Documentation / Maya

Maya API

Explore software extensibility with the OpenMaya and Python APIs

Autodesk® Maya® provides an API to automate repetitive tasks and extend core software functionality, like customization of 3D modeling, animation, visual effects, rendering, and more—with C++, Python, and .NET supported. The SDK offers extensive functionality and code samples, as well as documentation to help get you started developing with the API.

Learn more about the SDK

SDKs and tools

View the general product support information from the Maya Knowledge Network.

2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2020

 

2019

2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2020
2019

2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2020
2019

SDK customization documentation

2017 Update 4 
View online | Download HTML

2017 Update 3 
Download HTML

2017 Update 2 
Download HTML

2017 
Download HTML

2017 .NET Reference
Download CHM

2016 Extension 2 
View online | Download HTML

2016 
Download HTML

2016 .NET Reference
Download CHM

The Maya API Architecture Whitepaper is an overview of the OpenMaya API architecture that also applies to Python.

The Maya API Introduction Whitepaper is brief overview of the Maya API and the top 10 important classes.

The Maya Plug-in Internationalization overview covers the Maya API Internationalization architecture.

Render Pass Concepts and Techniques

This whitepaper explains how to use the Maya render pass framework. The covered topics include: rendering pipeline efficiency, configuring and customizing render passes, and how to composite render passes. The examples show how to leverage render passes to achieve efficient compositing workflows for common rendering, lighting and look tuning tasks.

Maya Viewport 2.0

This explains how to use the Maya Viewport 2.0 API and port your legacy viewport code to the latest Maya viewport technology.

More resources

Maya Developer Node ID Block

Prevent Maya node conflicts between different applications through this Autodesk supported developer registration scheme.

Register block

Qt Source modified for Maya

Download the modified distribution of the Qt open source framework used by Maya. The specific Qt version you need will depend on the Maya version you're using.

Explore

Community and support

Whether you're an experienced Maya user or just starting out, this is a good place to ask questions, share tips, connect, and learn from others.

Become an ADN member

The Autodesk Developer Network offers software developers working with platform technologies resources like access to Autodesk desktop software and basic marketing benefits.

Improve your experience

Let us know if you run into any issues here, or what you think is missing here.

Blogs

Around-the-Corner  for the Maya Platform by Cyrille Fauvel, Zhong Wu, and Cheng Xi Li.

AREA bloggers with interesting insights into Maya and programming topics.

 

Discussion groups

Take part in active API discussion forums moderated by Autodesk software engineers. Please include the programming language in the subject line. For example, C++, C# or Python. This will help us to handle your posts.

Autodesk Maya Programming | Other Maya Forums