Maya LT video game development and design software provides a familiar UI and workflow at an affordable price. Bring your video game design to life with Maya LT Maya LT overview (video: 1.58 min.) Create and animate realistic-looking characters, props and environments using the sophisticated 3D modelling and animation tools in Maya LT™ 3D game development software. Explore the differences between Maya and Maya LT software. Pay as you go for access to the latest version of Maya with lower up-front cost, 1-on-1 web support and preceding version use. Maya 3D computer animation software comes with powerful modelling, rendering, simulation, texturing and animation tools for artists, modellers and animators.
- Basic operations of tools such as Grab, Pinch, and Lattice.
- A more detailed explanation of the new Symmetrize tool.
- The Transform tools, including the new Prevent Negative Scale feature when scaling UVs.
- Cutting & Sewing tools.
- Alignment & Layout tools.
- The new Quad Draw enhancements.
Fs 1 4 1 – note manager interview.
UV Toolkit Part 2
Most notable in this week's walk-through of the UV Toolkit is the new symmetrize tool for UVs. UVs can now be copied across a line of symmetry using an interactive painting method. This new functionality means that the UV Editor now features all the same symmetry controls as the Modeling toolkit in Maya/ Maya LT.
In addition to this, a few other things stand out in the updated UV Editor, including the new 3D UV Cut and Sew tool which allows for drawing UV seams in the 3D viewport. While this feature is not covered in the video, I did create a short animated GIF Tweetorial last week that covers its use. Check it out here: https://twitter.com/ADSKGamedev/status/839237180614672384
Maya Maya Lt Crew
Also, the UV Editor now remembers the last component mode selected while working on the mesh. In other words, if the current selection is face editing mode in the 3D viewport, when the UV Editor is opened, it will also be in face editing mode.
Quad Draw Improvements
Video Timecode - 14:12
Quad Draw rendering has been enhanced in 2017 Update 3. It now renders properly over a live mesh without z-fighting no matter how large of a quad is drawn. The color and alpha (transparency) can be adjusted as well. Many operations now properly support Quad Draw polygons as well, including Surface Offset and the Multicut tool. The Surface Offset can be tweaked dynamically, as additional quads are added to the mesh. These quads will respect the offset, but still be connected to the rest of the quads.
Quad Draw polygons can now be created in holes of a mesh to fill them in. The dots or vertices of a Quad Draw polygon will float in the approximate location where Quad Draw expects them to be based upon the polygons surrounding the hole to be filled.
Switching between Quad Draw and Multicut is now facilitated via the keyboard shortcuts Control-Shift-Q and Control-Shift-X respectively. Every operation of the Multicut tool will work properly with a Quad Draw mesh now, including respecting Surface Offset.
Explore the differences between Maya and Maya LT software.
Maya – Realize your vision in modeling, animation, lighting, and VFX with comprehensive 3D software.
Maya LT – A professional 3D tool with a price that fits an indie game maker's budget.
Are you an animator in the market for new and cutting-edge software? Maybe you've finally narrowed down your choice to Autodesk's Maya software. But, do you need the full version of Maya or Maya LT?
The answer to that depends on many things. This includes how you plan on using the program. The frequency and scope of your use. And, how deep your pockets are.
Could you get away with using the LT version? Or, do you need to go all out for the full version? Take a look at these comparisons before you make your final decision.
Maya Maya Lt Luxury
Maya (full version): Quick Overview
As you might expect, the full version of Maya gives you access to all the features of this 3D software. They include features in animation, modeling, lighting, and VFX.
And, while the list of features is comprehensive, if you have a specific activity in mind all the extras may be overkill for your needs.
Maya LT: Quick Overview
As previously mentioned, Maya LT may be the right 3D software for you. But, it depends on what you plan on doing with it. While you may have more versatility with the full version of Maya, LT users need to plan for specific activities.
This is because Maya LT contains a large variety of features, but not all of them. That does not mean that LT is inferior. Simply that you need to prioritize what and why you plan on using the software. This is because Maya LT may not have the toolset you need for a specific task.
For a more in-depth look at the difference between features for the full version of Maya and the LT version, take a look below.
Full versus LT Comparison
First, it would be remiss to not mention the price difference between the full and LT versions of Maya. In general, you can subscribe to either one depending on how much your budget allows. You can choose monthly, annual, multi-year (2 years), or multi-year (3 years) subscription.
The pricing ranges from relatively affordable to very pricey. As you may expect, the LT version is cost-effective. However, you will receive less features and support for the price.
Think the cost savings is worth it? Only you can decide that. But, here is what is left out of the LT version of Maya.
3D Modeling
If you will use Maya LT primarily for 3D modeling, don't worry. You have access to nearly all of the features in this category. That is 10 out of 11 features. The only one you would be missing out on is Maya Paint Effects.
Maya Paint Effects is a feature that allows you to paint objects directly within 2D canvases. You would use this feature to create 2D textures or images. You may also use it to create paint effects within a 3D space. While this is a useful feature, it is not necessarily a priority if you do not need 2D textured images often.
UV & Texturing Workflows
Next, UV and texturing features may make your work easier. But, if that is not part of your primary workload you may not need all the bells and whistles. The LT version has 8 of the full version's 10 features.
The ones you would be missing out on are PSD file support and transfer maps. If you or your creative partners use Adobe Photoshop, the loss of PSD file support may be a deal-breaker. However, if you don't use it at all you won't even know it's gone.
In addition, transfer maps are a fast and convenient way to bake high resolution meshes into other objects. However, if you don't do this that often, you can always use other Maya LT tools to do similar things.
3D Animation & Rigging
If you are looking at Maya software, you will probably be doing the bulk of your work in 3D animation. The full version has an impressive 19 features for this section of the software. The LT version, however, has most of the same features with a few limitations.
The first is that you cannot do unlimited animation layers in the LT version. Unlike the full version, LT offers only 2 animation layers.
Additionally, you also cannot use the ATOM animation file save and load option. But, if you are not going to transfer animations from one character to another, you probably don't need this anyway.
Lastly, you are a bit more limited with the constraints you can use in the LT version of Maya. For the full version, you have 9 different constraints to choose from. And, they range from point to pole vector, and tangent to normal.
However, Maya LT only allows you to use 5 constraints. They are point, aim, orient, parent, and pole vector. Scale, geometry, normal, and tangent constraints are all missing from the LT version.
Motion Graphics
Next, Maya LT does not offer the use of motion graphics features. The 3 features available in the full version do not come in the light version. That includes the motion graphics toolset.
Animation Deformation
Additionally, you have a limited set of animation deformation features and tools for Maya LT. They are also called space warps or modifiers in other similar software packages.
For example, the following deformers are missing from the LT version: Delta Mush, Maya Muscle, wrinkle, sculpt, soft modification, jiggle, and wire.
Camera Sequencer
In the Maya LT version of the software, you do not get any camera sequencer features. Anyway, you may already use a different software for these types of edits. The 3 missing features are:
- Multicamera layout and management tools
- Sequencer playlist clip editing
- Grease pencil
Rendering & Imaging
Additionally, you receive virtually no rendering capabilities for Maya LT. But, you do have access to these imaging and shading features:
- Hypershade and visor tools
- Shader FX
- Color management
- Microsoft DirectX 11 support
- DX11 real-time shader effects
- HLSL and CgFX support
Dynamics & Effects
Next, if you were planning on using Maya LT for dynamics and effects work you may need to find a different option. Unlike the full version that has 9 features dedicated to realistic effects and dynamics, the LT version has none.
Pipeline Integration & Tools
Additionally, Maya LT has the barebones for pipeline integration and the tools you may need for workflow. While you can use MEL scripting in the LT version, other script writing and support is not available.
However, you do have the ability to export to Unity, Unreal, and Mudbox. And, one feature that the full version does not have: access to the Stingray game engine.
Along with that, you can also use the 'export game tool' option. As well as cloud integration for greater sharing capabilities.
Additional Feature Comparisons
The only data & scene management tools you get with Maya LT is the File Path Editor UI. Otherwise, features such as Node editor and Scene Assembly tools are only available in the full version.
Lastly, you need OS support. And, the full version offers support for different platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. But, unfortunately Linux users are out of luck with Maya LT.
Final Thoughts
Picking the right version of Maya for you depends on many things. But, most important is cost and workload priorities. Because first, you need to be able to afford your copy of the software.
However, equally important to cost is getting your money's worth from your version of Maya. Don't make the mistake of thinking 'bigger is better.' Take a look at what the full version has over the LT version.
Prioritize what you really need to get your creative juices flowing. And, trim off the extras you won't use anyway. The right solution for you depends on your creative needs to implement your vision.
