The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), of which Apple is a member, has announced the first OpenUSD Core Specification, now available as an open standard for 3D content creation and data interchange.
It establishes a universal language for the 3D ecosystem, enabling interoperability across simulation, digital twins, and world-building. Pixar developed OpenUSD over 25 years through four generations of production tools, officially open-sourcing the project in 2016 after proving its capabilities on Finding Dory.
“The Core Specification is the definitive syntax for describing how virtual worlds are brought to life at scale,” said Aaron Luk, Core Specification Working Group Chair for AOUSD and Director of Product Management at NVIDIA. “It ensures that every tool can speak the same language while focusing on what it does best. This allows the ecosystem to massively expand via true native interoperability across domains.”
The Core Specification 1.0 defines the foundational data models and logic that underpin the system, ensuring developers can build software with consistent, predictable behavior. According to Luk, Core Specification 1.0 serves multiple critical functions:
- Definitive Reference: Acts as the official guide for all future AOUSD projects, providing canonical documentation for all higher-level specifications.
- Testing Framework: Establishes clear baseline compliance and testing to ensure software is truly compatible.
- Enabling Innovation: Enables independent projects to be built with confidence.
- Foundation for Growth: Sets the stage for specialized, domain-specific standards in Geometry, Materials, and Physics currently in development.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today