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Omniverse Realtime Viewer

NVIDIAOfficialCreated by NVIDIA Omniverse

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Software development
  • Apache-2.0
  • Medium risk
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From the author

Use as the top-level router for Omniverse Realtime Viewer USD apps, XR delivery, SPG GPU processing, stylized rendering, and focused viewer reference documents.
— the description by NVIDIA Omniverse

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The Omniverse Realtime Viewer skill acts as a central routing and architectural framework for developing USD-based 3D viewer applications. It provides a structured approach to composing rendering, scene state, and delivery mechanisms, ensuring that developers can integrate OVRTX rendering, OVStage scene management, and various UI or streaming adapters effectively. The skill emphasizes a modular architecture where the viewer runtime, UI/input adapters, and delivery systems are decoupled, allowing for consistent behavior across local and streamed environments.

What it does

  • Provides a routing architecture for USD viewer apps, XR delivery, and GPU-accelerated rendering.
  • Defines the separation of concerns between viewer runtime, UI adapters, and delivery systems.
  • Offers guidance on integrating OVRTX for high-fidelity 3D rendering.
  • Establishes conventions for camera interaction, scene state management, and input handling.
  • Supports the implementation of specialized features like stylized rendering and CAE/CFD visualization.
  • Provides protocols for agent-to-UI communication and scene control.

When to use it

  • When starting the development of a new USD-based realtime viewer application.
  • When integrating advanced rendering features like stylized visualization or AOV switching.
  • When building XR or spatial editing capabilities into an existing Omniverse application.
  • When you need to standardize the architecture for local and streamed viewer deployments.
  • When implementing chat-driven scene control or agent-based inspection of a 3D scene.

Advantages

  • Promotes a clean, modular architecture that separates rendering logic from UI and transport.
  • Ensures consistent behavior across different delivery methods, such as local windows or WebRTC streaming.
  • Provides clear paths for extending functionality without disrupting the core viewer runtime.
  • Facilitates the integration of complex simulation and visualization data into the viewer.
  • Standardizes conventions for scene state, selection, and camera control.

Usage examples

“How do I set up a basic USD viewer application using the Omniverse Realtime Viewer architecture?”
The agent will guide you to start with the viewer app reference, resolve dependencies, and implement the core runtime owner to manage the OVStage and OVRTX renderer.
“I need to add stylized rendering to my existing viewer. Where should I start?”
The agent will direct you to the stylized visualization references to implement the required USD/Lua/CUDA nodes within your existing runtime owner.
“How can I enable an AI agent to control the viewer scene?”
The agent will point to the A2UI Scene Copilot reference to implement an operation interface that allows the agent to send commands through the existing runtime owner.
“How do I switch between different render outputs like beauty and depth in my viewer?”
The agent will explain how to use the AOV switching reference to map RenderVars and update the RenderProduct's orderedVars through the runtime owner.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/nvidia/omniverse-realtime-viewer/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip omniverse-realtime-viewer.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by NVIDIA Omniverse

<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved. -->

<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 -->

Omniverse Realtime Viewer

Build responsive USD viewers by composing OVRTX rendering, OVStage scene state, and the delivery/UI libraries appropriate to the app. Use this package for viewer architecture and interaction; use each selected SDK's upstream guidance for installation and exact release-specific APIs.

Start With The App

  1. When delivery is explicit, select its recipe through references/routing.md and follow its current phase. Otherwise start with references/usd-viewer-app/README.md. For an existing app, keep its architecture and read only the references for the requested change. Broad app, conventions and UI catalogs are lookups as needed.

  2. Resolve the selected libraries through references/dependencies/README.md. Preserve the project's manifest unless an upgrade is requested.

  3. Build a working frame and camera interaction in the chosen shell, then add the requested capabilities. Read references/conventions.md for shared input, camera, selection, and protocol conventions.

  4. Use references/viewer-ux-workflow/README.md for broader interface design. Loading, selection feedback, errors, and input responsiveness belong in the first working app, alongside rendering.

  5. Validate the actual delivery path with references/validation.md. A browser screenshot does not validate a native window or a different transport.

Architecture

OwnerResponsibility
Viewer runtimeOwn the live OVStage, publication clock, OVRTX renderer, scene changes, and render stepping.
UI and input adapterDisplay frames and copied app state; send user intent to the runtime owner.
Storage/query/simulation workersPerform their assigned work and return results through the selected integration boundary.
Delivery adapterPresent locally or stream through ovstream; respect frame ownership and backpressure.

Use OVRTX for USD/3D rendering. Browser apps display its WebRTC video; local apps present its output through their native shell. A missing GPU means rendering is unverified, not a reason to substitute a browser 3D renderer.

Keep viewer cameras, settings, effects, and transient edits in app-owned session or runtime state so the source USD stays intact. Serialize scene mutation and render stepping through the runtime owner. Read references/ovstage-ovrtx-integration/README.md for that loop, then the population or data-plane references when implementing scene loading or attribute writes.

Keep expensive loading and metadata work off the UI and render threads. Keep transport details behind a delivery adapter so camera, selection, properties, and loading state can be reused across local and streamed shells.

Add Capabilities As Needed

Use references/routing.md to select camera/picking, scene management, render settings, cloud assets, simulation, editor tools, deployment, or CAE/CFD visualization. Read the selected capability's implementation flow and its linked contract; the full reference catalog is not a prerequisite for a first frame.

For simulation, use the routing reference's Simulation Ecosystem section plus references/realtime-sim-integration/README.md. For UI-driven forces or control, add references/interaction-round-trip/README.md.

For example scenes, use references/usd-sample-data/README.md. When a runtime failure needs diagnosis, use references/troubleshooting/README.md and the selected SDK's matching release guidance before changing the architecture.

Solid Modeling: Upstream First

For usd-brep, exact BRep, solid modeling, kernel failures, CAD topology, or BrepArray questions, first read references/dependencies/README.md → USD BRep. Follow the owning repository's current agent guidance, skills, operation docs, and package API before selecting local integration references. Discover the upstream router rather than assuming skill names or directory layouts remain fixed. Upstream owns modeling semantics, schema rules, tuning, and diagnostics; this package owns OVRTX display, worker handoff, selection mapping, and publication timing.

GPU Processing And Stylized Viewers

For custom GPU processing, chained outputs and lens sampling, read references/spg-processing/README.md. For toon, ink, technical/X-Ray styles, geometry strokes or full wireframe, continue to references/stylized-visualization/implementation.md. Its USD/Lua/CUDA starting node and geometry/depth/composite build sequence work with the selected viewer recipe; use references/stylized-visualization/style-recipes.md for the preset math and references/stylized-visualization/README.md for supporting contracts. Implement the result inside the existing OVRTX/runtime owner and deliver the published processed output. These instructions do not require a sample checkout or a prior stylized-rendering implementation.

For an optional usd-brep geometry source, first read references/dependencies/README.md → USD BRep and the owning repository's current agent guidance, skills, and operation docs; then read references/stylized-visualization/usd-brep-source.md for the display boundary.

XR Viewers

For headsets, immersive viewers, or spatial editors, start with references/xr-viewer-recipe/README.md. Resolve SDK setup and contracts through references/dependencies/ovxr.md; the library owns OpenXR lifecycle and frame submission. For controllers, hands, navigation, or scene tools, add references/xr-spatial-input/README.md and references/ovxr-python-interactions/README.md. For projection-integrated UI, read references/ovxr-composition-ui/README.md and references/ovxr-composition-ui-validation/README.md.

Files

references/streaming-viewer-recipe/validation-build-order.md

Streaming Validation And Build Order

15. Validate The Omniverse Realtime Viewer

Use this as a routine smoke checklist. Add focused proof only for features the viewer actually exposes or for demo-critical claims. Message names illustrate the example protocol; apply tree, variants, settings and persistence checks only when those capabilities are exposed by the requested app.

Validate in this order:

  1. Run the generated server setup wrapper or equivalent commands and record dependency installation results.

  2. Confirm ovrtx imports, constructs a renderer on the target GPU, and reports a usable version.

  3. In an isolated one-shot probe, confirm ovstream.initialize() and ovstream.shutdown() complete in the generated server environment. Do not reuse that shutdown pattern as the per-server stop path for same-process restarts.

  4. Confirm warp initializes when CUDA conversion is enabled, confirm the selected OVStage path if used, and confirm the selected pxr subprocess path if USD queries are generated.

  5. If physics is requested, confirm either a verified PhysX.attach_ovstage(stage, read_ordinal=...) compatibility probe or the bounded OVPhysX worker path. Do not validate parent-process OVPhysX population as an acceptable fallback.

  6. Start the server with no client and confirm it initializes ovstream, constructs ovrtx, loads or waits for a scene, and exits cleanly on interrupt.

  7. Wait for /healthz to return 200 ok, or capture the server log and failing readiness command.

  8. Confirm the server logs the first valid BGRA8 CUDA mapping or completed required conversion into the app-owned BGRA stream buffer, for example First BGRA frame ready: 1280x720. Already-BGRA8 output must not be swizzled again.

  9. Before the frontend connects, record the H264 embedded-host preflight: iframe status, MediaCapabilities.decodingInfo availability/result when present, and the explicit H264 DirectConfig. In an embed, missing MediaCapabilities is diagnostic only, not a reason to reject H264.

  10. Start the frontend and confirm the browser connects to the signaling port.

  11. Confirm video appears and continues updating: after connect() resolves, the video element reaches HAVE_CURRENT_DATA and decoded-frame count (or currentTime when frame counters are unavailable) advances. If the server starts idle, confirm the connection stays alive on fallback frames long enough for the frontend to send openStageRequest after confirmed SDK start success (see client readiness).

  12. Confirm colors are correct with a scene containing obvious red and blue objects.

  13. Confirm openStageRequest loads a scene and returns openStageResult.

  14. Confirm initial-state push works by loading a scene before connecting the browser, then refreshing the browser.

  15. Confirm server logs do not show immediate connected=True then connected=False loops after normal app messages arrive.

  16. Confirm camera orbit, pan, zoom, wheel zoom, and fit-to-stage update the streamed view.

  17. Confirm click selection does not fire after a drag gesture.

  18. Confirm selected prim state appears in the tree and info panel through stageSelectionChanged.

  19. Confirm getChildrenRequest, getPropertiesRequest, and getVariantsRequest responses include the requested prim path and render in the correct UI row/panel.

  20. Confirm scene switching clears stale selection, refreshes hierarchy, preserves render settings, and avoids concurrent render/reset.

  21. For visible render settings, confirm either an immediate before/after effect, backend effective-state echo, explicit reload/profile behavior, or unsupported-key rejection. Do not require broad artifact capture for hidden or unimplemented settings.

  22. Confirm setRenderSettingRequest rejects unsupported keys and that success responses include applied, applies_at, and requires_reload.

  23. Confirm render settings persist after scene switch and server restart only for settings that were validated or accepted as non-live defaults.

  24. For optional runtime transform, pick-effect, or physics controls, capture one focused before/after proof for each requested capability and include the backend capability/result message. For physics, include parent/child process model, OVStage write/consume ordinals, and nonzero motion when motion was requested.

  25. Confirm frontend reconnect does not flood logs or leave previous session already running loops.

  26. Confirm per-server shutdown calls ovstream stop and close. Confirm the process-exit path calls ovstream.shutdown() only after the final server is closed, and same-process restart tests do not call shutdown between starts.

Use these failure checks:

  • Browser connected but no video: verify the video element exists before connect, frontend did not set media port, explicit H264 codec config is present, server public IP/ICE is valid, and frames are being submitted. In an embedded host, also record iframe context and MediaCapabilities availability, then require HAVE_CURRENT_DATA plus advancing decoded frames; missing capability APIs alone do not prove H264 failure.

  • Video has swapped colors: verify CUDA RGBA-to-BGRA conversion.

  • Black frame: verify render product path, camera path, render var source, resolution, and camera transform.

  • Scene load works once but fails after switching: verify renderer reset/load serialization, inline sublayer paths, and operation error handling.

  • Messages do nothing: verify on_app_message receives inner JSON, exact event_type names, data-channel readiness, and early-request reply handling.

  • Camera moves incorrectly: verify row-major camera matrix layout, world-up convention, finite state, input button mapping, viewport ownership, and letterbox transform. If the data channel works but native on_input receives no pointer/button/wheel events during an explicit test, record that evidence and validate the mutually exclusive mouseInput fallback from viewer-input-routing.

  • Picking fails: verify native pick query enqueue/step/result handling, input routing, pick coordinate transform, RenderProduct GPU pinning when required by the active ovrtx build, and no picking during load/reset.

  • UI stays loading after refresh: verify server pushes initial openStageResult and root getChildrenResult after connection.

  • Render setting appears to work but image does not change: verify the control came from the backend capability list and that renderSettingsChanged.applied is true for immediate settings.

Read for depth: see references/streaming-lifecycle, references/streaming-server, references/streaming-client, references/stage-loading, references/viewer-input-routing, references/camera-controls, and references/object-selection for full debugging contracts.

Recommended Build Order For Agents

Follow this sequence when implementing from scratch:

  1. Create the project skeleton and dependency files.

  2. Create generated setup and run wrappers for the server environment.

  3. Build server config, ovstream lifecycle, and render-loop shell with no scene features.

  4. Add ovrtx renderer construction and a minimal user-provided or generated validation stage load.

  5. Add inline root/session setup with LdrColor and confirm one streamed frame path.

  6. Add required CUDA format conversion and continuous frame streaming; do not swizzle already-BGRA8 output.

  7. Build the selected frontend connection owner and video viewport (React provider is one example).

  8. Connect browser to server and validate live video before adding UI panels.

  9. Add an app-message router with SDK envelope handling and guards for unsolicited sends.

  10. Add openStageRequest, loading state, and initial-state push.

  11. Add normalized input routing, camera handling, and live camera writes.

  12. Add requested property queries and, if requested, hierarchy.

  13. Add requested selection; add native outlines when the app exposes them.

  14. Add scene picker and scene switching.

  15. If requested, add render settings capabilities, immediate apply paths and persistence for validated settings.

  16. Run the validation checklist and fix failures before adding deployment or optional overlays.

Do not skip the live-video milestone. If the first implementation includes every feature before video is proven, failures become hard to isolate.

Read for depth on streaming Omniverse Realtime Viewers: see references/streaming-client, references/streaming-server, references/streaming-messages, references/ovrtx-rendering, references/viewer-input-routing, and references/camera-controls.

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Python, Needs Node.js

The author says: Orchestrator skill. Downstream focused references may require NVIDIA GPUs, ovrtx, ovstream, ovui, OpenUSD, Python, Node/React, Tauri, Electron, C++, or cloud GPU deployment access depending on the selected viewer path.

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

  • Large base64-encoded blobs
  • Instructions that use the network

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
NVIDIA Omniverse
Publisher
NVIDIA (Official)
Source
NVIDIA/skills · skills/omniverse-realtime-viewer · commit fce3cca
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE-APACHE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by NVIDIA Omniverse or NVIDIA.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download omniverse-realtime-viewer.zip