The SimReady Standardization Workflow#

The SimReady Standardization Workflow outlines the process of specifying asset capabilities within OpenUSD. It describes how to extend OpenUSD for new workflows, industries, and simulation runtime use cases. This playbook details steps for identifying domain experts, drafting asset specifications, performing data mapping and gap analysis, developing reference pipelines, and fostering industry adoption.

Goals#

  1. Design Asset Specifications for Standardization

    Identify and define new asset capabilities to extend OpenUSD and unlock new simulation workflows. Collaborate with NVIDIA and OpenUSD ecosystem partners so that they have agency in the creation process and can build assets that meet simulation needs at scale.

  2. Create End-To-End Reference Pipelines

    Produce documentation, validators, workflows, samples and software to enable successful adoption by the ecosystem partners.

  3. Enable Industry Adoption

    Create efforts to involve and encourage ISV / GSI / Partner adoption, including integration of capabilities into other DCCs and libraries.

Terminology#

Term

Description

OpenUSD

Open Universal Scene Description, an open framework for 3D data interchange.

AOUSD

Alliance for Open Universal Scene Description - an open, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the standardization, development, evolution, and growth of OpenUSD.

SimReady

A set of 3D asset specifications for industrial digitalization and other simulation use cases.

Domain

An area of activity within the larger context of simulation (visualization, process planning, AV simulation, robotics etc.).

Capabilities

Features or use cases of a given domain which are enabled by the asset specification.

Pipeline

A series of processes to convert, transform, validate and load assets – from source systems to consumption in simulators or other runtimes.

References#

Reference

Description

OpenUSD Homepage

https://openusd.org/

AOUSD Homepage

https://aousd.org/

AOUSD Working Groups

https://aousd.org/working-groups/

AOUSD Interest Groups

https://aousd.org/community/interest-groups/

Use Case Template Document

Use Case Template Word Document

Gap Analysis Template Document

Gap Analysis Template Word Document

Asset Validator Documentation

https://docs.omniverse.nvidia.com/kit/docs/asset-validator/latest/index.html

Team / Roles#

Role

Description

PIC

Pilot In Command – Makes sure that the three goals are achieved and serves as the “chair” of the project. Works with external partners as well as the Domain and OpenUSD Experts to clarify the use case and set priorities. Responsible for project and product level documentation, positioning, alignment with related product managers and products, releases, announcement demonstrations and project planning.

Engineering PIC

Responsible for technical documentation and related artifacts, as well as high level planning and execution and releasing of development tasks.

Content PIC

Responsible for Sample Content, including publishing via partners and datasets such as NVIDIA SimReady libraries and/or physical AI Datasets on Hugging Face or similar platforms.
Responsible for the creation of end-to-end workflow guides for creators.

Domain Expert

Deeply familiar with related standards and use cases. Works closely with the overall PIC and OpenUSD Experts to formalize requirements and specifications. This may require several domain experts for a given project. An External Partner is preferred, with membership in AOUSD (or intention thereof).

OpenUSD Expert

External or internal role. A technically minded expert in OpenUSD. Should be able to pass OpenUSD certification (In Progress). Works in close collaboration with the Domain Expert. The OpenUSD Learning Path offer a great way to onboard experts.

QA PIC

Responsible for asset capability testing and end-to-end workflow testing.

NVIDIA DevRel / SAM & Partner

NVIDIA teams liaising closely with experts and partners.

Technical Writer

Ensures that specifications comply with technical writing standards which will be suitable for formalized standardization submissions.

Stakeholders

Industry partners such as OEMs or ISVs as well as NVIDIA teams.

Process Schematic#

Process Schematic

Process Description#

The SimReady Standardization Workflow is a phased process that helps you define and align on scope, iterate on the specification, and deliver a tested and validated candidate specification.

Phase 1: Definition & Alignment#

Defining the scope is essential for developing USD asset capabilities for simulation. Start by detailing the MVP use-case and identifying necessary domain expertise and partners early on. The use-case should clarify initial simulation goals and required 3D asset capabilities, guiding the identification of necessary asset types (e.g., environments, robots, or vehicles). Avoid overly broad scopes; focus on well-defined initial needs and prioritize competing goals to ensure clear alignment with all stakeholders before proceeding.

Specify a domain and identify a domain expert#

  • PIC will identify the required personas to help achieve the desired domain simulation use-case

  • Domain Experts need to have deep knowledge of the use case, workflows and associated standards and software

  • Domain Experts may need to provide sample data / assets

  • Domain Experts with motivation to participate in standardization through AOUSD are preferred

  • PIC

Project Kickoff Meeting#

  • Introduce project members, and associate them to the relevant roles

  • Create a Project folder to store related documentation. This folder will be used to collate all working documents, usually created from copied templates (see steps below)

  • Set up meeting schedule and invite stakeholders

  • PIC

  • Deliverable: Project Structure Setup

Specify MVP Use Case#

  • A detailed use case is vital to scope requirements

  • Include workflow drafts and functional requirements

  • Start with simple use cases that significantly “move the needle”

  • For example, determine the most important “asset class” for the domain and explain how it is embedded within the use case. Determine which systems need to interface with it in which manner, and the inputs and outputs that it needs to support.

  • PIC

  • Domain Expert

Perform Data Mapping#

  • If a standard or de facto data model already exists, perform Conceptual Data Mapping.

  • If no data model exists, go straight to a Gap Analysis exercise below to identify the inputs and outputs needed within the simulation runtime.

  • Domain Expert

  • OpenUSD Expert

  • Deliverable: Data Mapping Documentation

Perform Gap Analysis#

  • Identify data models and capabilities that have no existing representation in OpenUSD with the provided template.

  • Domain Expert

  • OpenUSD Expert

Phase 2: Development & Iteration#

Once the simulation use-case and goals are defined and agreed upon, begin prototyping and iterating within OpenUSD to meet runtime requirements. This involves adding and testing custom attributes, incorporating existing schemas (if they exist), and documenting efforts. Connecting prototype USD files to runtime may require additional engineering work and multiple iterations to achieve stability and produce the expected results.

As part of this process, all stakeholders should work to assemble the capability’s written specifications, define and build validators to ensure assets are built to the new specification consistently, and create end-to-end workflows to help others add this new capability to their assets. Thorough testing of these elements is essential for standardization consideration.

Assess Viability and Prioritize Capabilities#

  • Categorize capabilities into:

    1. Those that can be standardized across simulation runtimes in a specification

    2. Those that are not yet ready for standardization in a specification (e.g., are too specific to a given solver/runtime/software)

  • PIC

  • Domain Expert

  • OpenUSD Expert

Create Asset Specification Draft#

  • Prototype Content Specification

  • Prototype and test Schemas

  • Validate the draft specification in simulation runtimes and sandbox environments

  • Draft preliminary workflow documentation for stakeholder review based on provided template

  • OpenUSD PIC

  • Technical Writer

  • Domain Expert

  • Spec Template.docx

  • Deliverable: Preliminary Specification Documentation

  • Deliverable: Preliminary Workflow Documentation

Iteration#

Continue to test, tune, and formalize schemas, build asset validation rules and code, and refine the specification documentation.

  • Finalize Content Specifications

  • Create sample USD assets that demonstrate specifications and can be validated

  • Perform a QA Pass

  • Plan for Internal Beta and Acceptance Criteria Checks

  • Once Internal Beta is complete, provide to an External Beta

  • Engineering PIC

  • OpenUSD PIC

  • Domain Expert

  • Technical Writer

Phase 3: Package Deliveries#

To be considered a SimReady specification, all prior work — defining the specification, developing schemas, creating and validating content, and documenting workflows — must be tested and validated end-to-end (from asset creation to runtime results). This ensures others can replicate the steps to deliver consistent assets that work predictably in simulation runtimes.

Engage with NVIDIA stakeholders for a review process to ensure the specification’s broad applicability across multiple runtimes and use cases. Build a checklist to capture and deliver each component to ensure a smooth review.

Candidate Specification#

  • Collect and polish the written specification document that was created using the spec template in Phase 2

  • PIC

  • OpenUSD Expert

  • Tech Writer

Pipeline & Validation#

Build an end-to-end asset workflow pipeline from source data into a simulation runtime:

  • Provide a Converter that implements source data and OpenUSD conversion according to Conceptual Data Mapping.

    Note: Conversion does not have to be file based, conversion to/from data streams or other sources such as databases is within scope

  • Supply Validators that check candidate assets for compliance with defined asset specification

    Note: Validators generally correspond to Asset Capability Requirements and the framework allows for deep integration

  • Deliver any post-export, pre-ingest, and/or at-ingest asset transformation logic to conform it to the defined specification and validate its capabilities for a given simulation runtime

  • Polish and provide preliminary workflow documentation that instructs creators on how to apply the capability, validate it and test it in the intended runtime(s).

  • Engineering PIC

  • OpenUSD Expert

  • Tech Writer

Sample Content#

  • Provide Physical AI Dataset(s) and/or Sample Content that demonstrate the defined asset capability and can be used as part of the workflow documentation (examples/tutorials) and to exercise the validators.

  • Content PIC