OpenUSD

If Omniverse is the brain that is operating the digital twin, OpenUSD is the nervous system. Universal Scene Description (USD) supports a modular, bottom-up approach, much like how parts are put together into assemblies in CAD. You can divide the facility, products, and equipment into smaller, reusable elements. “Components” represent individual assets like a robot or a rack, while “assemblies” are groups of components or other assemblies that often represent larger structures, such as a work cell. Components are typically self-contained while assemblies aggregate and organize components into larger more complex scenes using USD composition arcs (cells and robots into a factory aggregate stage).

Each element, such as individual components, assemblies, or nested assemblies, can be defined and refined independently, often by different users or departments working in parallel. The larger factory digital twin is constructed by aggregating these individual elements and maintaining a subscription to their updates, ensuring that any changes are automatically reflected in the digital twin.

A significant advantage of organizing a digital twin as an aggregate structure is that edits made to individual source elements are automatically picked up by the aggregate datasets that compose them. This allows updates to flow into the main digital twin file unless specific overrides are applied at the aggregate layer. This approach fosters efficiency and collaboration in creating and maintaining large, complex virtual facilities.

Further reading

• First Steps to Becoming an OpenUSD Developer — Omniverse USD

• OpenUSD Terms & Concepts — Omniverse USD

• USD Assets - Introduction

With OpenUSD concepts in mind, you are ready to explore the content iteration cycle, where you will learn validation, optimization, structure, and assembly techniques to transform CAD data into components that can later be aggregated into production-ready virtual facilities.