At the recent SIGGRAPH Asia held in Sydney from December 12 to 15, 2023, the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) unveiled its ambitious roadmap aimed at elevating Pixar’s USD (Universal Scene Description) as the industry standard. Founded in August 2023, AOUSD’s primary objective revolves around enhancing the interoperability of OpenUSD, a pivotal 3D scene description system. This move stands to streamline workflows across various tools and platforms within the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry.
As reported in Digital Media World, the newly revealed two-year roadmap charts a strategic path to establish OpenUSD as a universal standard, facilitating seamless integration and data exchange for 3D scenes and environments. Central to this endeavor is the Core Specification working group, tasked with defining the foundational aspects of OpenUSD. By ensuring uniformity in data interpretation and structure, the initiative promises consistent user experiences across different software and devices.
Steve May, Chief Technology Officer at Pixar and AOUSD’s Chairperson, commented on the alliance’s mission, emphasizing the goal to enhance 3D tool and data interoperability. He highlighted the roadmap as a testament to AOUSD’s commitment to fostering collaboration and achieving widespread industry adoption.
Furthermore, AOUSD expanded its network by welcoming 12 new general members, including renowned entities like Epic Games, Unity, and Chaos Group. A notable collaboration was also announced with the Khronos Group, a consortium championing open standards in 3D graphics and XR technologies. This collaboration aims to synergize OpenUSD with Khronos’ glTF standard, optimizing 3D scene composition and delivery across platforms.
Chaos Group, a prominent name in visualization tools for industries like architecture and VFX, also joined AOUSD’s ranks. With over two decades of expertise, Chaos Group’s integration into the alliance signifies a significant stride toward enhancing product interoperability and fostering industry innovation.
The M&E sector’s response to AOUSD’s roadmap and collaborations underscores the initiative’s potential to reshape and elevate 3D content creation and distribution standards globally.
