The code base for the latest version of the RawKee X3D exporter plugin for Autodesk Maya is Now Available from the RawKee GitHub site as a Maya Python API 2.0 plugin. RawKee PE is compatible with all versions of Maya newer than Maya 2025 on Windows, Linux, and macOS. RawKee PE may be compatible with versions of Maya on all three operating systems going back to Maya 2023, but this has not been tested.

RawKee Python Edition is currently in a pre-release status, with the official 2.0.0 release scheduled for the 2025 Web3D Conference, which will be co-located with Digital Heritage 2025 in Siena Italy.

• 2025 Web3D Conference
• Digital Heritage 2025

Collaborators:

• Antony Ward - Collaborating to provide RawKee and HAnim compatibility with his aRT: Modular Rigging Tool.

Special Thanks:

• Michalis Kamburelis - Developer of Castle Game Engine for developer feedback and X3D consulting.
• Holger Seelig - Developer of X_ITE - X3D/Web3D Viewer and Developer of Sunrize: Multi-Platform X3D Editor. Development of RawKee PE would have been nearly impossible without them.
• Chris Zurbrigg - Patreon Maya Python Programming Tutorials - For quickly answering my Maya Python programming questions.
• Members of the Web3D HAnim Working Group - John Carlson, Carol McDonald, Joe Williams, and Myeong Won Lee - For their guidance and feedback surrounding the X3D HAnim Spec.

Early RawKee

Those interested in the deprecated C++ versions of RawKee should see the relevant section at the bottom of this page.

1. Most likely, the version of Python for Maya (aka the mayapy executable) is already installed.
2. If for some reason it is not, you can follow the instruction on how to install 'pip' found here: Python.org page

Some of the packages listed may require a pip install regarless of what the list below explicitly states.

• pillow (pip install required)
• ffmpeg-python (pip install required)
• xmltodict (pip install required)
• typing
• numpy
• math
• os
• sys
• base64
• mimetypes
• ctypes
• json

1. PIP install the Python packages listed above for your version of Maya and OS.
   a. On Windows use PowerShell to run: mayapy.exe
   b. On OSX/Linux use the terminal to run: mayapy
   c. Command line for installing using 'pip': ./mayapy -m pip install some_module
2. Clone the RawKee GitHub main branch using PowerShell or Terminal:
   a. Create a directory somewhere on your computer's hard drive where you
    want to install RawKee. We will use the Linux/OSX style psuedo path of:
     /path/to/your/install/directory
   b. Change directory to:
     /path/to/your/install/directory
   c. Then run the following git command:
     git clone https://github.com/und-dream-lab/rawkee.git
3. Update Maya Environment variables.
   a. Edit your Maya version's Maya.env file adding the following evironment
    variable entries.
   b. Instructions on where to find and edit your Maya.env file can be found here:
    - Autodesk Maya 2026 Environment Variables
   c. In the appropriate Maya.env file, make the following entries:
    MAYA_PLUG_IN_PATH=/path/to/your/install/directory/rawkee
    MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH=/path/to/your/install/directoryrawkee/mel
4. Load RawKee Plugin into Maya.
   a. After you start Maya, open the Plug-in Manager through the Maya menu system:
     Windows > Settings/Preferences > Plug-in Manager
   b. Near the top of the Plug-in Manager option window you will see the something
    similar to the following:
     /path/to/your/install/directory/rawkee
     RawKee_Python_X3D.py
   c. Clicke the "Loaded" box to load RawKee, and then close the Plug-in Manager.

To make contributions to the project, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository
2. Create your Feature Branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Stage your Changes (git add -A)
4. Commit your Changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
5. Push to the Branch (git push)
6. Open a Pull Request

For further assistance, contact Aaron:

• Email: aaron.bergstrom@und.edu
• Organization: UND Computational Research Center - DREAM Lab
• Website: DREAM Lab

C++ versions of the plugin (1.2.0) supporting Maya 2019 - Maya 2024, please refer to the GitHub page.

C++ versions of the plugin (1.1.0) supporting Maya 6.0 - Maya 2008, please refer to the SourceForge page.

Some tutorials for RawKee C++ Edition (v 1.1.0/1.2.0) can be found at the Internet Wayback Machine. Unfortunately, the old video tutorials were not archived by IWM.

• https://web.archive.org/web/20100105142454/http://rawkee.sourceforge.net/tutorials/