You can use Live Link to stream attribute data directly from objects in Maya to a counterpart in Unreal. This is useful if you want to preview how attribute changes in the former will look in the latter. Using this method performs faster than streaming animation data, but any data on frames other than the current one will be lost in Unreal.

Whether streaming object or animation data, you must begin by adding objects to Maya's Connection List:

1. Make sure Maya and Unreal are connected.

2. Load the object in both the current Maya scene and Unreal project (the object does not need to be loaded into the current level).
   
   To ensure compatibility, we recommend that you export the object from Maya to Unreal first.

3. In Maya, select the base node of the object to be linked. For characters, this is the root of their joint skeleton (not the controls).

4. Go to the Unreal Live Link window and click Add Selection. This adds the object to Maya's Connection List, and automatically assigns a type to it. You can change the type by manually clicking the Type drop-down. Do not add multiple objects with the same name to this list.

5. (Optional) Change the Object Name from the default to something more user-friendly.

Once you've done this, the next steps will depend on the type of object you are linking.

Streaming character data

1. In Unreal, create a new blueprint and reference the character.

2. Add a Maya Live Link Pose node to the blueprint, and set the Live Link Subject Name to the connected character.

3. Plug the Maya Live Link Pose output to the Output Pose input.

4. Compile and save.

5. Add the blueprint to your scene, then select and go to the Details Panel, and enable Update Animation in Editor under the Skeletal Mesh section.

Now if you move the Time Slider in Maya, the Unreal blueprint will update.

To link an asset in the Animation Editor:

1. Double-click the asset in the Content Browser to view it in an Animation Editor window.

2. In the Preview Scene Settings tab, set the following values:

   • Preview controller: Live Link Preview controller (do not set it to Maya Live Link Preview Controller, which is reserved for streaming animation)
   • Live Link Subject Name: The same Object Name you specified in Maya's Unreal Live Link window
   • Enable Camera Sync: Enable this if you want Unreal's camera to match Maya's camera

Streaming light, camera, or mesh data

1. In Unreal, select the Light (Directional Light, Point Light, Spot Light), CameraActor, or StaticMeshActor.

2. Go to the LiveLinkComponentController in the Details panel, and switch the Subject Representation to that specific linked light/camera/mesh.

The link is now established between your Maya and Unreal objects. For more on retargeting an actor in Unreal, see the documentation here.