OpenUSD: Bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds

In today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, the need for standardized data models and interoperability has never been more important. OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description) is a powerful framework designed to solve these problems by providing a unified data model for organizing and packaging complex 3D scenes. Originally developed by Pixar, OpenUSD has gained significant interest from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, energy, media, and entertainment.

What is OpenUSD?

OpenUSD is a versatile and extensible framework that allows the interchange and augmentation of 3D scenes composed of many component assets. Unique composition capabilities provide rich and versatile ways to combine assets into larger assemblies, enabling collaborative workflows where multiple developers can work together seamlessly. This makes OpenUSD a powerful tool for: many An industry that relies heavily on 3D data and complex simulations.

but Open USD Started in the media and entertainment field, that It has also received consistent attention from other industries. Also includes manufacturing, energy, etc.. that‘S Its unique capabilities in providing a unified data model and facilitating collaborative workflows make it an invaluable tool for many. industry. that Alliance for OpenUSD (no wayOUSD) It plays a critical role in accelerating the adoption and usage of OpenUSD. many The industry can take advantage of this.S Full potential for digital transformation, innovation, and efficiency.

• operation: In the manufacturing sector, OpenUSD facilitates the creation of highly detailed, interactive 3D models of facilities such as manufacturing plants. It also provides data interoperability and reduces costs associated with existing proprietary systems, allowing small businesses to compete and innovate faster. By integrating operational data (OT) from physical assets with IT data from other systems of record, manufacturers can streamline complex workflows, enhance predictive maintenance, and improve overall operational efficiency.
• energy: The energy industry leverages OpenUSD’s ability to provide semantic meaning of non-3D enterprise data along with 3D data for digital twin exploration and simulation. This capability allows energy companies to create accurate virtual models of their infrastructure, facilitating better planning, monitoring, and maintenance of their energy assets. Integrating real-time telemetry capabilities of physical assets further improves the efficiency and reliability of energy operations.
• Media & Entertainment: OpenUSD has its roots in the media and entertainment industry, which has driven innovation and collaboration. OpenUSD provides a standardized framework for 3D content creation, allowing artists and developers to collaborate more effectively to create immersive experiences and high-quality visual effects. The framework’s flexibility and scalability make it ideal for managing the large datasets and complex data dependencies essential to film and animation pipelines.

The role of the OpenUSD Federation

The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) was formed in 2023 to promote the adoption and development of the OpenUSD standard across a variety of industries. Comprised of major players such as Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA, AOUSD aims to foster global collaboration and improve interoperability of 3D content. Microsoft’s participation in AOUSD represents a pivotal step in Microsoft’s commitment to open standards and digital transformation.

By joining AOUSD, Microsoft aims to strengthen the OpenUSD ecosystem and increase accessibility to 3D data. This collaboration allows customers and partners to leverage optimized workflows and create immersive experiences. AOUSD continues to expand its membership and form new interest groups to promote innovation and inclusion.

OpenUSD’s future potential

OpenUSD’s future potential is vast and promising. As the industry continues to embrace digital transformation, the demand for standardized and interoperable 3D data models will continue to grow. OpenUSD’s ability to integrate with emerging technologies such as AI and robotics positions it as a key driver of the next wave of innovation. For example, OpenUSD’s ability to describe the physics of simulation functions makes it an ideal framework for creating operational digital twins and immersive simulations. This could revolutionize industries by providing more accurate and dynamic models for planning, monitoring and maintenance.

OpenUSD’s role in AI development is particularly noteworthy given the growing belief that the next wave of AI will be driven by incorporating more information about how our world works from a physics perspective. With a representation that organizes knowledge and builds a “playground” for AI to gather experience, OpenUSD is poised to play a critical role in this evolution. As AI systems become more sophisticated, the ability to create and manipulate complex 3D scenes will be essential for training and development.

Microsoft’s Participation in the OpenUSD Coalition

Microsoft officially joined the OpenUSD Alliance in July 2024. This collaboration is an important milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to drive digital transformation across a variety of industries. Microsoft aims to enhance support for industrial customers by ensuring operational data is effectively integrated into the OpenUSD format and better accommodates equipment IDs and attributes within USD, facilitating seamless interoperability with non-3D enterprise data.

Microsoft plans to contribute to the work being done by AOUSD by participating in working groups and driving the development of USD schema for industry operations. This engagement helps bridge the gap between 3D and non-3D data, improving the overall efficiency and data consistency of industrial operations. Microsoft also aims to leverage OpenUSD across its products, such as Azure and Omniverse, to deliver powerful operational digital twins and immersive simulations.

OpenUSD is a game-changing, innovative data model for industries that rely on 3D data and complex simulations, and its ability to provide a unified data model and facilitate collaborative workflows makes it an invaluable tool for media and entertainment as well as industrial customers. The OpenUSD Alliance plays a critical role in accelerating the adoption and use of OpenUSD and ensures that the industry can leverage its full potential for digital transformation. The future of OpenUSD is bright. Because it has the potential to become the cornerstone of our digital future by driving innovation and efficiency across a variety of sectors.