The Alliance for OpenUSD was announced on August 1, 2023, in San Francisco, bringing together five major technology companies to standardize the 3D ecosystem by advancing the capabilities of Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD).[1] The formation represented a significant step in the evolution of USD technology, which was originally created by Pixar Animation Studios and open-sourced in 2016.[1]
The alliance's formation was briefed to the Metaverse Standards Forum's 3D Asset Interoperability working group on September 20, 2023, by Guy Martin of NVIDIA, who discussed the organization's goals and governance structure.[2]
Mission and objectives
AOUSD seeks to standardize the 3D ecosystem through several key objectives. The organization develops written specifications detailing the features of OpenUSD to enable greater compatibility and wider adoption across industries.[1] These specifications provide a foundation for implementation and integration, while also allowing inclusion by other standards bodies into their specifications.[1]
The alliance aims to provide a path to recognition through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), positioning OpenUSD as an international standard for 3D content interchange.[1][2] The organization serves as the primary forum for collaborative definition of enhancements to the technology by the greater industry.[1]
Organization and governance
The Alliance for OpenUSD operates as a non-profit organization under the Joint Development Foundation, which provides the framework for open, efficient, and effective development of OpenUSD specifications.[1] Steve May, Chief Technology Officer at Pixar, serves as the Chairperson of AOUSD.[1]
The governance structure includes both governing members and general members, with companies participating at different levels.[3] The organization maintains a flexible governance model designed to avoid lengthy specification development cycles while maintaining rigor in the standardization process.[2]
Several major technology companies have expressed support for the alliance and its objectives. Unity stated that "AOUSD is an important step forward to delivering a common foundation for content creation, collaboration and interoperability,"[4] while Epic Games recognized "the significance of USD in establishing standards for 3D content, virtual worlds, and the open metaverse."[4]
Working groups and activities
AOUSD organizes its technical work through various working groups and interest groups that focus on specific aspects of OpenUSD development and standardization.[5] The organization maintains close collaboration with the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) to foster communication and idea sharing between foundations.[2]
The alliance provides community resources including an open forum at forum.aousd.org, which is available to non-members to facilitate broader community engagement with OpenUSD technology.[2]
Technical scope
OpenUSD is described as "more than just a file format" but rather "an open and extensible ecosystem for describing, composing, simulating, and collaborating within 3D worlds."[3] The technology encompasses a collection of fundamental tools and capabilities that accelerate workflows, teams, and projects, with applications ranging from creating assets and environments for large-scale, AI-enabled virtual worlds to building the tools that make these worlds possible.[3]
The alliance focuses on ensuring compatibility between different implementations of OpenUSD, recognizing that alternate implementations in different languages and technology stacks can benefit the ecosystem while maintaining interoperability.[2]
Industry impact
The formation of AOUSD represents a significant development in the standardization of 3D content creation and interchange. Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president of the Vision Products Group, stated that "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."[1]
Gordon Bradley of Autodesk noted that "Whether you're building CG worlds or digital twins or looking ahead to the 3D web, content creators need a cohesive way to collaborate and share data across tools, services, and platforms."[1]
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