AutoGineer
Generated banner for Omniverse Realtime Viewer
Generated logo for Omniverse Realtime Viewer

Omniverse Realtime Viewer

OpenAIOfficialCreated by NVIDIA OmniverseDistributed by OpenAI

  • Skill
  • Meta (authoring, orchestration, planning, memory)
  • Software development
  • Apache-2.0
  • Medium risk
Download ZIP

From the author

Use as the top-level router for Omniverse Realtime Viewer USD app requests 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 orchestrator for developing USD-based viewer applications. It provides a structured approach to selecting implementation recipes, enforcing architectural conventions, and managing dependencies. By utilizing a set of focused reference documents, it guides developers through the lifecycle of building, configuring, and validating viewer applications, ensuring consistent behavior across different delivery paths such as local workstations or streaming environments.

What it does

  • Routes development requests to specific implementation recipes based on the target delivery path.
  • Enforces architectural rules for USD rendering, stage management, and UI integration.
  • Provides guidance on camera selection, input handling, and viewport interaction.
  • Standardizes the integration of AOV switching and render product configuration.
  • Facilitates the capture of validation evidence for viewer readiness.
  • Maintains separation between user-provided USD files and application-specific session state.

When to use it

  • When initiating the development of a new USD viewer application within the Omniverse ecosystem.
  • When determining the appropriate delivery path for a viewer, such as local native or streaming.
  • When needing to implement consistent camera, selection, or UI behavior across viewer projects.
  • When integrating advanced rendering features like AOV switching into an existing viewer.

Advantages

  • Ensures architectural consistency across diverse viewer implementations.
  • Provides a clear, modular path for adding specific capabilities like input routing or data display.
  • Promotes clean separation of concerns between stage data and viewer-owned state.
  • Standardizes the validation process for consistent delivery.

Usage examples

“I need to build a browser-based viewer for USD files.”
The agent will route you to the streaming viewer recipe, providing guidance on WebRTC stream setup, UI integration, and viewport interaction.
“How do I implement AOV switching in my local USD viewer?”
The agent will provide the AOV switching reference, detailing how to map render vars and update the display state on the server.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/openai/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

This is the top-level entry point for the Omniverse Realtime Viewer skill package. It is self-contained: all required routing, conventions, and validation guidance live in the selected references.

Use the focused reference documents as implementation recipes. This file chooses the right recipes and preserves the architectural rules that must hold across all generated viewer apps.

Instructions

Start by classifying the requested viewer, then read only the references needed for that delivery path and feature set. Implement the render path first, layer interaction and UI behavior on top of it, and finish by capturing validation evidence from references/validation.md.

Read Order

  1. Read references/routing.md to choose the delivery path and focused references.

  2. Read references/conventions.md before implementing camera, input, selection, viewport, streaming protocol, scene loading, or environment behavior.

  3. For broad viewer requests, read references/usd-viewer-app/README.md.

  4. If the delivery path is unclear, read references/streaming-vs-local/README.md.

  5. If the prompt includes layout, panels, controls, inspectors, status, or UX, read references/viewer-ux-workflow/README.md and then the focused viewer UI references. This applies to React/WebRTC, Tauri, Electron, ovui, ovwidgets, and Dear ImGui apps; "frontend" means user-facing UI, not only browser UI.

  6. For viewport interaction, read references/viewer-input-routing/README.md before references/camera-controls/README.md, references/native-picking-selection/README.md, or references/object-selection/README.md.

  7. Read only the focused capability references needed for the requested app.

  8. Use references/validation.md to capture review evidence before handoff.

Non-Negotiables

  • Use ovrtx for all USD and 3D rendering.

  • Browser apps display an ovstream WebRTC video stream plus UI. The browser does not render USD geometry.

  • Do not substitute WebGL, Three.js, Babylon.js, PlayCanvas, A-Frame, model-viewer, react-three-fiber, glTF browser viewers, or other client-side 3D renderers.

  • If local validation cannot run because the GPU/runtime environment is absent, scaffold the ovrtx path and document the runtime requirement. Do not add a browser-renderer fallback.

  • Keep user USD files unmodified. Viewer cameras, render products, render vars, settings, selection metadata, and runtime state belong in session/composite layers or app state.

  • Keep one owner for renderer.step(), stage mutation, native picking, selection writes, and live attribute writes.

  • Keep dependency acquisition in references/dependencies/README.md and deployment choices in references/cloud-deployment/README.md; do not duplicate package locations or deployment setup.

Focused Reference Families

  • Entry points and recipes: references/usd-viewer-app/README.md, references/streaming-viewer-recipe/README.md, references/ovui-local-viewer-recipe/README.md, references/streaming-vs-local/README.md, references/electron-shm-viewer/README.md, references/ovwidgets-editor-shell/README.md.

  • Rendering and stage: references/ovrtx-rendering/README.md, references/stage-loading/README.md, references/stage-management/README.md, references/render-settings/README.md, references/aov-switching/README.md, references/stage-hierarchy/README.md, references/stage-queries/README.md, references/stage-attribute-reads/README.md, references/prim-transform-safety/README.md, references/usd-sample-data/README.md.

  • Delivery and runtime: references/streaming-server/README.md, references/streaming-client/README.md, references/streaming-messages/README.md, references/streaming-lifecycle/README.md, references/local-viewer/README.md, references/tauri-local-viewer/README.md, references/cpp-native-viewer/README.md, references/headless-shm-cli/README.md, references/viewer-backend-interface/README.md, references/webgl-shm-transport/README.md.

  • Viewer UI/UX: references/viewer-ux-workflow/README.md, references/viewer-layout-patterns/README.md, references/viewer-control-patterns/README.md, references/viewer-data-view-patterns/README.md, references/viewer-feedback-status/README.md.

  • Interaction: references/viewer-input-routing/README.md, references/camera-controls/README.md, references/object-selection/README.md, references/native-picking-selection/README.md, references/selection-feedback/README.md, references/selection-animation/README.md, references/transform-manipulator/README.md, references/gl-viewport-overlay/README.md, references/ovui-library/README.md, references/prim-pick-effects/README.md, references/prim-info-display/README.md, references/viewport-overlays/README.md.

  • Infrastructure: references/dependencies/README.md, references/windows-native-setup/README.md, references/cloud-assets/README.md, references/cloud-deployment/README.md, references/troubleshooting/README.md.

Build Workflow

  1. Classify the prompt by delivery path, target user, required capabilities, runtime environment, validation needs, and explicit constraints.

  2. Select a small reference set. Start with the recipe or routing reference, then add focused capabilities such as camera, picking, hierarchy, properties, render settings, transform tools, cloud assets, or deployment.

  3. Read selected references before writing app code. Follow their build order, import order, data-channel contracts, and renderer ownership rules.

  4. Implement the core render path first, then input routing and camera, then selection and data panels, then scene/settings features, then packaging or deployment.

  5. Treat the selected references as the behavior contract for API shape, compatibility, and generated project structure.

  6. Capture validation evidence before calling the viewer ready.

Examples

  • For a browser viewer request, use the streaming recipe references plus camera, picking, hierarchy, properties, render settings, and stream-status references.

  • For a local workstation viewer request, use the local or native delivery references plus renderer setup, stage loading, viewport input, and validation.

Completion Checklist

  • Selected references match the user's intent and delivery path.

  • No code path uses a browser-side 3D renderer for USD.

  • The generated app has one clear owner for render stepping and stage mutation.

  • User USD files remain untouched by viewer-owned session data.

  • Camera, input, selection, scene loading, and stream behavior follow references/conventions.md.

  • Setup/build/run results and visual interaction evidence are captured with references/validation.md.

Files

references/native-picking-selection/README.md

Native Picking And Selection

Triggers

Use this skill for native picking, native selection, enqueue_pick_query_async, ovrtx_enqueue_pick_query, ovrtx_set_pickable, SelectionGroupStyle, SelectionFillMode, ovrtx_set_selection_outline_group, click picking, or marquee selection.

Use this as the primary ovrtx 0.3 reference for viewport picking and selection feedback. It replaces the older segmentation-buffer GpuPicker, CPU ray/AABB fallback, ID mapping, and Warp outline workflows.

For ovrtx picking, selection, path dictionary, or C API behavior beyond this reference, read references/dependencies for acquisition guidance and supplemental dependency documentation.

First Rules

  • Picking uses native pick queries: Renderer.enqueue_pick_query_async() in Python and ovrtx_enqueue_pick_query() in C/C++.

  • Pickability uses native pickable attributes/helpers: OVRTX_ATTR_NAME_PICKABLE in Python and ovrtx_set_pickable() in C/C++.

  • Selection visuals use native selection groups and renderer styles: SelectionGroupStyle, SelectionFillMode, Renderer.set_selection_group_styles(), OVRTX_CONFIG_SELECTION_OUTLINE_ENABLED, ovrtx_set_selection_group_styles(), and ovrtx_set_selection_outline_group().

  • EffectLayer material faders are not selection highlighting in this workflow.

  • Do not scaffold GpuPicker, cpu_picking.py, seg_outline.py, or Warp outline systems in new ovrtx 0.3 apps.

Renderer Setup

Enable native outlines when the renderer is created:

import ovrtx


config = ovrtx.RendererConfig(
    selection_outline_enabled=True,
    selection_outline_width=4,
    selection_fill_mode=ovrtx.SelectionFillMode.GROUP_FILL_COLOR,
)
renderer = ovrtx.Renderer(config=config)

renderer.set_selection_group_styles({
    1: ovrtx.SelectionGroupStyle(
        outline_color=(1.0, 0.6, 0.0, 1.0),
        fill_color=(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0),
    )
})

In C/C++, use the config entry/key for OVRTX_CONFIG_SELECTION_OUTLINE_ENABLED, the selection outline width and fill mode config entries, then call ovrtx_set_selection_group_styles() for runtime group colors.

Renderer-level outline enablement, width, and fill mode are creation-time settings. Recreate the renderer to change them. Group colors are runtime state.

Pickable Flags

Write pickability whenever the app changes the selectable set:

import numpy as np
import ovrtx


def set_pickable(renderer, prim_paths: list[str], enabled: bool) -> None:
    renderer.write_attribute(
        prim_paths=prim_paths,
        attribute_name=ovrtx.OVRTX_ATTR_NAME_PICKABLE,
        tensor=np.full((len(prim_paths),), 1 if enabled else 0, dtype=np.uint8),
    )

C/C++:

ovrtx_set_pickable(renderer, prim_paths, prim_path_count, true);

Pickability is separate from selection state. A prim can be pickable without being selected, and selected paths should be cleared or updated independently when the selectable set changes.

Single-Click Pick

Convert UI coordinates to RenderProduct pixels first. Then enqueue a 1x1 native pick rectangle before the renderer step that should consume it:

def click_pick(renderer, render_product_path: str, x: int, y: int) -> list[str]:
    renderer.enqueue_pick_query_async(
        render_product_path=render_product_path,
        left=x,
        top=y,
        right=x + 1,
        bottom=y + 1,
    )
    products = renderer.step(
        render_products={render_product_path},
        delta_time=1.0 / 60.0,
    )
    with products as ctx:
        frame = ctx[render_product_path].frames[0]
        return decode_pick_paths(renderer, frame)

C/C++:

ovrtx_enqueue_pick_query(renderer, render_product_path, left, top, right, bottom, flags);

Treat left and top as inclusive and right and bottom as exclusive.

Marquee Selection

Marquee selection is the same API with a larger rectangle:

def marquee_pick(renderer, render_product_path: str, start, end) -> list[str]:
    x0, y0 = start
    x1, y1 = end
    left = min(x0, x1)
    top = min(y0, y1)
    right = max(x0, x1) + 1
    bottom = max(y0, y1) + 1

    renderer.enqueue_pick_query_async(
        render_product_path=render_product_path,
        left=left,
        top=top,
        right=right,
        bottom=bottom,
    )
    products = renderer.step(
        render_products={render_product_path},
        delta_time=1.0 / 60.0,
    )
    with products as ctx:
        frame = ctx[render_product_path].frames[0]
        return decode_pick_paths(renderer, frame)

Apply replace/add/subtract selection semantics after the paths are decoded.

Decode Pick Results

Native pick results arrive as a synthetic render var on the step that consumed the query:

import numpy as np
import ovrtx


def decode_pick_paths(renderer, frame) -> list[str]:
    if ovrtx.OVRTX_RENDER_VAR_PICK_HIT not in frame.render_vars:
        return []
    pick_var = frame.render_vars[ovrtx.OVRTX_RENDER_VAR_PICK_HIT]

    mapping = pick_var.map(device=ovrtx.Device.CPU)
    try:
        magic = int(np.from_dlpack(mapping.params["magic"]).reshape(-1)[0])
        version = int(np.from_dlpack(mapping.params["version"]).reshape(-1)[0])
        hit_count = int(np.from_dlpack(mapping.params["hitCount"]).reshape(-1)[0])
        prim_path_ids = np.from_dlpack(mapping["primPath"]).copy().reshape(-1)
    finally:
        mapping.unmap()

    if magic != ovrtx.OVRTX_PICK_HIT_MAGIC or version != ovrtx.OVRTX_PICK_HIT_VERSION:
        raise RuntimeError("Unexpected ovrtx pick-hit schema")

    paths = []
    seen = set()
    for prim_path_id in prim_path_ids[:hit_count]:
        path = renderer.resolve_prim_path_id(int(prim_path_id))
        if path and path not in seen:
            paths.append(path)
            seen.add(path)
    return paths

Optional hit tensors include objectType, geometryInstanceId, worldPositionM, and worldNormal. Resolve path IDs before displaying, storing, or broadcasting selection.

Selection Groups

Assign selected prims to non-zero groups and clear old selection with group 0:

import numpy as np
import ovrtx


def write_selection_groups(renderer, groups_by_path: dict[str, int]) -> None:
    if not groups_by_path:
        return
    paths = list(groups_by_path)
    groups = np.asarray([groups_by_path[path] for path in paths], dtype=np.uint8)
    renderer.write_attribute(
        prim_paths=paths,
        attribute_name=ovrtx.OVRTX_ATTR_NAME_SELECTION_OUTLINE_GROUP,
        tensor=groups,
    )

C/C++:

ovrtx_set_selection_outline_group(renderer, selected_paths, selected_count, 1);
ovrtx_set_selection_outline_group(renderer, previous_paths, previous_count, 0);

Use group IDs consistently across the app:

GroupMeaning
0Cleared / no outline
1Primary selection
2Secondary selection or marquee preview
3Hover, when supported

End-To-End Update Pattern

def apply_pick_result(hit_paths: list[str], mode: str = "replace") -> None:
    old_mesh_paths = set(selection.mesh_paths)

    if mode == "add":
        selection.paths = sorted(set(selection.paths) | set(hit_paths))
    elif mode == "subtract":
        selection.paths = sorted(set(selection.paths) - set(hit_paths))
    else:
        selection.paths = list(hit_paths)

    selection.mesh_paths = expand_to_descendant_meshes(selection.paths)

    writes = {path: 0 for path in old_mesh_paths - set(selection.mesh_paths)}
    writes.update({path: 1 for path in selection.mesh_paths})
    write_selection_groups(renderer, writes)

    message_handler.send_message("stageSelectionChanged", {"prims": selection.paths})

Tree/sidebar selection should call the same selection-state function as viewport picking. Keep the selected tree path separate from the expanded mesh paths used for visual outlines.

UI Coordinate Contract

  • Convert browser CSS pixels, framebuffer pixels, or native window pixels into RenderProduct pixels before enqueueing a query.

  • For streamed viewers, account for object-fit: contain letterboxing.

  • For local viewers, account for widget scaling and image placement.

  • Reject clicks outside the rendered image unless marquee selection should clamp to the image bounds.

  • Use a drag threshold so small pointer movement still counts as a click.

  • Do not run click selection after an orbit/pan/zoom drag.

Lifecycle

On scene load or switch:

  1. Pause picking while reset/load is in progress.

  2. Clear pending pick requests and selected paths.

  3. Load the new stage and render product.

  4. Reapply pickable flags for the new stage.

  5. Reapply selection group styles if the renderer was recreated.

  6. Clear stale selection groups with group 0 when previous prim paths are still valid; otherwise discard the old runtime set.

  7. Resume picking after the render product is producing valid frames.

Compatibility Paths

InstanceSegmentationSD picking, GpuPicker, CPU ray/AABB fallback, learn_mapping, isolation discovery, runtime bbox ID repair, and Warp segmentation outlines are compatibility paths. Keep them only for explicit compatibility needs or custom post-process overlays. They are not the 0.3 native path.

Troubleshooting

  • No pick hit: verify the query is enqueued before renderer.step() and the rectangle is in RenderProduct pixels.

  • Wrong object selected: verify letterbox/scaling conversion and click-vs-drag handling.

  • Sidebar or tree clicks move the camera, pick unexpectedly, or make the video appear to jump: gate server on_input behind a setViewportInputActive message from the React shell, disable it for DOM controls, and cancel active camera interaction when disabled.

  • Video disappears or shifts after selection/property updates: keep the viewport container layout-stable with constrained flex/grid tracks, min-height: 0, overflow: hidden, and a pinned #remote-video using object-fit: contain.

  • Empty path string: resolve the path ID and discard empty paths before updating selection.

  • No outline: verify renderer outline config, group styles, and non-zero omni:selectionOutlineGroup values.

  • Fill color missing: verify SelectionFillMode.GROUP_FILL_COLOR or the equivalent C fill mode.

  • Picking fails on a multi-GPU system: pin the picking RenderProduct to CUDA-visible GPU 0 with deviceIds = [0].

See also: viewer-input-routing, object-selection, selection-feedback, stage-hierarchy, camera-controls, streaming-messages, streaming-server, local-viewer, stage-management.

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: OpenAI Codex

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.

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
OpenAI (Official)
Distributed by
OpenAI
Source
openai/plugins · plugins/nvidia/skills/omniverse-realtime-viewer · commit d420d13
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (written by AutoGineer)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

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

Download ZIP

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