Show or Hide a Prim

See USD: Visibility. You can show or hide a prim by setting the visibility attribute to either inherited or invisible.

If the value is set to inherited, then prim will either be visible or invisible depending on the prim’s parent visibility value. If the value is set to invisible, then the prim and all children prims will be invisible.

USD Python

You can use the USD API Usd.Prim.GetAttribute() to get an attribute of a prim and then use Usd.Attribute.Set() to change the value. The attribute name for visibility is visibility and you can set it to the value of inherited or invisible.

from typing import Union
from pxr import Sdf, Usd, UsdGeom


def get_visibility_attribute(
    stage: Usd.Stage, prim_path: str
) -> Union[Usd.Attribute, None]:
    """Return the visibility attribute of a prim"""
    path = Sdf.Path(prim_path)
    prim = stage.GetPrimAtPath(path)
    if not prim.IsValid():
        return None
    visibility_attribute = prim.GetAttribute("visibility")
    return visibility_attribute


def hide_prim(stage: Usd.Stage, prim_path: str):
    """Hide a prim

    Args:
        stage (Usd.Stage, required): The USD Stage
        prim_path (str, required): The prim path of the prim to hide
    """
    visibility_attribute = get_visibility_attribute(stage, prim_path)
    if visibility_attribute is None:
        return
    visibility_attribute.Set("invisible")


def show_prim(stage: Usd.Stage, prim_path: str):
    """Show a prim

    Args:
        stage (Usd.Stage, required): The USD Stage
        prim_path (str, required): The prim path of the prim to show
    """
    visibility_attribute = get_visibility_attribute(stage, prim_path)
    if visibility_attribute is None:
        return
    visibility_attribute.Set("inherited")


#############
# Full Usage
#############
# Here you will show your code sample in context. Add any additional imports
# that you may need for your "Full Usage" code

# Create a simple in-memory stage with a Cube
stage: Usd.Stage = Usd.Stage.CreateInMemory()
default_prim_path = Sdf.Path("/World")
default_prim = UsdGeom.Xform.Define(stage, default_prim_path)
stage.SetDefaultPrim(default_prim.GetPrim())
cube_path = default_prim_path.AppendPath("Cube")
cube = UsdGeom.Cube.Define(stage, cube_path)

# The prim is initially visible. Assert so and then demonstrate how to toggle
# it off and on
assert get_visibility_attribute(stage, cube_path).Get() == "inherited"
hide_prim(stage, cube_path)
assert get_visibility_attribute(stage, cube_path).Get() == "invisible"
show_prim(stage, cube_path)
assert get_visibility_attribute(stage, cube_path).Get() == "inherited"

# Print the USDA out
usda = stage.GetRootLayer().ExportToString()
print(usda)

Python Kit Commands

You can use the ChangeProperty command from the omni.kit.commands extension to change the attribute of any prim. In Omniverse applications, you can discover the attribute name by hovering over the label in the Property Window and inspecting the tooltip.

You can find more information about the Kit command API at the omni.kit.commands extension documentation.

import omni.kit.commands
import omni.usd
from pxr import Sdf


def hide_prim(prim_path: str):
    """Hide a prim

    Args:
        prim_path (str, required): The prim path of the prim to hide
    """
    set_prim_visibility_attribute(prim_path, "invisible")


def show_prim(prim_path: str):
    """Show a prim

    Args:
        prim_path (str, required): The prim path of the prim to show
    """
    set_prim_visibility_attribute(prim_path, "inherited")


def set_prim_visibility_attribute(prim_path: str, value: str):
    """Set the prim visibility attribute at prim_path to value

    Args:
        prim_path (str, required): The path of the prim to modify
        value (str, required): The value of the visibility attribute
    """
    # You can reference attributes using the path syntax by appending the
    # attribute name with a leading `.`
    prop_path = f"{prim_path}.visibility"
    omni.kit.commands.execute(
        "ChangeProperty", prop_path=Sdf.Path(prop_path), value=value, prev=None
    )


"""
Full Usage
"""

# Path to a prim in the open stage
prim_path = "/World/Cube"
stage = omni.usd.get_context().get_stage()
prim = stage.GetPrimAtPath(prim_path)
assert prim.IsValid()

# Manually confirm that the prim is not visible in the viewport after calling
# hide_prim. You should comment out the below show_prim call and assert.
hide_prim(prim_path)
assert prim.GetAttribute("visibility").Get() == "invisible"

# Manually confirm that the prim is visible in the viewport after calling 
# show_prim
show_prim(prim_path)
assert prim.GetAttribute("visibility").Get() == "inherited"

USDA

This is an example USDA result from creating a Cube and setting the visibility property to inherited. You can edit the value to invisible to hide the prim.

#usda 1.0
(
    defaultPrim = "World"
)

def Xform "World"
{
    def Cube "Cube"
    {
        token visibility = "inherited"
    }
}