewing Tolerance: Tolerance for the sewing operation on the b-reps before tessellation.
- Remove T-Junction: Attempts to remove T-Junctions after CAD tessellation (experimental).
- Convert Z- to Y-Up: Turns rotation to z-axis pointing upwards on/off
- Fix Winding Order: Automatically fip the winding order of triangles or parts (mesh lumps).
- Remove Invisible Parts: Removes occluded (invisible) triangles.
- Face Target: Sets a Face Target for the Decimation Operation.
Examine the Results
To properly analyze the results, enable Wireframe on Shaded from the Viewport Shading drop-down menu. This will display the mesh topology in the viewport. The outputs when selecting Tessellation Resolution fine and coarse are displayed in the picture below, where the face-count differences are remarkable.
"Wireframe on shaded” option in the Viewport Shading drop-down menu.
The imported model with tessellation resolution “fine” and “coarse”.
Next Steps
To fix winding order, normal or topology issues in your model, try the Cleanup Mesh action!
Cleanup Mesh
| This tutorial contains these key points: |
|---|
| ✔️ Use the Maya Plugin |
| ✔️ Select a part |
| ✔️ Run an Action |
| ✔️ Examine the results |
This tutorial shows how use the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin in Maya to clean up model´s geometry and fix frequent mesh issues. This page will guide you through the use of the Action Clean Up Mesh with a CAD model example with faulty normals/winding order.
The Plugin runs on a powerful 3D data optimization and automation toolset, more about it here: 3D Processor Reference.
See below an overview of the performed fixes during this tutorial: the normals and winding order of the mesh, wrong in the original file, have been fixed in the output.
The example asset in this tutorial is based on 'Gusto - electric sports car concept' by Mikko Hörkkö, sourced from GrabCAD and solely used for documentation purposes in accordance with GrabCAD’s Terms of Use.
Input with wrong Winding Order (close-up).
Input with wrong Winding Order.
Output with correct Winding Order (close-up).
Output with correct Winding Order.
Clean Up Mesh Action
- First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin for Maya is installed and ready to use.
- Open the Plugin via the Menu Bar, clicking on RapidPipeline and Show Plugin Window.
- Select the faulty meshes by clicking on it in the Viewport, all the model, or do not select anything (all the scene will be processed).
- Inside the Plugin window, choose the Action Clean Up Mesh.
- Enable Fix Winding Order in the Action´s settings.
- Press the Run button.
Location of the UI in the Menu Bar.
The Clean Up Mesh action opened in the plugin.
These settings are optimal for this model, as it has wrong winding order. For other models with faulty mesh normals, the setting Fix Winding Order will not be needed. In that case, simple use Recompute Input Normals. The angle at which recomputed normals will be considered “hard” is controlled with the Normal Hard Angle Threshold setting.
Examine the Results
To inspect the winding order fix in Maya, select the mesh that contains the roof of the car. Then, go to the Display menu in the top bar and navigate to Polygons > Face Normals or Vertex Normals to enable normal visualization.
You can follow the same steps for the input and the output model to examine the winding order fix closely.
The Face Normals option inside the Display menu.
The Input with wrong Winding Order (normal view).
The output with correct Winding Order (normal view).
Next Steps
To optimize your model further, try the Remove Occluded Parts action!
Decimate and Bake Atlas
| This tutorial contains these key points: |
|---|
| ✔️ Use the Maya Plugin |
| ✔️ Select a part |
| ✔️ Run "Decimate and Bake Atlas" Action |
| ✔️ Examine the results |
This tutorial shows how use the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin in Maya to simplify the geometry of a model with decimation and bake the material and texture information into a new UV atlas. For more information see the Maya Plugin Documentation.
The Plugin runs on a powerful 3D data optimization and automation toolset, more about it here: 3D Processor Reference.
The asset used in this tutorial is the "Belz's RTFKT Challenge" (https://skfb.ly/6VnPP) by Belzar Sirus is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The shoe input model.
The shoe after the optimization (baked).
Decimate and Bake Atlas Action
- First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin for Maya is installed and ready to use.
- Open the Plugin via the Menu Bar, clicking on RapidPipeline and Show Plugin Window.
- Select the model you want to optimize (if no selection is made, the whole scene will be processed).
- Inside the Plugin window, choose the Action Decimate and Bake Atlas.
- Press the Run button.
Please note that by default decimation actions have a deviation target set. If set, the face target acts as an additional cap for the maximum allowed face count and not as a forced target. If you want to reach the exact specfiied face target, deviation target must be set to 0.
Location of the UI in the Menu Bar.
The Decimate and Bake Atlas Action opened in the Plugin.
Examine the Results
To fully check the topology optimization by enabling Wireframe on Shaded from the Viewport Shading drop-down menu, so you can see a wireframe view of your models.
Finally, you can compare the materials and texture count of input and output by opening the Hypershade window (Windows > Rendering Editors > Hypershade, or pressing the shortcut Shift + T). Make sure your object is selected and open the Material Viewer panel at the bottom, and click on the Graph Materials on Selected Objects option.
"Wireframe on shaded” option in the Viewport Shading drop-down menu.
"Material Viewer Panel” inside Hypershade Window.
The Graph Materials on Selected Objects option.
Materials & textures (in graph form) from input model.
Materials & textures (in graph form) from output model. .
Next Steps
Learn more about importing files with the Import 3D and CAD files Actions!
Remesh and Bake Holes
| This tutorial contains these key points: |
|---|
| ✔️ Use the Maya Plugin |
| ✔️ Select a part |
| ✔️ Run "Remesh and Bake Holes" Action |
| ✔️ Examine the results |
This tutorial shows how use the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin in Maya to simplify a 3D model. It walks through the use of the Remesh & Bake Holes Action , and explains how to use it for closing holes and baking them into Alpha information. For more information see the Maya Plugin Documentation.
The Plugin runs on a powerful 3D data optimization and automation toolset, more about it here: 3D Processor Reference.
The asset used in this tutorial is a high-resolution wicker sofa model available free here from Sketchfab. Credits: "wicker sofa" (https://skfb.ly/prBJM) by Md Imamul Hasan is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The wicker sofa input model.
The wicker sofa after processing the wicker.
Here is a preview of the processing´s output: the original wicker (top) is 811,008 triangles, and the output wicker (bottom) is 10,476 triangles.
The wicker has been remeshed, and textures were baked including an alpha map for the holes.
The remeshed wicker sofa (upper left), baked color (upper right), baked alpha (lower left), and baked normal (lower right).
Remesh and Bake Holes Action
- First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin for Maya is installed and ready to use.
- Open the Plugin via the Menu Bar, clicking on RapidPipeline and Show Plugin Window.
- Select the wicker mesh by clicking on it in the Viewport.
- Inside the Plugin window, choose the Action Remesh and Bake Holes.
- Press the Run button.
Location of the UI in the Menu Bar.
The Remesh and Bake Holes Action opened in the Plugin.
Examine the Results
Maya default viewport settings cause some issues with the baked alpha on the output model. To prevent this issue, open the Renderer Settings by clicking on the square icon. Then, set the Transparency Algorithm to Alpha Cut.
"Alpha Cut” Transparency Algorithm the Renderer Settings.
To see the difference in the mesh and inspect the holes-closure even closer, select the “Flat Shaded” option from the Shading Menu. Optionally, enable “Wireframe on Shaded” as well to overlay the mesh edges on top of the flat shading. You will so be able to see the mesh differences between input and output.
The Input in ”Solid” + “Wireframe on Shaded” Shading.
The Output in ”Solid” + “Wireframe on Shaded” Shading.
Next Steps
To optimize the cushions, try the Decimate and Bake Atlas action!
Remove Occluded Parts
| This tutorial contains these key points: |
|---|
| ✔️ Use the Maya Plugin |
| ✔️ Select a part |
| ✔️ Run "Remove Occluded Parts" Action |
| ✔️ Examine the results |
This tutorial shows how to use the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin in Maya to clean up occluded geometry for more light-weight models with the Remove Occluded Parts action. For more information, see the Maya Plugin Documentation.
The Plugin runs on a powerful 3D data optimization and automation toolset, more about it here: 3D Processor Reference.
This microwave includes geometry that cannot be seen from the outside. Like in real microwaves, the inner geometry illustrates the technical details like cables and intricate parts.
This can be important for use cases with wireframes or technical renders.
However, it can also be unnecessary and influence performance. Let’s take a look at how to eliminate unnecessary geometry.
Input Microwave Model imported into Maya.
The example asset used in this tutorial has been created and is owned by DGG.
Remove Occluded Parts Action
- First step is to make sure the RapidPipeline Processor Plugin for Maya is installed and ready to use.
- The Plugin should load and show up together with Maya. You can dock the Plugin window just like any other maya widget.
- Select any meshes or model parts by clicking on them in the Viewport or Outliner, or the whole scene by do not selecting anything.
- Inside the Plugin window, choose the Action Remove Occluded Parts.
- If you also want to remove meshes behind transparent surfaces, such as the pizza behind the glass in the microwave, enable “Ignore Transparency”
- Press the Run button.
Input with occluded geometry.
Output without occluded geometry.
This microwave has a window that has a transparent material. RapidPipeline identifies the meshes with transparent materials and ignores the occluded parts that are behind that object.
However, the plugin can also ignore the transparent mesh and remove the objects behind it, just make sure to check “Ignore Transparency” in the settings.
Input with occluded geometry behind a transparent mesh (window).
Output with” Ignore Transparency” and without occluded geometry behind the transparent parts.
Examine the Results
Press 4 to turn on the wireframe mode and inspect the model.
Wireframe of the output.
Next Steps
Learn how to optimize models with intricate geometry, like wicker, with our Remesh and Bake Holes Action in Maya!