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Simul8 3D Previsualization — Overview

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Simul8 is MRMC's dedicated 3D previsualization plugin for Autodesk Maya. It provides a live connection to Flair and allows you to design and validate motion control moves entirely in a 3D environment before shooting.

What Simul8 Does

  • Displays a live 3D model of the robot rig in Maya, driven by Flair in real time.
  • Lets you design moves in Maya and send them back to Flair.
  • Checks physical limits, collision envelopes, and camera sight lines before committing to a move on set.
  • Supports CGI Import: export a Carts move from Simul8 directly into Flair's Job system.
  • Carts export includes target distance data — essential for focus follow.

Windows-only Maya plugin

The Simul8 Maya plugin is Windows-only. Linux builds exist for CentOS 7. There is no macOS version of the Maya plugin. Current version as of mid-2026: v3.1.0 (Maya 2026). See Simul8 Maya Setup for full version history and known issues.

Supported Rigs

Simul8 ships with 3D models for all major MRMC rig families:

  • Bolt (all variants including Bolt Jr+, Bolt Mini Model Mover)
  • Milo (2-node and 3-node arm)
  • Talos
  • Vista/Piccolo
  • Cinebot Mini / Cinebot Max

Tutorial Video Series

# Tutorial Link
1 Introduction — overview of the tool Watch
2 How to Install Simul8 Watch
3 Path Tool — programming camera paths Watch
4 Smooth Tutorial — smoothing moves Watch
5 Span Tool — adjusting timing spans Watch
6 Camera Head Tool — head offsets Watch
7 RigMover Node — the solve engine Watch
8 Limit Checker — verifying axis limits Watch
9 Import Kinematics Watch
10 3-Node Camera Animation in Carts Watch

Full playlist details: Simul8 Tutorial Videos

NY 2023 Summit Videos — Simul8 in Production

Three sessions from the MRMC New York 2023 Advanced Training Event cover Simul8 in real-world feature film and commercial production:

Working with Simul8 — Justin Dombrowski and Colin Quinn (40:38) Complete walkthrough from loading the rig in Maya, setting up camera offsets, exporting Carts, and importing into Flair — with a live demo run on a physical robot. Watch on MRMC VHX

Previsualization, 3D Scanning, Simul8 and Maya — Colin Quinn and Justin Dombrowski (26:40) How to scan a location with Polycam/Matterport, bring it into Maya as scene geometry, and previz the move with the director before the shoot day. Watch on MRMC VHX

Case Studies: Feature Film Projects — Justin Dombrowski and Colin Quinn (28:23) Spider-Man, Black Panther 2, and other feature film Simul8 workflows. Includes Q&A. Watch on MRMC VHX

VHX account required ($79 lifetime / $49 rental). Event attendees may apply for a 90% discount.

Key Workflow

Design in Maya

  1. Import a rig model from the Simul8 shelf — select rig type and Inverse Kinematics.
  2. The Rig Mover node controls the entire rig hierarchy — move it to position the robot in the virtual set.
  3. Parent the camera to the Rig Mover (child first, parent last; uncheck Maintain Offset).
  4. Set camera offsets and nodal values in the Rig Mover channel box.
  5. Set keyframes on the camera to program the move.

RigMover — Repositioning the Rig

RigMover is the Simul8 tool for placing the rig relative to set geometry. Use it to check that the intended position physically fits, and to recalculate moves after repositioning.

See the RigMover tutorial for a full walkthrough.

CGI Import to Flair

When the move is complete in Simul8:

  1. Export the move: Save Move → Save Carts or Save Rig Move → Axis (baked).
  2. In Flair: File → CGI Import (not regular FBX Import).
  3. Rename Arm axis to Angle if prompted (Bolt systems).
  4. Set Granularity — lower = fewer editable waypoints; higher = more accurate path.
  5. Tick Import as Mimic for baked axis exports.
  6. Verify the move in Flair's 3D view before running on the robot.

Source

  • Forum post, "Simul8 3D Previz overview" — talk.mrmoco.com/t/370
  • MRMC NY Summit 2023, sessions 13, 14, 15