EZ Character + Maya: AI Character Reference for Professional 3D | EZ Character
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EZ Character + Maya: AI Reference to Professional 3D Character Pipeline

Generate locked orthographic character references in EZ Character. Set up Maya image planes. Model, rig, and animate with professional 3D pipeline precision.

Last updated · By the EZ Character team

Why this combination

Maya is the film and AAA game industry's standard 3D character tool. Every character model starts from orthographic reference planes. EZ Character provides front and profile references locked to the same character. Set them as Maya image planes, align the landmarks, and model to a reference that is consistent, professional, and available in minutes.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. 1

    Generate the multi-angle reference

    Upload character concept to EZ Character. Generate front, profile, and back views at maximum resolution. Neutral T-pose or A-pose.

  2. 2

    Set up Maya image planes

    In Maya, switch to the front view panel. View > Image Plane > Import Image. Load your EZ Character front reference. Repeat in the side view with the profile reference.

  3. 3

    Align reference landmarks

    In the image plane attributes, adjust Center X/Y/Z so both views align — eyes, shoulders, and hips at the same height in both planes.

  4. 4

    Model to orthographic precision

    Begin poly modelling against the aligned image planes. Switch between front and side views. The locked reference ensures your model reads correctly from both axes.

  5. 5

    Validate with ¾ views

    Rotate the perspective view and compare against the EZ Character ¾ front and ¾ back references. Adjust the model until it matches from all angles.

Pro tips

  • Set image plane Display to "Looking through camera" so the reference only shows in orthographic views
  • Reduce image plane Alpha Gain to 0.5 so your wireframe is visible over the reference
  • Generate references at 4096px — Maya image planes benefit from high resolution when zooming in for facial detail
  • Use the back view reference for hair, cape, and back-armour modelling — the most commonly skipped angle

Frequently asked questions

Start your Maya character pipeline

Generate the multi-angle character reference in EZ Character. Import into Maya. Ship faster.

Try EZ Character free

Free tier: 12 credits (~80 images). No credit card required.