By Steve May, CTO of Pixar Animation Studios and chairperson of the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD)
In 2024, the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) made substantial progress in standardizing and developing Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) through focused working groups, strategic partnerships, and expanded industry participation. From fostering 3D interoperability to driving industry adoption, we have built strong foundations for OpenUSD to thrive as an open standard for 3D content creation and application.
The year marked significant advances in both technical development and industry adoption. Key highlights included the establishment of dedicated Materials, Geometry, and Physics Working Groups, which provided structured approaches to standardizing critical aspects of OpenUSD. The Core Specification Working Group created drafts for foundational elements such as attribute data types and document data models. In parallel, new Interest Groups in Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO), Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), and Emerging Geometry created platforms for industry-specific innovation.
OpenUSD’s reach expanded through strategic partnerships with organizations including the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), and buildingSMART International. These collaborations aligned OpenUSD development with existing industry standards while addressing specific needs across sectors like manufacturing, architecture, and media technology.
Progress in Governance
A significant milestone in 2024 was the election of AOUSD’s first rotating Steering Committee members. This structural evolution ensures broader and more diverse industry perspectives to guide the Alliance’s mission. Mark Tucker (SideFX) and Sean Snyders (Trimble) bring valuable insights from the Media & Entertainment and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sectors, strengthening our focus on inclusivity and innovation.
Working Groups and Interest Groups also took shape this year, aligning technical and community-driven initiatives. The Materials Working Group and Geometry Working Group, launched in March, began work on standardizing material definitions and geometry specifications. The Physics Working Group, formed later in the year, focuses on standardizing the existing OpenUSD physics schema for rigid bodies and exploring specifications for soft-body dynamics.
Additionally, Interest Groups also played a pivotal role in 2024. AOUSD launched three Interest Groups to incubate new ideas and provide recommendations to the Working Groups for inclusion or evolution into specifications. The AECO Interest Group assessed OpenUSD’s potential for transforming workflows in architecture and construction, while the DEI Interest Group championed inclusivity across AOUSD’s initiatives. The Emerging Geometry Interest Group explored cutting-edge technologies like neural reconstruction and Signed Distance Fields, ensuring OpenUSD remains at the forefront of innovation.
Organization Growth
AOUSD’s membership grew significantly in 2024, with organizations joining across multiple sectors. In March, eight new members including Ansys, Intel, Siemens, and Trimble brought expertise in simulation, manufacturing, and engineering. By mid-year, the Alliance welcomed DigitalFish, Microsoft, Sony Group, and Shutterstock, extending OpenUSD’s applications in content creation and digital entertainment. Later additions of Cadence, Foxconn, and Pickford further diversified the community with expertise in AI infrastructure and smart manufacturing. These additions reflect the growing recognition of OpenUSD’s influence across diverse sectors, from media and entertainment to industrial manufacturing and architecture.
Global Events and Community Engagement
AOUSD maintained an active presence at major industry events throughout 2024, starting with NVIDIA GTC and Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March. At GTC, the “Big Bang of OpenUSD” panel brought together members from Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA, while OpenUSD Day featured sessions from Adobe, Autodesk, Cesium, and Siemens showcasing industry applications.
SIGGRAPH 2024 in Denver marked a significant milestone for the community. The conference featured comprehensive OpenUSD programming, including the joint AOUSD and Academy Software Foundation USD Working Group sessions, technical presentations from member companies, and hands-on OpenUSD labs. Members including Adobe, Ansys, Apple, Autodesk, Epic Games, Meta, NVIDIA, Pixar, SideFX, Sony Group, and WPP demonstrated OpenUSD applications across various industries.
In the fall, Autodesk University 2024 highlighted OpenUSD’s expansion beyond media and entertainment, particularly into Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO). The conference showcased how OpenUSD is transforming workflows and fostering interoperability far beyond its roots in visual effects.
The inaugural AOUSD Summit in November brought together member organizations to share insights and shape the future of OpenUSD development. The Summit demonstrated the value of in-person collaboration and knowledge sharing within the AOUSD community. Most attendees indicated they would recommend AOUSD membership to their peers.
Technical Milestones
2024 marked substantial advancement in OpenUSD’s technical capabilities through AOUSD Working Groups and four major releases.
The Working Groups established clear paths for standardization across key areas. The Materials Working Group, in collaboration with ASWF’s MaterialX project, began work to standardize the MaterialX library as an ISO specification, aiming to ensure consistent material representation across OpenUSD implementations.
The Geometry Working Group focused on specifications for surfaces, shapes, and volumes in both virtual and physical worlds, while also addressing CAD geometry data interoperability standards.
Later in the year, the Physics Working Group was formed to build normative specifications for rigid bodies and explore standards for soft-body dynamics.
The Core Specification Working Group made significant progress toward formalizing OpenUSD’s foundations. The group completed preliminary drafts for foundational data types, document data models, and core file formats (USDA, USDC, USDZ). They also developed sample implementations and compliance testing frameworks, with work continuing on composition and stage population specifications. These efforts pave the way for ISO submission in late 2025.
Four major OpenUSD releases delivered key improvements throughout the year:
- OpenUSD v24.03 introduced UTF-8 identifiers for non-Latin characters, improved performance for resolving variant selections, and initial implementations for animation splines.
- OpenUSD v24.05 focused on developer tools, with new guides for MaterialX, Hydra 2.0, and namespace editing. Early support for “relocates” composition arcs expanded content flexibility.
- OpenUSD v24.08 highlighted validation frameworks and updated dependencies, including Python 3.12 and Vulkan-backed rendering for Storm.
- OpenUSD v24.11 removed the dependent on Boost, added performance benchmarking, and enhanced semantic labeling for AI training and digital twins.
Each release reflected growing global collaboration in the OpenUSD ecosystem, with contributions addressing needs across industries from media and entertainment to manufacturing and architecture.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we enter 2025, the rapid evolution of 3D technologies presents significant opportunities across industries. Key trends such as the growing adoption of digital twins, advances in generative AI, and the increasing integration of 3D data in AR/VR and industrial workflows underscore the importance of robust, interoperable standards like OpenUSD. These developments highlight the need for continued innovation in areas like volumetric representation, material standardization, and cross-platform compatibility.
We are poised to build on the strong foundations laid in 2024. Our priorities for the coming year align with the organization’s commitment to advancing OpenUSD as a robust, interoperable standard for 3D content creation and application:
- Working Groups: Deliver version 1.0 of the Core Specification, a key milestone in establishing OpenUSD as a global standard. Significant progress is also targeted in Materials and Geometry, with continued exploration in Physics to support future standards for both rigid and soft-body dynamics.
- Interest Groups: Make demonstrable progress in AECO, Emerging Geometry, and DEI initiatives. Broaden industry engagement with new roadmaps for Interest Groups focused on Automotive/Industrial, Animation/Interactivity, and Web technologies.
- Outreach and Engagement: Host an All General Meeting (AGM) to update members on progress and roadmap developments. Launch coordinated efforts to curate OpenUSD tutorials and educational materials, fostering wider adoption and community growth.
- Vision and Roadmap for USD: Define an aspirational yet realistic vision for OpenUSD’s future, encompassing leading-edge developments such as volumetric representation. Strengthen liaison relationships with existing partners while evaluating other liaisons to help drive the ecosystem’s future.
By focusing on these priorities, AOUSD aims to drive the adoption and evolution of OpenUSD across industries while equipping members with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
We extend our gratitude to members, contributors, and partners for their dedication and support. Together, we are shaping the future of 3D technology and creating a more interoperable, innovative, and inclusive ecosystem for all.
Here’s to an impactful 2025!
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