Apple and other tech giants, including Pixar, Adobe, Autodesk, and NVIDIA, are collaborating with the Joint Development Foundation (JDF), a subsidiary of the Linux Foundation, to drive forward the expansion and standardization of 3D content.
Known as the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), the group is dedicated to promoting the growth and evolution of Pixar’s Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) technology.
The primary objective of AOUSD is to enhance and standardize the 3D ecosystem through the progression of Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD). The alliance intends to improve interoperability amongst 3D tools and data, thereby equipping developers and content creators with the ability to describe, compose, and simulate large-scale 3D projects and build a broad spectrum of 3D-enabled products and services.
OpenUSD, a pioneering technology created by Pixar Animation Studios, is applauded for its robust interoperability across various tools, data, and workflows. The high-performance 3D scene description technology is known for its ability to collaboratively capture artistic expression and streamline cinematic content production. OpenUSD presents a versatile content platform for new industries and applications.
The alliance plans to document the features of OpenUSD in written specifications, fostering wider adoption, integration, and implementation of the technology. This strategy also facilitates the inclusion of OpenUSD into the specifications of other standards bodies.
The project will be housed under the Linux Foundation’s JDF, known for enabling open, efficient, and effective development of OpenUSD specifications, and offering a pathway to recognition through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
“OpenUSD will help accelerate the next generation of AR experiences, from artistic creation to content delivery, and produce an ever-widening array of spatial computing applications,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group, in a statement on Monday. “Apple has been an active contributor to the development of USD, and it is an essential technology for the groundbreaking visionOS platform, as well as the new Reality Composer Pro developer tool. We look forward to fostering its growth into a broadly adopted standard.”
Seen as the main forum for collaborative definition of technology enhancements, AOUSD invites a wide array of companies and organizations to participate in shaping the future of OpenUSD.
AOUSD committee members will be speaking at both the Academy Software Foundation’s Open Source Days next week and at the SIGGRAPH conference at the Autodesk Vision Series on August 8.
