OpenUSD: Creating digital worlds together
OpenUSD: Creating digital worlds together
Still from Ashfall. Image courtesy of Dexter Studios.Autodesk, Pixar, Apple, Adobe, and NVIDIA move OpenUSD forward
Autodesk, Pixar, Apple, Adobe, and NVIDIA move OpenUSD forward
Universal Scene Description is a software platform that lets users combine digital assets like shading, lighting, and geometry more collaboratively. Image courtesy of Tim Burroughs.What is Universal Scene Description (USD)?
What is Universal Scene Description (USD)?
OpenUSD helps animators, architects, and CAD operators compose, describe, and collaborate on 3D projects. Image courtesy of Oswin Wan.How OpenUSD has redefined 3D media production
How OpenUSD has redefined 3D media production
DISNEY/PIXARHow OpenUSD works in Maya and 3ds Max
How OpenUSD works in Maya and 3ds Max
OpenUSD is the foundation of Autodesk Flow
OpenUSD is the foundation of Autodesk Flow
The power of layers with OpenUSD
The power of layers with OpenUSD
Digital production companies like Dexter Studios have integrated OpenUSD workflows into their virtual production pipelines. Image courtesy of Dexter Studios.Discover efficient studio workflows with OpenUSD
Discover efficient studio workflows with OpenUSD
How OpenUSD is encouraging open data exchange
How OpenUSD is encouraging open data exchange
How does Universal Scene Description work?
OpenUSD organizes a 3D scene into a hierarchy of prims (objects/elements), which have attributes (properties/characteristics) associated with them. Universal Scene Description also uses multiple layers of scene data, each layer with its own prims, attributes, and overrides, which modify specific prims and attributes without altering their original data. Variants and variant sets enable multiple representations of the same object or scene.
The textual USD Stage Description (USD Stage) language describes scene hierarchy and properties in plain text files.
Overall, OpenUSD is an efficient way to edit and collaborate on 3D scene data across production pipelines and has become standardized with native support within leading software.
What are the advantages of USD?
There are many advantages to using OpenUSD (formerly Universal Scene Description) for managing scene data. First is interoperability—USD was made to exchange 3D scene data between different software and platforms using a common language and file format.
OpenUSD’s layering system sets up two major advantages: non-destructive editing, which makes it easier for artists to experiment and modify scene data without risk, and scalability, where artists can work on separate scene layers and efficiently manage complex scenes without duplicating tons of data.
Other OpenUSD advantages include versioning and collaboration features, performance and efficiency, flexibility, and extensive industry support.
How can I retain color grading data when using OpenUSD?
OpenUSD works alongside OpenColorIO, an open-source color management solution. This ensures that colors stay consistent throughout the pipeline. OpenColorIO is integrated with several Autodesk solutions, including 3ds Max, Maya, Arnold, and Flame.
When using OpenUSD, will object shading and material textures remain consistent?
Yes, Open USD and MaterialX work together to ensure accurate rendering and shading of objects, enabling consistent representation of 3D object materials and look development across multiple platforms.
Can USD scenes be played in the OpenRV player?
Yes, OpenUSD and OpenRV work in tandem, so you can review sequences easily and as they are intended. Open RV is an open-source version of our original RV playback software.