mayaUSDExport command documentation

[orlando.esponda]

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

[Christoph_Schaedl]

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

[orlando.esponda]

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 🙂

[matttraynar · Accepted solution]

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

[orlando.esponda]

Hey Matt,

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