MtoA plugin is missing from plugin manager

[xli44076]

I'm using maya 2020 student version. When I try to load arnold into maya manually, this error appears

// Error: file: D:/Autodesk/Maya2020/scripts/others/pluginWin.mel line 935: initializePlugin function failed (mtoa) //

And the mtoa.mll is missing from plugin manager. How can I fix this??

[Stephen.Blair]

If mtoa.mll is not listed, that means that Maya did not find the mtoa.mod module file.

The mtoa installer puts mtoa.mod in one of the default folders used by maya for module files.

Maybe you should re-run the installer, and make sure you have Configure Maya selected.

[xli44076]

Hello, thanks for your reply!

Do you mean by the installer of MtoA? I did check Configure Maya for my installation though.

[Stephen.Blair]

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@xli44076 wrote:

Hello, thanks for your reply!

Do you mean by the installer of MtoA? I did check Configure Maya for my installation though.

---

Yes, the MtoA installer. MtoA is a plugin with a separate installer (the Maya installer runs it).

You can download MtoA from arnoldrenderer.com/download

[xli44076]

I have tried that, uninstalled and re-installed maya for many times, but MtoA still doesn't show up. Here is another error I got as I tried to load it in manually...

// Warning: file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2020/scripts/others/pluginWin.mel line 938: Could not load D:/Autodesk/Maya2020/plug-ins/mtoa.mll as a plug-in

[Stephen.Blair]

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@xli44076 wrote:

I have tried that, uninstalled and re-installed maya for many times, but MtoA still doesn't show up. Here is another error I got as I tried to load it in manually...

// Warning: file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2020/scripts/others/pluginWin.mel line 938: Could not load D:/Autodesk/Maya2020/plug-ins/mtoa.mll as a plug-in

---

Where is mtoa.mod on the system?

The installer is supposed to put that .mod file the default location used by Maya:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020

[xli44076]

Should I re-install maya to my c drive? It's in my D drive right now...

[Stephen.Blair]

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@xli44076 wrote:

Should I re-install maya to my c drive? It's in my D drive right now...

---

No, that doesn't matter.

Did you search your system for mtoa.mod? Where is it?

You can copy the mtoa.mod file from the MtoA install folder 

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020\mtoa.mod

and put it in

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020


Check that mtoa.mod (a text file) has the right path

For me that's

+ mtoa any C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020
PATH +:= bin
MAYA_CUSTOM_TEMPLATE_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/ui/templates
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/mel
MAYA_RENDER_DESC_PATH += C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020
MAYA_PXR_PLUGINPATH_NAME += C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020\usd

[xli44076]

I have two .mod files

one is

+ mtoa any C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020\maya2020
PATH +:= bin
MAYA_CUSTOM_TEMPLATE_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/ui/templates
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/mel
MAYA_RENDER_DESC_PATH += C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020\maya2020
MAYA_PXR_PLUGINPATH_NAME += C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020\maya2020\usd

the other one is

+ mtoa any C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020
PATH +:= bin
MAYA_CUSTOM_TEMPLATE_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/ui/templates
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH +:= scripts/mtoa/mel
MAYA_RENDER_DESC_PATH += C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020
MAYA_PXR_PLUGINPATH_NAME += C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2020\hydra

[Stephen.Blair]

The first one is no good. Unless MtoA is installed in this folder:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020\maya2020

The first line of the mod file tells Maya where a module (aka a plugin) is installed

In Maya, open the script editor and run this MEL
system( "set MAYA_MODULE_PATH" )

The mtoa module file has to be in one of those paths.

By default, it should be C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2020

[xli44076]

should i get rid of the folder? or just delete the .mod file?

// Result: MAYA_MODULE_PATH=C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2020/modules;C:/Users/Charis/Documents/maya/2020/modules;C:/Users/Charis/Documents/maya/modules;D:/Program Files/Common Files/Autodesk Shared/Modules/maya/2020

here is the result i get... 

[xli44076 · Accepted solution]

OK so the solution is 

I reset my computer system and got rid of all the application, then redownloaded maya and it fixed.