SHAPES for Maya
Quick answers to the most common questions about installation, licensing, workflow, and the accompanying custom nodes.
Known Issues
The SHAPES menu is created through a standard startup script. Beginning with Maya 2022, Autodesk introduced security features that prevent startup scripts from running by default. You can disable this behaviour under Preferences > Security. After a restart the menu should appear as expected.
There are instances where scripts do not run even with security features disabled — the cause is not yet known and does not affect the overall functionality of SHAPES. The simplest solution is to create a shelf button that calls the SHAPES UI with the MEL command: SHAPES.
This issue is restricted to Windows when loading a mesh exceeding 35k polygons. It is related to mesh evaluation during the symmetry mapping process. The current workaround is to disable Symmetry Mapping via SHAPES Menu > Symmetry > Symmetry Mapping. This bypasses the mapping process and bases mirroring of target shapes on position rather than topology.
This is a Maya bug that occurs for an unknown reason. The same behaviour can be observed with the paint skin cluster weights tool. The issue has been logged with Autodesk. Resetting preferences can sometimes resolve it, though there is no guarantee.
A simple solution is to right-click one of the resize buttons and choose a preset size. Alternatively, set the list size directly with these MEL commands (replace 100 with your preferred value):
treeView -e -h 100 shpUI_targetTree;optionVar -iv SHAPESTargetTreeSize 100;
These can be set up as shelf buttons with different values.
Licensing
The evaluation version has been discontinued to ensure the long-term sustainability of the plug-in. Under the previous model, the evaluation version was frequently used for production work rather than testing, diverting significant resources toward support requests without contributing to development.
Additionally, due to the deeply integrated nature of the plug-in's features, it is not technically feasible to create a meaningful limited-feature trial — a restricted version would not accurately represent how the tool functions. The Private/Educational license is priced accessibly specifically to allow artists and students to evaluate the full functionality with minimal risk.
Starting with version 5.13, SHAPES moved to a streamlined licensing system that no longer requires manual license codes. Once downloaded and installed, the plug-in is ready to use immediately. License status is handled automatically.
All patches, bug fixes, and feature improvements within your current Maya version remain completely free. When Autodesk releases a new Maya version, a small per-upgrade fee is required to cover the development, testing, and compatibility work needed for the new build. Please see the Maintenance Statement for full details.
Each SHAPES download includes a discount code for the following release. You can find it in your download section as a separate file.
The discount code does not expire. It is permanently tied to your license and will remain valid whenever you decide to upgrade to a newer Maya version.
Versions prior to 5.8 used a legacy licensing system not supported by the current validation page. If your older license key is not recognised, please use the contact form and include your original license details (version, email address, and key if available). Your entitlement will be verified manually and a current license issued at no extra cost.
Yes. SHAPES will continue to work indefinitely on the Maya version it was licensed for, regardless of how many newer Maya releases come out. The per-upgrade fee only applies when you choose to move to a newer Maya version and need the corresponding SHAPES build. You are never forced to upgrade.
Workflow
This error means SHAPES found more than one intermediate shape node on your mesh and cannot safely determine which one is correct. A deformed mesh in Maya normally has two shape nodes: the visible deformed shape and a hidden intermediate node storing the original undeformed state. The most common cause of extra intermediate nodes is duplicating a mesh without its history.
The Script Editor output is your starting point — SHAPES prints the names of all candidate nodes there. To confirm which is the valid one, open the Node Editor and trace backward from your deformer. For a skinCluster, follow the connection from input[0].inputGeometry back through the groupParts node to its source.
Once you have identified the valid intermediate, delete the others after confirming in the Node Editor that the node you are removing has no meaningful connections. SHAPES also offers two preference options that can help: Filter Intermediates (under Global > General) applies stricter connection criteria to narrow the candidates automatically; Custom Intermediate lets you specify the correct node manually.
SHAPES has been tested with a wide range of setups and rig configurations, but rigs can be built in countless ways. If you run into issues, please contact us with a detailed description of the problem and the error as printed in the Script Editor. If you can share the scene file, that is usually the most helpful thing — or a simplified reproduction of the error if production regulations prevent sharing.
Since SHAPES uses standard Maya functionality it does not normally influence Maya's stability. The only known issue is extensive use of undo, which can cause differences between the scene state and what SHAPES displays, leading to unexpected results. Use undo as sparingly as possible when working with SHAPES. Incremental scene saving is also strongly recommended.
Yes, all scenes created with SHAPES are fully compatible across all license types.
Load the setup created with the evaluation version into the commercial version of SHAPES and save your scene again. This will remove the pop-up.
No. SHAPES is only needed when creating or editing a blend shape setup. SHAPES uses default Maya nodes, making scene files fully compatible with environments that do not have a SHAPES license.
The exception is the weight driver, ramp weights, and weights server nodes. These are installed with SHAPES but can also be downloaded for free to guarantee compatibility. They are open source under the MIT license, with source code included in the download.
Updates
Yes, but not the full price. Every version of SHAPES includes a discount code for the next release. When a new version becomes available, applying that code at checkout reduces the price to a small maintenance fee. Your current license remains valid indefinitely for the Maya version it was purchased for. The fee only applies when you choose to update to a SHAPES build for a newer Maya release.
SHAPES is distributed through Gumroad, which handles your purchase history and downloads. You can always re-download any version you have purchased directly from your Gumroad account. When a newer version becomes available, use the discount code included with your purchase to upgrade for the maintenance fee.
Custom Nodes
The weight driver can be used either as a vector angle-based reader node (similar to Michael Comet's pose reader) or as an RBF solver. It is part of the SHAPES installation but also available as a free download to allow scene compatibility with environments not running SHAPES. The node is open source under the MIT license.
The ramp weights node allows interactive control of blend shape target weights to create partial or split shapes. It is part of the SHAPES installation and also available as a free download for environments not running SHAPES.
The nodes are part of the SHAPES installation — no separate installation is needed on the computer where SHAPES is installed. For any other computer, the nodes can be downloaded for free. They are open source under the MIT license, with source code included in the download.