Maya Scene Converter is a python-based Qt tool for converting scenes from a render engine to another in Maya, it is not a perfect conversion and it depends on rules files and how good they are but gives you a great head start.
Attach transforms to a input mesh using follicles. the script finds the closest point on the mesh and take care of finding the closest follicle position for you
Mass Instancer is a production quality plugin built for creating complex geometry instancing effects using Maya and Mental Ray. By combining numerous customization parameters and particle-driven instance placement, effects such as large crowds, cityscapes, forests and explosion debris can be set up with ease.
![Free Car Metallic Paint v2.0 [RayTrace fix] for Maya 0.0](https://d1a9v60rjx2a4v.cloudfront.net/2013/10/02/23_11_22_339_screen1_2.jpg)
