Autodesk Maya Installation

Overview

This installation includes uPy, ePMV, & autoPack

This early installation for autoPack is an alpha version- use at your own risk.

uPy (ubiquitous Python API) enables ePMV and autoPack to work in Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, SoftImage, Cinema 4D, Blender and DejaVu by writing only one plugin instead of >5.

ePMV (embedded Python Molecular Viewer) provides all of the capabilities of molecular graphics and molecular mechanics software directly in your C4D GUI.

autoPack positions 3D geometries into, onto, and around volumes with minimal to zero overlap. autoPack mixes several packing approaches and procedural growth algorithms. autoPack can thus place objects with forces and constraints to allow a high degree of control ranging from completely random distributions to highly ordered structures.

cellPack is a specialization of autoPack that generates probabilistic 3D models of large sections of cells that can contain dozens to trillions+ of molecules. It can position these molecules to recapitulate observed data where available and can further optimize the molecular interactions on a local level as each molecule is placed into a mesoscale model.

If you have experience with 3D software on a Windows operating system, especially with Maya, the manual installation should take less than 3 minutes on a Mac and the one-step installer should take less than 6 minutes.

If you encounter difficulties, please visit the forum to search for answers or ask questions.

We ask that you fill out the optional survey to help us improve the installation procedure.

Pre-requisites

  1. Autodesk Maya 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015

      1. If you have a different version, you can download the 2013 demo to try ePMV and autoPACK

    1. Uninstall any previous version of ePMV (and autoFill and autoPack)

      1. Navigate to to your Maya preferences as described in step I.C. below

      2. Move the ePMV folder from .../plugins to your trash (or just pull it out into the maya preferences folder in case you want to revert to it later)

Installation of the uPy Plugin Package with ePMV & autoPack

  1. Option 1: One-step Installer

  2. This is the recommended installation method for Maya on both Mac and Windows

      1. Mac- One-step installer for Maya 2011-2013mac (recommended method): uPy-aP-eP_maya2011-2013_mac_1_0_inst.jar

        1. You must right click and Open to run this Java installer

        2. You can install the plugins for Cinema 4D at the same time if desired

      1. Mac:

          1. The archive contains a plug-ins folder with an epmv_maya_plugin.py file and a MGLToolsPckgs folder, place these items into either/both folders below:

            1. /Users/userName/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/2013/plug-ins/ (or /2011 or 2012)

            2. /Users/userName/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/2013-x64/plug-ins/ (or /2011-x64 or 2012-x64)

          2. The archive also contains a prefs folder with icons and shelves folders, place these two into either/both folders (replacing them), or move their contents into the existing folders to retain your original prefs:

            1. /Users/userName/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/2013/prefs/ (or /2011 or 2012)

            2. /Users/userName/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/2013-x64/prefs/ (or /2011-x64 or 2012-x64)

      1. Windows:

          1. Windows Maya preferences are in your documents folder, e.g.:

            1. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012

            2. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012-x64

          2. The archive contains a plug-ins folder with an epmv_maya_plugin.py file and a MGLToolsPckgs folder, place these items into either/both folders below:

            1. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012\plug-ins\ (or /2011 or 2013)

            2. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012-x64\plug-ins\ (or /2011-x64 or 2013-x64)

          1. The archive also contains a prefs folder with icons and shelves folders, place these two into either/both folders (replacing them), or move their contents into the existing folders to retain your original prefs:

            1. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012\prefs\ (or /2011 or 2013)

            2. C:\Users\userName\Documents\maya\2012-x64\prefs\ (or /2011-x64 or 2013-x64)

      1. Update ePMV, update autoPACK, then restart Maya

      2. We are constantly making updates and improvements, and adding models and features

        1. Please update immediately after you install.

Complete basic tutorials for ePMV and autoPack

    1. If you are new to ePMV or new to molecular graphics, please complete the Basics Tutorial/Survey hybrid. This will guide you through all of the common functions/buttons of the ePMV GUI and simultaneously introduces you to the science and the data types ePMV can work with.

    2. This alpha version of autoPack will improve several times each week and the tutorials will expand

      1. For now, follow the first steps and then the basic tutorials then experiment on your own. If you find a bug, check the forum to see if its already been fixed, and if not, let us know.

        1. Maya specific tutorials for autoPACK will be posted by January 11, 2013.

        2. Find a long list of Cinema 4D specific tutorials for ePMV at http://epmv.scripps.edu/documentation/tutorials that you can transpose for Maya since they primarily focus on techniques of the ePMV GUI.

      2. Update your ePMV and autoPack software frequently to get the latest performance, stability and functionality enhancements with just a couple clicks directly from within the GUIs!

Improve your software by volunteering to complete the surveys regularly

  1. Survey page

      1. The Installation Survey takes less than 30 seconds and will help us improve/simplify the experience.

      2. The ePMV Basics Tutorial Survey will help you become an advanced-beginner level ePMV user and molecular artists in <40 minutes. It will also help us improve software performance.

    1. A similarly detailed autoPack Basics Tutorial Survey will post by January 11, 2013.

Troubleshooting

  1. ePMV and autoPACK won't load after installing with the one-step installer

    1. On some systems, you will need to activate the plugin the first time you use it.

      1. Maya menu, go to Window>Settings/Preferences>Plug-inManager

      2. find epmv_maya_plugin.py and upy_autopPack_plugin.py

      3. click both Loaded and Autoload for both epmv_maya_plugin.py and upy_autopPack_plugin.py

  2. To run autoPACK simultaneously with Maya and 3d Studio Max and/or Cinema 4D

    1. We just discovered that there is a python path conflict caused if you install SciViz (Python engine for 3D Studio Max) from Autodesk on the same Windows computer with Maya. This will soon be fixed by Autodesk, but in the meantime, it is possible to run both programs simultaneously by following this protocol:

      1. Leave the PYTHONPATH Environment Variable that gets written by either SciViz or uPy's .msi as PYTHONPATH

        1. Both installers create this path redundantly

      2. Start Max (you don't need to start the plugins)

      3. After Max is running, change PYTHONPATH to PYTHONPATHmax so it becomes invisible to both Max and Maya

        1. you can access the Python Path Environment Variable at ControlPanel>SecurityAndSystem>System>SystemProperties>Advanced>EnvironmentVariable

      1. Start Maya

    2. Anytime you start Maya, PYTHONPATH must be hidden as something like PYTHONPATHanything

    3. Anytime you start Max or Cinema 4D on Windows, you need PYTHONPATH to be just plane PYTHONPATH