I have a robot model (a hierarchy of parented objects) that needs to be exported to Maya for rigging purposes (team rigger's preference).

I used ObjectMerge and File SOPs and wrote out the model as a .dxf file (Maya 2008 keeps complaining it can't read the .obj version), then imported it without problems in Maya.

However, it appears as a single mesh. How do I go about exporting from Apprentice, so Maya 2008 can see the different pieces (torso, arms, legs, etc)? Is that possible in Apprentice? I found a few threads about FBX, but it wasn't clear who's using what version of Houdini.

Thanks in advance.

Identify your components with group sops, the export the whole object as an .obj file. Not sure why you are using .dxf.
The groups will be preserved in .obj and maya should see them. It will be a single object though.

You could, in houdini, separate each body part into its own object and same each piece as an .obj.

You can't export FBX with the Apprentice version.

Each body part already is in a separate object, that's why I am using ObjectMerge. I tried writing out as .obj, but Maya 2008 just can't read it.
My apprentice version is 9.5.241.

edit: i did manage to export separate pieces as .obj and import them successfully in Maya 2008, not sure why it didn't work yesterday, but that approach needs some work as well. for example the thighs show up in Maya on top of each other, so you'd have to move one thigh across the torso..