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Synctools Pro For Maya

by blenderVfxMaster·Workflow

Images © blenderVfxMaster. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Earns its place for collapsing the Maya-to-Blender export dance into a single copy-and-paste shortcut, with hierarchy, rigging, and Octane materials carried through the round-trip.

What is Synctools Pro For Maya?

Synctools Pro For Maya turns the round-trip between Maya and Blender into a copy-and-paste action. Select objects in the source app, press Ctrl + Shift + C, switch apps, and press Ctrl + Shift + V to bring them across. The plugin runs as a Sync Tools menu inside Maya and a SyncTools tab in Blender's 3D View sidebar, communicating through a unified FBX-based exchange protocol without manual export dialogs or preset juggling.

What moves between the two apps covers meshes with geometry, normals, and UV sets; PBR and Octane materials; skeletons with joints, weights, and bind poses; baked keyframes and clips; lights and cameras with full transforms; and hierarchy with parenting preserved. Automatic unit matching keeps dimensions consistent between the two applications.

Synctools Pro For Maya is one plugin in the wider SyncTools series, which shares the same exchange protocol across tools for 3ds Max, Houdini, Cinema 4D, Rhino, and other applications. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and both apps can point at a shared cache directory for team workflows.

Who is Synctools Pro For Maya best for?

Synctools Pro For Maya is best for studios that work cross-DCC, freelancers switching between rigging in Maya and lookdev or render in Blender, and anyone tired of writing export presets by hand.

How much does Synctools Pro For Maya cost?

Synctools Pro For Maya is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Bidirectional sync between Maya and Blender from the same shortcut, with no separate import and export buttons
  • Selective transfer that toggles which elements come along: meshes, materials, lights, cameras, armatures, and baked animations
  • Smart scaling with automatic unit matching to keep dimensions consistent
  • Optional Octane material sync mode that preserves Octane material properties across both apps
  • Default Ctrl + Shift + C and Ctrl + Shift + V shortcuts, fully remappable per app
  • Native UI integration: a Sync Tools menu in Maya's menubar and a SyncTools tab in Blender's 3D View sidebar
  • Auto cache cleanup that clears the cache folder under ~/Documents after each paste

Tags

#Maya to Blender#FBX#asset transfer#pipeline#Octane#cross-DCC#SyncTools

Frequently asked questions

Does Synctools Pro For Maya work with Blender 3.0 and Maya 2020?

Synctools Pro For Maya supports Maya 2020 and newer alongside Blender 3.0 and later, so both ends of the pipeline are covered on current and recent releases. The developer recommends verifying your exact Maya version against the installation guide included in the package. On the operating-system side, it runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 and newer, and Linux, so all three major desktop platforms are supported.

How do I install Synctools Pro For Maya?

Synctools Pro For Maya installs in two parts, one per application. On the Blender side, download the .zip, open Edit then Preferences, Add-ons, Install, select the zip and enable it, then open the 3D View sidebar with N to find the SyncTools tab. On the Maya side, load the included plugin script through Maya's Script Editor or place it in your Maya plugins folder, after which a Sync Tools menu appears in Maya's main menubar. A step-by-step guide is included in the package.

What keyboard shortcuts does Synctools Pro For Maya use?

Synctools Pro For Maya defaults to Ctrl + Shift + C to copy the selection in the source app and Ctrl + Shift + V to paste it in the target app, mirroring a familiar clipboard action. The same shortcut handles both directions, Maya to Blender and Blender to Maya, so there are no separate import and export buttons to hunt for. Both shortcuts are fully remappable per app, letting you set bindings that fit your existing Maya or Blender hotkeys.

Can Synctools Pro For Maya transfer rigs and animations, not just geometry?

Synctools Pro For Maya moves more than static meshes. Alongside geometry, normals, and UV sets, it transfers skeletons with joints, weights, and bind poses, plus baked keyframes and animation clips, so rigged and animated assets survive the trip between Maya and Blender. Materials come across as PBR, with an optional Octane material sync mode that preserves Octane properties in both apps. Lights and cameras carry their full transforms, and the object hierarchy keeps parenting intact through a shared cache folder and unified hierarchy protocol.

Is Synctools Pro For Maya free to download?

Synctools Pro For Maya is listed as free in this catalog. It is also part of the wider SyncTools series, and the developer offers a DCC Integration Suite that bundles the plugins for Maya, 3ds Max, Houdini, Cinema 4D, Rhino, and other applications together. For current licensing terms, bundle options, and anything specific to your setup, check the developer's page on Superhive, where email and ticket support are handled through the Superhive inbox.

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