Maya - Shelf

The Maxwell plug-in creates a shelf for quick access to certain plug-in features:

Open

These are the functions of the buttons:

• Open Maxwell Render settings: it displays the Render Settings panel.

• Render in Maxwell: it exports the scene to an MXS file (minimal export without group hierarchy or hidden objects) and launches the render in Maxwell Render.

• Open scene in Maxwell Studio: it exports the scene to an MXS file (full export with group hierarchy and including hidden objects) and opens it in Maxwell Studio. If there are objects selected, only those will be exported; if nothing is selected, everything is exported.

• Send job to the Network: it exports the scene to an MXS file (minimal export without group hierarchy or hidden objects) and loads it into the Network Monitor's Add Job dialogue.

• Send job to the Cloud: it exports the scene to an MXS file (minimal export without group hierarchy or hidden objects) and loads it into the Network Monitor's to create a Cloud job.

• FIRE: opens a floating FIRE viewport.

• Pack'n'Go: exports the scene or the selected objects to an MXS file (full export with group hierarchy and including hidden objects) and copies all their dependencies (textures, IES files, IOR files, etc.) to a folder of your choice. If there are objects selected, only those will be exported and packed; if nothing is selected, everything is exported.

• Export Geometry to MXS: exports the selected items to an MXS file which can then be referenced inside a scene. This is different from using the File -> Export menu, as it doesn't export render options, environment settings, cameras etc. It only exports the selected geometry and its materials.

• Render sequence in Maxwell: a quick way to render in Maxwell. It exports all the mxs files of the animation, launches Maxwell Render and sets it up so it renders one frame after the other.

• Reference an MXS or ABC file: it references a Maxwell MXS scene file or ABC file into the scene.

• Create Embedded Material: creates a Maxwell layered material and assigns it to the current selection.

• Create Referenced Material: creates a Maxwell referenced material and assigns it to the current selection.

• Create an Assistant Material: creates a Maxwell Assistant material and assigns it to the current selection.

• Create Maxwell Instance: creates a Maxwell instancer node using the selected polygon mesh.

• Create Maxwell Grass: creates a Maxwell grass object on each of the selected meshes.

• Create Maxwell Scatter Modifier: creates a Maxwell Scatter node and assigns it to the current selection.

• Create Maxwell Sea: creates a Maxwell Sea node.

• Create Maxwell Volumetric: creates a node used to preview and render Maxwell Volumetrics.

• Create Maxwell Volumetric Modifier: creates a node that marks currently selected particles or nParticles to be rendered as Volumetric objects.

• Create Maxwell Subdivision Modifier: creates a node that assigns a render time subdivision modifier to the current selection.

• Create Maxwell Boolean: creates a node that exports as a render boolean.

• Assign Custom Alpha Channels: opens a window that lets you assign custom alpha channels to the current selection.

• Focus To Selection: sets the focus plane of the currently selected camera to include the pivot point of the selected object. See this section for details.

• Maxwell Light panel: opens Maxwell Light panel so you can modify the different lights from one place.

• Create Realflow RenderKit Mesher: prompts you to select a Realflow BIN particle file which will be used to create a RenderKit mesher node.

• Create Realflow RenderKit Particles: prompts you to select a Realflow BIN particle file to be rendered using the particle procedural.

• Create a BIN Mesh Loader: prompts you to select a Realflow BIN mesh file which will be loaded at render time.

• Release License: it releases the license so it can be used by another user in your network (useful with floating licenses); the plugin will request a license the next time you try to render or export to mxs.

• Open online documentation: opens the online plug-in documentation in a web browser.

• Show version information: displays an "about" dialog containing version information and copyright statements. The dialog also allows you to open the plug-in settings and check for updates.