Installation Guide

SYSTEM Requirements

  • OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit) or Linux (RHEL/Rocky compatible)
  • CPU: Recent multi-core processor (Intel i7/i9, AMD Ryzen 7/9 or equivalent)
  • RAM: 32GB (64GB recommended)
  • GPU: Dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with 8GB+ VRAM
  • Software Prerequisites:
    • Windows: Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64)
    • Linux: libcurl
  • Maya: 2023 and above

WINDOWS Installation

1. IMPORTANT – Install Prerequisite:
2. Prepare Maya Folder:
  • Close Maya.
  • Go to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\maya\ in File Explorer.
  • If no modules folder exists, create it.
3. Copy Plugin Files:
  • Unzip the provided MeshMatch installation zip file.
  • Copy the content of modules folder from the unzipped files into your Documents\maya\modules\ folder.

LINUX Installation (RHEL/Rocky)

1. Install Prerequisites (Terminal):
  • Close Maya.
  • Open a Terminal and execute the following commands:
    • Install libcurl (required for communicating with the license server): sudo dnf install libcurl -y
    • Verify that the system has a valid machine ID (essential for licensing): cat /etc/machine-id
      • This command should output a unique alphanumeric string. If this file is missing, empty, or not unique, MeshMatch licensing may not work correctly. This file is standard on modern RHEL/Rocky systems.
2. Create System-Wide Licensing Directory (Terminal):
  • Open a Terminal and execute the following commands:
    • sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/meshmatch
    • sudo chown root:root /var/lib/meshmatch
    • sudo chmod 755 /var/lib/meshmatch
3. Prepare Maya Folder (Terminal):
  • Go to your Maya folder: cd ~/maya/
  • If no modules folder exists, create it: mkdir modules
  • Go into the modules folder: cd modules
4. Copy Plugin Files:
  • Unzip the provided MeshMatch installation zip file (e.g., in Downloads).
  • Copy the content of modules folder from the unzipped files into ~/maya/modules/.

NOTE ON MODULE PATH FOR ADMINISTRATORS

The module folder content can be located in any location listed in your MAYA_MODULE_PATH. If you need to install MeshMatch for all users on a machine, identify a shared module directory and use elevated privileges to copy the files there.

You can list all standard module locations by opening the Maya Script Editor (MEL tab) and running:
getenv MAYA_MODULE_PATH

MAYA: UI and Licensing

1. Open Maya and Run the UI
  • Open the Python tab in the Script Editor.
  • Run: Pythonimport mesh_match_ui as mmui mmui.show_mesh_match_ui()
  • (Optional: Middle-drag the command text to your shelf and use the icon from the icon folder in Modules).
2. First Use – Licensing

On your first run, the plugin will detect that no license is active. A dialog box will appear automatically, guiding you through activation.

Based on your needs, you will be presented with a choice:

  • Activate Online: The simplest and recommended method if your workstation has an internet connection.
  • Use Offline Activation: For workstations that are on a firewalled network or are completely air-gapped.

If you choose “Activate Online”:

  1. A new prompt will appear asking for your license key.
  2. Paste the key you received by email and click “Activate”.
  3. The plugin will connect to the server to validate your license.
    • On Windows: Activation is automatic, and you will see a success confirmation.
    • On Linux: A final dialog will appear with a sudo command. Copy this command, run it in a new Terminal, and enter your password to save the license file.
  4. Once complete, your plugin is ready to use.

If you choose “Activate Offline”:

This will begin a guided, two-step process directly inside Maya.

  1. Step 1: Get Your Identifier
    • A dialog box will appear displaying your unique Machine Identifier.
    • Copy this identifier string.
    • On a separate device that has internet access, go to our self-serve activation page: https://meshmatch.app/offline-activation/
    • On the webpage, paste your License Key and the Machine Identifier to generate your license data. Copy the entire block of JSON text that the page provides.
  2. Step 2: Paste Your License Data
    • Back in Maya, click “Continue” or “Next” in the dialog box (or reopen the UI if it has been closed).
    • A new prompt will appear asking you to paste the license data.
    • Paste the full JSON text you copied from the webpage and click “Activate”.

The plugin will save the license directly. No manual file creation is needed.
After a quick restart of the UI or Maya, your plugin will be fully activated.

Step 3: Get Started

  • Use the “Open Example Scene” button in the UI to get started.
  • Read the full documentation for details on all features!