Autodesk's Maya and 3ds have long held spots in our roundups of the best animation software and the best 3D modelling software. New features announced today are likely to keep them there, as Autodesk adds a batch of new tools intended to speed up workflows
The latest features include the addition of a popular powerful plugin for crowd simulation, new AI advances and Flow-connected workflows to help animators understand the context of the scene their working on.
Golaem plug-in for Maya
First up, Autodesk will add the Golaem plug-in for Maya to the Media & Entertainment Collection, the premium subscription plan that provides access to Maya, 3ds Max, Arnold, MotionBuilder, Mudbox and more. Golaem provides crowd simulation, making it easier to fill 3D worlds with multiple animated characters, whether it’s a stadium full of cheering sports fans or a battlefield full of soldiers.
Golaem’s Layout tool allows studios to adjust and customize characters directly in the Maya viewport without altering simulations. Its built-in procedural animation engine helps control multiple characters at once. And once the simulation is set up in Maya, it can be transferred to 3ds Max, Houdini, Unreal, or Katana using Golaem’s dedicated plug-ins. Major industry formats, including OpenUSD, are supported, streamlining the work across different tools.
Flow Animating in Context
Next up, Flow Animating in Context in Maya is designed for situations where animators are assigned a scene to work on with little (or no) context of what comes before of next. The lack of context can make it hard to create performances that fit the overall narrative
What Flow Animating in Context does is integrate surrounding shots from Flow Production Tracking (formerly ShotGrid) into Maya’s timeline. Animators and layout artists can then scrub between their work and the surrounding shots to make informed creative choices that could improve continuity. Animators can switch between pipeline steps, whether layout or FX, to pinpoint the part of the cut they need to focus on.
What else is new?
Autodesk is also adding more AI tools that allow interactive workflows intended to improve efficiency. The Autodesk AI-powered Machine Learning Deformer in Maya should now load 40 times faster, while disk space usage has been reduced by 80%.
Also new, Bifrost's procedural liquid simulation feature is now available directly in the Bifrost graph in Maya. The new FLIP solver offers adaptive resolution for efficient computation, particle-based foam, and improved velocity estimation. You can also emit and blend coloured liquids. It's ideal for large-scale, non-viscous fluids.
For 3D modelling, the Volume Booleans tool is now available in Maya and 3ds Max, creating a more unified Boolean engine across the two tools. This makes it easier to explore freeform shapes and build complex organic forms from simple primitives.
Meanwhile, OpenUSD improvements continue across both Maya and 3ds Max, with added support for axis and scale adjustments in Maya and an Attribute Editor in 3ds Max. A long-requested feature, Light Linking, is also now available in both programs, giving greater control over rendering.
Finally, OpenPBR is now the default shading option in both Maya and 3ds Max, bringing enhanced artistic controls, more accurate material representation across tools and improved interchange with other software.
See details below for the Autodesk Maya and 3ds prices. For more on the software, see our Maya 2025 review and our Autodesk 3ds Max 2025 review.
