Plugins¶

MCA Editor supports third-party plugins that extend the editor with new panels, tools, and workflows — all running natively inside Maya without leaving your DCC.

Installing a Plugin¶

Plugins are installed by dropping a folder into your MCA plugins directory:

WindowsmacOS

C:\Users\<you>\Documents\mca_preferences\MCAEditor\plugins\

~/Documents/mca_preferences/MCAEditor/plugins/

Each plugin lives in its own subfolder:

plugins/
    my-tool/
        plugin.json
        __init__.py
        ...
    another-tool/
        plugin.json
        __init__.py
        ...

MCA scans this directory automatically every time the editor opens. The plugin appears in the Plugins menu with no extra setup.

Installing a Plugin¶

Plugins load automatically with no setup required. Drop the folder into your plugins directory and restart the editor.

A plugin may ship a plugin_manifest.json declaring its id, version and minimum MCA version. MCA checks that manifest for compatibility before loading. There is no licence check — every plugin loads if it is compatible.

Offline Use¶

Once a paid plugin is activated, MCA caches the license locally for 14 days. You can work offline without an internet connection during that period. After 14 days, MCA verifies the license once when you next go online.

If you're offline and the cache has expired, the plugin won't load until you reconnect. Your work and settings are not affected.

Finding Plugins¶

Browse available plugins at mcaeditor.com/plugins. Each listing includes a description, screenshots, and a link to the plugin.

Managing Plugins¶

Enable / Disable¶

Toggle plugins on and off from the Plugins menu without restarting Maya. Disabled plugins remain installed but do not load.

Remove¶

To remove a plugin, close MCA Editor and delete the plugin's folder from your plugins directory.

Troubleshooting¶

Plugin does not appear after installation

Make sure the plugin folder is placed directly inside the plugins/ directory, not nested inside another folder. The structure should be:

plugins/my-tool/plugin.json

Not:

plugins/my-tool-v1.0/my-tool/plugin.json

Also check that the folder contains a valid plugin.json file.

\"Plugin manifest is not valid\" error

The plugin's plugin_manifest.json may have been modified or corrupted. Re-download the plugin from the developer and replace the entire folder.

\"Plugin requires MCA Editor X.X.X\" error

Update MCA Editor to the version listed in the error message. Plugin developers set a minimum MCA version — older versions of the editor may not support newer plugins.

Download the latest version from mcaeditor.com.