Download and install Bifrost for Maya

Bifrost for Maya is a plug-in that is released separately from Maya, in addition to being included with Maya.

• The Maya installer includes the version of Bifrost that was current at the time of the Maya release.
• Additional updates of Bifrost are available for download from the Autodesk Accounts Portal. These include updated versions of Bifrost for earlier releases of Maya.

The Bifrost for Maya installer includes the following:

• A node-based environment where you can build procedural graphs to create effects such as sand, fire, smoke, and explosions.
• Bifrost Fluids, a procedural framework that can create simulated liquid and aerodynamic effects using a FLIP (fluid implicit particle) solver.
• BOSS, the Bifrost Ocean Simulation System.
• bifcmd, a command line tool that executes Bifrost graphs exported from the node-based environment.

Bifrost for Maya is compatible with all Maya versions and their update releases beginning Maya 2019.

If you already use Bifrost Fluids and BOSS, you can continue to use these features with Bifrost for Maya.

Downloading Bifrost for Maya updates

1. Log in to your Autodesk Account.
2. Select Product Updates (along the left bar).
3. Select the Extensions tab (along the top).
4. If you don't see the Bifrost version you want, you might need to change the time range under Release date at right.
5. If the list is long, you can enter Bifrost in the search box.
6. Click the Download button next to the version of Bifrost that you want for your version of Maya and operating system.

Alternatively:

1. Log in to your Autodesk Account.
2. Select All Products and Services.
3. Select View details on the Maya card.
4. Select Extensions under Available downloads.
5. Select the version of Bifrost that you want for your operating system and the main version of your Maya installation. For example, the Bifrost for Maya 2023 installer works with Maya 2023 and all its Update releases.
6. Select Download.

After downloading, run the downloaded installer.

Legacy scenes that include Bifrost Fluids

When opening legacy scenes that include Bifrost Fluids, you may see an error as follows:

// Warning: Bifrost: to use the updated Bifrost graphs in Maya, graph |bifrostLiquid1|bifrostLiquidContainer1 needs to be updated to the latest version, call mel script: replaceBifrostFXGraphsWithFactoryGraphs |bifrostLiquid1|bifrostLiquidContainer1 ; //

// Error: bifrostLiquidContainer1: Emitters: Could set input port value. Failed to set input parameter Emitters //

// Error: Bifrost evaluation error //

To resolve the issue, execute the MEL command as indicated by the message. For example, if the liquid node is called bifrostLiquid1, run the command as follows:

replaceBifrostFXGraphsWithFactoryGraphs |bifrostLiquid1|bifrostLiquidContainer1 ;