maya Dropbox Setup & Notes

MAYA_APP_DIR (user variables)
this sets where different versions of maya created base preferences folder. e.g 8.5 and 2008
must remember that somehow it wasn’t updated unless i restart my PC.
windows::e.g : C:\Documents and Settings\haseebah\My Documents\maya\


MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH (system variables)
this helps to manage multiple folders organized. if you didn’t set this one in environment variables. also remember to put semicolon and add multiple path and was very helpful to put zooToolBox separately managed in above examples. this can also be set in maya.env file. but system / user variables take precedence if declared.
window::e.g : C:\Documents and Settings\haseebah\My Documents\maya\2008\scripts\zooToolBox;C:\Documents and Settings\haseebah\My Documents\maya\2008\scripts
e.g.
setting separate folder for python scripts is simple , add line in maya env file

PYTHONPATH = C:\Documents and Settings\haseebah\My Documents\maya\2008\scripts\Python

userSetup.mel or userSetup.py to initialize simple script commands at startup (loading packages and assigning simple name spaces helps a lot, e.g: import maya.cmds as mc etc) also useful to setup ports for listening from jedit and eclipse.

linux::e.g : (in .profile file located at /home/lala) add lines below, this helps to avoid all maya installations at multiple machines ( home / office ) has same look n feel. even installation of one script is also done at all places. changing hotkeys and shelfs at one place update other places. too good. offcourse u have to setup dropbox :D
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export MAYA_APP_DIR=/home/lala/Dropbox/Maya
export MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH=/home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/zoo:/home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/lala
export PYTHONDEV=/home/lala/Dropbox/Maya/2009-x64/scripts/pymel
export MAYA_LOCATION=/usr/autodesk/maya2009-x64
export PATH=$MAYA_LOCATION/bin:$PATH
export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$PYTHONDEV
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maya.env in linux is like

MAYA_PLUG_IN_PATH = /home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/pyPlugin
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH=/home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/zoo:/home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/lala:/home/lala/maya/2009-x64/scripts/rigging
PYTHONPATH=/usr/local
MAYA_MMSET_DEFAULT_XCURSOR=1