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Omniverse Realtime Viewer

OpenAIOfficialCreated by NVIDIA OmniverseDistributed by OpenAI

  • Skill
  • Meta (authoring, orchestration, planning, memory)
  • 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 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/streaming-vs-local/README.md

Streaming vs Local Omniverse Realtime Viewer

Use this before choosing the app shell. Local lightweight, Tauri/Rust, Electron + SHM, and streaming paths can share USD stages, renderer concepts, storage resolution, camera math, selection logic, and query helpers, but they optimize for different users and deployments.

Focused viewer paths in this skill package separate lightweight viewers from the full-editor shell. If the user explicitly requires an editor shell with docking, undo, transform gizmos, and editor lifecycle, read ovwidgets-editor-shell.

Choose Tauri/Rust When

Use a Tauri 2.0 desktop app with Rust FFI to OVRTX when:

  • The user runs on the GPU workstation but you need web-technology UI (React).

  • No Python runtime dependency is acceptable.

  • You want to share UI components or styling with the WebRTC streaming Omniverse Realtime Viewer.

  • The target is a packaged desktop binary (.exe/.app) rather than a script.

  • A ViewerBackend interface must be shared across local and web paths.

Architecture:

React WebView (Vite/Tauri)
  -> useTauriBackend.ts (ViewerBackend)
  -> Tauri IPC invoke / Channel
  -> Rust render thread
  -> ovrtx C FFI (step/map/write)
  -> CPU-mapped RGBA -> binary push to WebView

See skill: tauri-local-viewer

Choose Electron + SHM When

Use electron-shm-viewer when:

  • The app runs locally on the GPU workstation.

  • The renderer should stay in a separate Python process (not embedded in the UI process).

  • The UI should be Electron + React, sharing components with streaming and Tauri frontends.

  • Python is acceptable for the server, but should not run inside the UI process.

  • You want raw local frames without WebRTC, video codecs, or network transport.

  • The same JSON event_type/payload protocol as streaming is needed, but over IPC/local transport.

  • The frontend uses useShmBackend behind the same ViewerBackend interface.

Architecture:

Electron React renderer
  -> useShmBackend.ts (ViewerBackend)
  -> Electron preload / IPC
  -> N-API C++ addon
  -> POSIX SHM (/dev/shm)
  -> Python ovrtx render server
  -> ovrtx renderer.step()

See skill: electron-shm-viewer

Choose Local Lightweight When

Use local-viewer when the user runs on the GPU workstation and wants a focused app:

  • Full desktop interactivity without a network stack.

  • Header, viewport, narrow sidebar, scene switching, picking, info display, and settings.

  • Access through local monitor, Xvfb, VNC, or similar.

  • One operator or developer workflow.

python -m local_app
  -> ovui standalone GLFW window
  -> ImageBridge/ImageWithProvider
  -> ovrtx renderer
  -> local GPU framebuffer

Full Editor Requests

Do not route full-editor requests to the lightweight local-viewer path.

For a focused Omniverse Realtime Viewer that needs inspector-style features, combine local-viewer with focused references:

  • stage-hierarchy for the hierarchy tree and variants.

  • prim-info-display for selected prim properties.

  • selection-feedback and selection-animation for visual selection state.

  • render-settings and viewport-overlays for controls and viewport UI.

Choose ovwidgets-editor-shell only when the requested experience truly needs full-editor capabilities:

  • Built-in stage browser, property inspector, layer/content windows, selection outline, transform gizmos, camera inertia, and undo.

  • Docking, shortcuts, themes, settings, status bar, and editor lifecycle.

Choose Streaming When

Use ovrtx + ovstream + WebRTC + React when the Omniverse Realtime Viewer must run remotely:

  • Browser clients connect to a GPU host.

  • Remote access, web UI, auth, routing, embedding, or service deployment matters.

  • Input travels over the NVST native input channel; app state travels over the WebRTC data channel.

  • Frames must be encoded/transported to another machine.

React/Vite frontend
  <-> WebRTC signaling/data/video
  <-> ovstream server
  <-> Python render loop
  <-> ovrtx renderer
  <-> CUDA/NVENC

Shared Pieces

  • USD stage assets and composition patterns.

  • ovrtx concepts: camera prims, render products, LdrColor, renderer.step(), and write_attribute().

  • Optional S3-compatible asset sync to a local cache.

  • Stage query logic, picking/highlight concepts, camera math, and transform-authoring conventions.

  • GPU/display/headless environment setup, OVRTX_SKIP_USD_CHECK, and stale GPU process checks.

Differences

ConcernLocal lightweightTauri/RustStreaming
UIovui lightweight shellReact WebView (Vite)React/Vite, optional server ovui overlays
LanguagePythonRust + TypeScriptPython + TypeScript
Transportlocal framebufferTauri binary IPC ChannelWebRTC video + data channel
Interactiondirect in-process API callsWebView events -> Tauri invoke/direct native callsNVST native input channel -> binary InputEvent structs
Panelslocal sidebar/panelsReact components via ViewerBackendReact components via JSON server APIs
Lifecyclelocal app loopTauri + render threadserver owns renderer + frontend connection

Decision Rule

Start streaming if the GPU is remote, the user must stay in a browser, or the Omniverse Realtime Viewer must integrate with a web product.

Start Tauri if the app runs on the GPU workstation, needs a web-tech UI (React), wants to share components with the streaming path, and should ship as a native binary without Python.

Start Electron + SHM for local GPU apps that need React/Electron UI, process isolation, Python ovrtx server, and raw local frames without WebRTC.

Start local lightweight (Python/ovui) for a focused viewer without editor affordances.

For full editor shell requests, use this skill only for preliminary routing. Then follow the full-editor guidance provided by the current ovui dependency guidance if it is available; otherwise state that this skill package does not define a full-editor implementation path.

Choose the renderer topology deliberately. A Tauri app should not bring in ovstream or ovui. An Electron SHM app should not bring in ovstream WebRTC, NVENC, or browser streaming unless it is also intentionally exposing a remote co-viewing stream. A streaming app should not depend on Tauri IPC. A local ovui app should not bring in WebRTC.

Input Path Contract

  • WebRTC: use NVST's native input channel. Browser mouse, keyboard, wheel, and touch input reaches server.on_input as binary InputEvent structs; do not encode camera control as JSON.

  • SHM: use ovstream.ShmClient.send_input_event() from Python, or ovstream_shm_client_send_input_event() from C, to send InputEvent structs. Do not use JSON mouseInput for SHM camera control.

  • In-process: call the Python/C++ camera, selection, and settings APIs directly from the local UI/event loop.

Read viewer-input-routing before implementing any path that handles camera gestures, click picking, viewport input ownership, or transport button ids.

Streaming Loop Skeleton

renderer = ovrtx.Renderer(...)
server = ovstream.Server()
server.on_message = handle_message
server.on_input = handle_input
server.start(config)
while running:
    products = renderer.step(render_products={render_product}, delta_time=dt)
    with products as ctx:
        stream_ldr_color(ctx[render_product])

Keep shared code below the shell boundary: stage resolution, storage sync, USD metadata queries, camera math, and renderer setup. Keep UI state, input routing, and lifecycle in the chosen shell.

Gotchas

  • Local import order: set OVRTX_SKIP_USD_CHECK=1, import pxr, then import ovrtx/ovui as the selected local skill describes.

  • Streaming import order can differ, especially when pxr is isolated in a worker.

  • LdrColor casing is required in all paths.

  • Browser media ports are negotiated by WebRTC; do not manually invent frontend media-port settings.

  • Local frame readback may be hidden inside a widget; streaming must explicitly map/copy/encode frames.

  • Tauri frame delivery is raw RGBA binary Channel push — no JPEG/base64 encoding.

  • Kill stale Python GPU processes before diagnosing renderer hangs.

See also: tauri-local-viewer, local-viewer, dependencies, viewer-input-routing, streaming-client, streaming-server.

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)
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