The tech industry’s heavyweights, including Apple, Adobe, Pixar, Autodesk, NVIDIA, and the Joint Development Foundation, have come together to form the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD). This alliance signifies a major step towards standardization, development, and evolution in the field of 3D creativity. With a clear focus on fostering interoperability among tools and data, the alliance aims to bridge the gap between creative assets in the 3D arena, paving the way for immersive experiences across various platforms.
A Unified Approach to 3D Creativity
The Alliance for OpenUSD’s primary goal is to standardize Pixar’s Universal Scene Description (USD) technology. This move holds great potential for the future of virtual reality and the emerging concept of the Metaverse. By bringing together industry leaders, the alliance aims to accelerate the adoption of OpenUSD, creating a foundational technology that will shape the future of the 3D web.
OpenUSD originated in 2012 as a project of Pixar Animation Studios, serving as a 3D foundation for its feature films. It transitioned to open-source in 2016, gaining recognition and collaboration from Apple in 2018 to develop USDZ Universal, a file format designed for creating 3D models for augmented reality. The extensive research and application behind OpenUSD make it a robust technology that now extends beyond film, visual effects, and animation to other industries that rely on 3D data for media interchange.
Expanding Applications
OpenUSD with its high-performance 3D scene description technology has already made significant contributions to the field of 3D content production and delivery. It has found applications in diverse sectors such as architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing. The Alliance for OpenUSD aims to expand and standardize the OpenUSD specification to further enhance its use and acceptance across industries.
The alliance will work towards formulating explicit specifications to define the functions of OpenUSD. This process will enable broader adoption, implementation, and integration of the standard, making it compatible with other standards organizations’ specifications. The collaborative efforts of industry leaders in the Alliance for OpenUSD emphasize the importance of standardization in the evolution of 3D creativity and the Metaverse.
Notably, Apple has been actively pursuing 3D assets and augmented/mixed reality technologies. They have been contributors to the development of USD and have integrated it into their ground-breaking visionOS platform and the Reality Composer Pro developer tool. For Apple, OpenUSD plays a vital role in accelerating the next generation of AR experiences, from artistic creation to content delivery.
One notable absence from the Alliance for OpenUSD is Meta, which could indicate the challenges the corporation currently faces, despite its significant investment in AR. While Meta’s absence might raise questions, the alliance’s formation is still an important milestone in the evolution of the Metaverse.
Building a Foundation for the Metaverse
The establishment of the Alliance for OpenUSD and its focus on establishing a standardized 3D creative process mark a critical milestone in the evolution of the Metaverse. As the boundaries between digital and physical realities blur, the united approach from major industry players becomes crucial. This alliance sets a solid foundation for interoperability, allowing for the creation of immersive, cross-platform Metaverse experiences that can impact various sectors. The widespread adoption of OpenUSD has the potential to revolutionize how we interact with digital content, enriching our everyday lives with virtual reality experiences.
The Alliance for OpenUSD brings together key players in the tech industry to advance standardization in 3D creativity. By standardizing Pixar’s Universal Scene Description technology, the alliance sets the stage for the future of virtual reality and the Metaverse. The collaborative efforts of the alliance members aim to foster interoperability and broaden the adoption of OpenUSD across various industries. This united approach paves the way for immersive, cross-platform experiences and has the potential to transform how we interact with digital content in our daily lives.