Universal Scene Description USD
Universal Scene Description (USD), was initially developed to help address the complexities in managing 3D scene descriptions and the exchange of data involved in creating digital visual effects (VFX) and animations. The project was initiation in 2012 by Pixar who then released for wider use as open software (Open USD) in 2016.
In 2021, Nvidia launched Omniverse, as collaboration and simulation a design package which was based on Open USD, with a focus on Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) and the manufacturing sectors.
In August 2023, with support from the Joint Development Foundation (JDF), part of the Linux Foundation family, the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) was formed by Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA. It is an open, non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the interoperability of 3D content through OpenUSD. Standardising the 3D ecosystem to enable developers and content creators to describe, compose, and simulate large-scale 3D projects and build an ever-widening range of 3D-enabled products and services.
In December 2023 the AOUSD published a two-year Roadmap for Core USD Specification and Ecosystem Collaboration, throughout 2024 the alliance saw almost twenty more organisations joining its activities and the development of it first Interest Groups covering:
- Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO)
- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
- Emerging Geometry
2025 saw the new release of OpenUSD in the form of OpenUSD v25.02, new members and a broadening of the working groups which had expanded to cover:
- Industrial and Engineering Digital Twin (IEDT) Interest Group
- Web Interest Group
- Core Spec Working Group
- Materials Working Group
For further information about AOUSD visit https://aousd.org/
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