PXLtools — Tool guide

Render Layer Creator — legacy layers, advanced naming

Build Maya legacy render layers without the click-fatigue. Add objects and lights from your selection, set the render camera, and generate layers named exactly how your pipeline expects — prefix, suffix, object name, camera name, even one layer per light. Create them all at once, or wipe them all in one button, with a live name preview as you go.

Maya v1.4.0
Render Layer Creator interface preview

The interface

01

Overview

Render Layer Creator builds Maya legacy render layers from your selection. Add the objects and groups to render, add the lights, set a render camera, and the tool generates the layers — assigning members, setting the camera renderable per layer, and naming each layer from the parts you choose.

Naming is the point: combine a prefix, suffix, the object name and the camera name, or create one layer per light with the light name as prefix or suffix. A live preview shows the resulting name as you toggle options, and a single button deletes every layer the tool made. It shares the same UI kit as the rest of PXLtools and auto-updates from GitHub on launch.

02

Requirements

  • Autodesk Maya 2025
  • Legacy render layers (the tool switches Maya to legacy mode if Render Setup is active — a Maya restart is recommended afterwards for full effect)
  • Python 3

Maya 2025 already includes PySide6. You do not install it, you do not pip anything. Standard Maya lights and the common Arnold lights (aiAreaLight, aiSkyDomeLight) are recognised.

03

Availability

Render Layer Creator is part of Cristian's PXLtools production toolkit and isn't publicly downloadable yet. The TurnTable tool is the first public PXLtools release; the rest of the suite is rolling out gradually. Want early access, or to be notified when it ships? Get in touch.

04

Using Render Layer Creator

Populate the lists from your selection, choose the camera and naming, then create.

Render Layer Creator interface: Objects/Groups to Render and Lights/Light Groups lists each with Add Selected and Clear, a Camera section with Set Camera, Naming Options (prefix, suffix, object/camera name checkboxes, per-light options with a live preview), and Create Render Layers / Delete All Render Layers buttons
Render Layer Creator — the full interface

How the gated steps work

Green — done

Steps 1–3 (objects, lights, camera) turn green with a check as you satisfy each one.

Orange — do this next

An available step is highlighted orange. Steps 1–3 are open from the start; fill them in any order.

Grey — locked

Step 4 Create Render Layers stays greyed out and disabled until objects, lights and a camera are all set.

  1. Add objects / groups. Select them in the viewport, then press Add Selected under Objects / Groups. Clear empties the list.
  2. Add lights / light groups. Select them in the viewport, then press Add Selected under Lights / Light Groups.
  3. Set the render camera. Select a camera and press Set Camera; the field shows the chosen camera.
  4. Configure naming. Set a Prefix / Suffix, toggle Use object name and Use camera name, and for multi-light work tick Create separate render layer per light then choose Light name as Prefix or Suffix. The Layer name preview updates live.
  5. Create. Press Create Render Layers. Use Delete All Render Layers to remove every layer the tool created.

Tip: The tool sets the chosen camera renderable on each created layer (and the others off), so each layer renders through the camera you picked.

05

Troubleshooting

"Switched to legacy render layers. Restart Maya for full effect."

Your scene had Render Setup active. The tool builds legacy renderLayer nodes, so it switched Maya to legacy mode. Restart Maya so the change fully takes effect.

Set Camera did nothing.

Select a camera (or a transform with a camera shape under it) in the viewport before pressing Set Camera.

My lights were not picked up.

Standard Maya lights and the common Arnold lights (aiAreaLight, aiSkyDomeLight) are recognised. Select the light (or its group) and press Add Selected under Lights.

The per-light prefix/suffix options are greyed out.

They only enable once Create separate render layer per light is ticked. Then pick exactly one of Light name as Prefix / Suffix.