topic Re: mayaUSDExport command documentation in Maya Programming Forum

mayaUSDExport command documentation

orlando.esponda — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:57:11 GMT

Hello,

I've been looking for the documentation of this command to be able to automate some exports at different stages, for instance, exporting modeling, exporting animation, etc.

Running

help mayaUSDExport;

does print a list of possible flags or arguments, but unfortunately, they don't say much other than the argument name itself. Also, for string values, I don't really know what are the possible values.

help mayaUSDExport; // Result: // // Synopsis: mayaUSDExport [flags] [String...] // Flags: // -a -append on|off // -ama -exportAssignedMaterials on|off // -api -apiSchema String (multi-use) // -at -animationType String // -cbb -exportCollectionBasedBindings on|off // -cha -chaserArgs String String String (multi-use) // -chr -chaser String (multi-use) // -cld -customLayerData String String String (multi-use) // -cls -exportColorSets on|off // -cmt -convertMaterialsTo String (multi-use) // -com -compatibility String // -dc -defaultCameras // -dmk -disableModelKindProcessor on|off // -dms -defaultMeshScheme String // -dp -defaultPrim String // -dsp -exportDisplayColor on|off // -duf -defaultUSDFormat String // -ebs -exportBlendShapes on|off // -edu -exportDistanceUnit on|off // -eet -excludeExportTypes String (multi-use) // -ef -eulerFilter on|off // -ein -exportInstances on|off // -eri -exportRefsAsInstanceable on|off // -ert -exportRoots String (multi-use) // -f -file String // -fr -frameRange Float Float // -fs -frameSample Float (multi-use) // -fst -frameStride Float // -ft -filterTypes String (multi-use) // -gs -geomSidedness String // -iet -includeEmptyTransforms on|off // -ign -ignoreWarnings on|off // -jc -jobContext String (multi-use) // -k -kind String // -lms -legacyMaterialScope on|off // -mat -exportMaterials on|off // -mcp -materialCollectionsPath String // -mcs -exportMaterialCollections on|off // -mfc -melPerFrameCallback String // -mpc -melPostCallback String // -mpu -metersPerUnit Float // -msn -materialsScopeName String // -mt -mergeTransformAndShape on|off // -nnu -normalizeNurbs on|off // -pfc -pythonPerFrameCallback String // -ppc -pythonPostCallback String // -psc -parentScope String // -puv -preserveUVSetNames on|off // -rlm -renderLayerMode String // -ro -renderableOnly // -rom -referenceObjectMode String // -rpm -rootPrim String // -rpt -rootPrimType String // -rtx -exportRelativeTextures String // -ruv -remapUVSetsTo String String (multi-use) // -sar -exportStagesAsRefs on|off // -shd -shadingMode String // -skl -exportSkels String // -skn -exportSkin String // -sl -selection // -sn -stripNamespaces on|off // -sss -staticSingleSample on|off // -tag -exportComponentTags on|off // -unt -unit String // -upa -upAxis String // -uvs -exportUVs on|off // -v -verbose // -vis -exportVisibility on|off // -wd -writeDefaults on|off // -wsp -worldspace on|off // // // Command Type: Command

Does the documentation for this command exist? I would like to explore the best way to export the data I need. From the "chasers" description I found somewhere, most likely I would like to create and use some chasers to export or clean up specific data, but although there are -chaser and -chaserArgs flags, I have no clue about how to use them.

Any help would be much appreciated.

By the way, I'm using Maya 2023.3.1 and the maya usd plugin Maya2025 - 0.33.0_202507022244-1cbb7f7

Re: mayaUSDExport command documentation

Christoph_Schaedl — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:39:29 GMT

Does this help?
https://github.com/Autodesk/maya-usd/tree/dev/tutorials/import-export-plugin

Re: mayaUSDExport command documentation

orlando.esponda — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 15:16:23 GMT

Thanks Christoph,

I'm not entirely sure that would help me because for what I can see (and I apologize because I only had a quick look at the code, I read the READ_ME files though) these examples allow me to customize the import/export, by setting specific options. This is definitely useful to automate things, but I'm still in the dark if I don't know what exactly are supposed to do any of the accepted arguments. As I mentioned before, for boolean arguments there's no issue because the args themselves are self-explanatory, but for string arguments I have no clue on what am I supposed to pass, for instance: -jobContext String (multi-use) or -filterTypes String (multi-use) or -geomSidedness String

I guess there's a constants file somewhere that define all the allowed values for each argument, but I can't find it anywhere.

Once I fully understand what each arg does and what values expects, I think it will make total sense to write python plugins with consistent settings.

I will have another look at the link as soon as possible, because I may be missing something, but thanks for the link 🙂

Re: mayaUSDExport command documentation

matttraynar — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:23:22 GMT

Hey Orlando,

I've had similar problems in the past - these might be the docs you need:

https://github.com/Autodesk/maya-usd/tree/dev/lib/mayaUsd/commands

Re: mayaUSDExport command documentation

orlando.esponda — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:28:30 GMT

Hey Matt,

Yep, that exactly what I was looking for. Lots of thanks.