NVIDIA Announces Major Omniverse Upgrade

NVIDIAToday announced its NVIDIA OmniverseA major update of the platform, providing developers and industrial enterprises with new foundational applications and services to optimize and enhance theirOpenUSDFrameworks and 3D processes for generative artificial intelligence. According to NVIDIA, the update to Omniverse will help accelerate the creation of virtual worlds and advanced workflows for industrial digitization. Cesium, Convai, Move AI, SideFX Houdini, and Wonder Dynamics are now connected to Omniverse via OpenUSD.

Highlights of this platform update include improvements to the Omniverse Kit, the engine used to develop native OpenUSD applications and extensions, and the NVIDIA Omniverse Audio2FaceBasic applications and spatial computing capabilities. “Industrial companies are racing to digitize their workflows, increasing the need for OpenUSD support, connectivity, and a strong, interoperable, 3D software ecosystem,” said Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and Analog Technologies at NVIDIA. The latest Omniverse update lets developers OpenUSD augments its tools with generative artificial intelligence and allows enterprises to build larger, more complex world-scale simulations as digital testing grounds for industrial applications."

According to NVIDIA, the update to the Omniverse Kit also includes Native RTX Dynamics Space Integration, which provides a new set of extended reality (XR) developer tools that allow users to natively integrate spatial computing options into Omniverse-based applications. Other improvements include new modular app builds, new developer templates and resources, and improved efficiency and user experience.

NVIDIA says these platform updates have been demonstrated in Omniverse base applications, which are fully customizable reference applications that creators, businesses and developers can replicate, extend or enhance. Upgraded apps include:
– Omniverse USD Composer: Allows 3D users to assemble large-scale scenes based on OpenUSD.
– Omniverse Audio2Face: Provides access to a generative artificial intelligence application programming interface (API) to create realistic facial animation and gestures from just one audio file, and now also offers multilingual support and a new female benchmark model.

According to NVIDIA, OpenUSD expands its ecosystem with Omniverse. NVIDIA also announced a wide range of frameworks, resources, and services to accelerate OpenUSD adoption. Additionally, the company announced a new Omniverse Cloud API built by NVIDIA to enable developers to more smoothly implement and deploy OpenUSD’s processes and applications. For example, ChatUSD is a large language model (LLM) assistant for developers that can answer questions about USD or generate Python-USD code scripts.

NVIDIA added that the new Omniverse connection provided by OpenUSD is now available. Adobe and NVIDIA extended their collaboration on Adobe Substance 3D, generative AI and the OpenUSD initiative, announcing plans to make Adobe Firefly, Adobe's family of creative generative AI models, available as an API in Omniverse, enabling developers and creative can enhance their design process.

Additionally, Omniverse users can now build content, experiences and applications that are compatible with other OpenUSD-based spatial computing platforms, such as Apple’s ARKit and RealityKit, the company’s preferred 3D framework for AR, which leverages ARKit to seamlessly integrate virtual objects into the real world middle. Additionally, new support for the Khronos Group's OpenXR open standard expands Omniverse's reach to more headsets from manufacturers such as HTC VIVE, Magic Leap, and Varjo.

Other platforms that interface with Omniverse or use Omniverse-compatible file formats include:
– Wonder Dynamics: Connects with Omniverse through its AI platform, Wonder Studio, to automatically incorporate computer-generated character animation, lighting effects, and compositing into live-action scenes. Additionally, new OpenUSD export support will enable artists to generate and export complete 3D scenes from a single camera video, according to the company.
– Luma AI: Reality capture models in USDZ format can be imported into Omniverse.
– Convai: Allows creators to add characters to the digital twin environment that can provide relevant information about the environment and objects, can act as tour guides or virtual robots.
– Move AI: Single-camera motion capture is possible with the Move One app, resulting in 3D character animations that can be exported to OpenUSD and used in Omniverse.
– SideFX Houdini: Users can now load Houdini digital assets directly into the Omniverse viewport, making connected Houdini-based workflows more seamless.
– Cesium for Omniverse: Support for 3D Tiles, an open standard for streaming large-scale geospatial datasets in virtual worlds, including datasets supported by OpenUSD.
– CGI.Backgrounds: Several Ultra HD HDRi maps are now available in USD Composer.
– Cadence DataCenter Design Software: Now available through Omniverse, helping users view computational fluid dynamics simulations in the full context of their digital twin.
– Blackshark.AI: A digital twin platform for the world connected with Omniverse.

NVIDIA notes that customers currently using Omniverse for digitization include the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, Continental, Volvo Cars, and Marks Design.

The latest Omniverse release is available as a free beta download now, with an Omniverse Enterprise release coming soon. To learn more about NVIDIA Omniverse, visit the company's website.

[Image source: NVIDIA]