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Alliance for OpenUSD Unveils Core Specification 1.0

On December 17, 2025, the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) announced a significant milestone with the launch of the OpenUSD Core Specification 1.0. Designed to be an open standard for 3D content creation and data interchange, this specification aims to address the longstanding issues of fragmentation and compatibility in 3D workflows. This pivotal moment marks the culmination of years of intensive collaboration among industry stakeholders, establishing a universal language crucial for the 3D ecosystem.

Bridging Gaps in 3D Content Creation

"The Core Specification is the definitive syntax for describing how virtual worlds are brought to life at scale," stated Aaron Luk, Chair of the Core Specification Working Group at AOUSD and Director of Product Management at NVIDIA. By enabling every tool to communicate in the same language while focusing on its unique strengths, the specification fosters expansive growth in the ecosystem through genuine interoperability across various domains.

A Proven Production Foundation

3D content plays a vital role in the modern economy, impacting a myriad of sectors from blockbuster films to industrial digital twins and AI simulations. However, persistent challenges, including incompatible data formats and fragmented workflows, have historically hampered progress. The field’s evolution began 25 years ago when Pixar first developed OpenUSD to streamline complex scene exchanges. After proving its effectiveness during the production of Finding Dory, Pixar made the project open-source in 2016, paving the way for further development and standardization.

Formed in 2023, AOUSD has focused on standardizing and promoting this groundbreaking technology. The launch of Core Specification 1.0 provides foundational data models essential for the system, ensuring software developers can create applications with consistent and predictable behaviors. This level of rigorous standardization not only enhances the technology but also establishes a stable base for future advancements.

Key Functions of Core Specification 1.0

The Core Specification serves several essential functions:
1. Definitive Reference: It acts as the official guide for all future AOUSD projects, offering authoritative documentation for higher-level specifications.
2. Testing Framework: It sets clear compliance and testing standards to guarantee software compatibility.
3. Enabling Innovation: It allows independent projects to be developed with confidence.
4. Foundation for Growth: It facilitates the development of specialized, domain-specific standards in areas such as Geometry, Materials, and Physics, which are currently underway.

Addressing Global 3D Economy Needs

The ratification of Core Specification 1.0 was the result of rigorous contributions made by AOUSD founders and industry leaders from media, technology, and design sectors, including well-known entities like Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, NVIDIA, Pixar, and others. This specification transforms how organizations approach the longevity of 3D content, significantly reducing integration costs and safeguarding long-term investments by operating on a foundation not governed by any single vendor.

The movement toward professional-grade reliability is driving adoption across the global economy, embraced by companies in manufacturing and automotive sectors such as Hexagon, PTC, Renault, and Schneider Electric, as well as retail giants like Amazon and creative studios including Epic Games.

Future Developments and Momentum

Following the successful completion of an intellectual property review and technical evaluation by the Technical Advisory Committee, Core Specification 1.0 meets the goals outlined in the initial roadmap shared in 2023. AOUSD continues its momentum with ongoing discussions during this year's AOUSD Summit, focusing on future initiatives and breakthroughs in domain-specific standards.

Steve May, AOUSD Chairperson, highlighted, "This specification enables stakeholders to implement independently compliant tools, paving the way for industries to adopt published and verified standards," emphasizing its path toward ISO standardization and international recognition.

As part of the ongoing commitment to improvement, the working group is already advancing Core Specification 1.1 for 2026, which will introduce new features for animation and scalable capabilities for complex scenes, along with refined compliance testing guidelines.

Availability and Community Engagement

Starting today, developers can access the Core Specification, sample implementations, and compliance tools through forum.aousd.org. Feedback is encouraged to help guide future roadmap developments beyond 1.1.

About the Alliance for OpenUSD

The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) is dedicated to fostering the interoperability of 3D content through OpenUSD, enabling developers and creators to describe, compose, and simulate extensive 3D projects with greater efficiency. The Alliance welcomes a diverse and inclusive community, providing a collaborative platform for the discussion and development of OpenUSD standards.