Autodesk integrating generative AI into Maya

Autodesk has announced that it is integrating generative AI tools into Maya.

Revealed at Siggraph 2023, the VFX software’s first AI addition will be through a partnership with NVIDIA. Services developed using NVIDIA Picasso, a foundry for building generative AI models, will be integrated into Maya. At first, this will be adding AI into 3D content creation for characters and worlds. This will bring the ability to dynamically generate textures, materials and high dynamic range images directly into LookdevX in Maya.

Autodesk is also working with Wonder Dynamics to bring AI into character-driven VFX workflows, beginning with an integration between Maya and Wonder Studio. Wonder Studio is an AI tool that claims to automatically animate, light and compose CG characters into a live-action scene. According to the company, this automates 80%-90% of “objective” VFX work and leaves the artist with the remaining “subjective” work.

Earlier this year, Autodesk announced Maya Assist, an AI tool that it has developed with Microsoft. The product aims to allow artists to automatically manipulate scenes using natural language text prompts directly in Maya. For example, you can ask to copy an object, increase its size by 25%, or add a camera and aim it anywhere

Elsewhere, Autodesk is collaborating with Adobe on a new source shading model called OpenPBR (which stands for Open Physically-Based Rendering), a new subproject of MaterialX, that will be a successor to Autodesk Standard Surface and the Adobe Standard Material. This open-source specification is under the governance of the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF). OpenPBR builds upon MaterialX by providing a description of how an artist will interface with the physical properties of the surface they’re creating, giving artists a more specific interface to work within, and the ability to transfer data back and forth between assets with very little conversion needed.