Omniverse Usd Performance Tuning

OpenAIOfficialCreated by NVIDIA OmniverseDistributed by OpenAI

Skill
Workflow
Software development
Apache-2.0
Medium risk
Has scripts

From the author

Top-level workflow skill for USD performance diagnosis and optimization. Use for slow loading, high memory, low FPS, or 'optimize my scene' requests; delegates auth/runtime setup to Phase 0 owners.

— the description by NVIDIA Omniverse

AutoGineer summary

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

The omniverse-usd-performance-tuning skill provides a structured, end-to-end procedure for addressing performance bottlenecks in USD assets. It manages the lifecycle of performance tuning, from initial runtime context setup and baseline profiling to composition auditing, validation, and targeted scene optimization. The skill enforces a rigorous milestone-based approach, ensuring that all destructive operations are planned and approved, and that performance improvements are verified through comparative profiling and standardized reporting.

What it does

Orchestrates the end-to-end USD performance tuning lifecycle.
Validates runtime environments and handles authentication for remote assets.
Conducts composition audits and structural assessments of USD stages.
Executes validated optimization operations using Scene Optimizer.
Generates structured optimization reports comparing baseline and post-optimization metrics.
Enforces safety gates for destructive operations and mutation.

When to use it

When a USD scene exhibits slow loading times or low frame rates.
When memory usage is excessively high or GPU crashes occur.
When you need to optimize a scene for better interactivity or performance.
When you need to diagnose CAD conversion quality issues.
When you need to validate a scene before and after applying optimizations.

Advantages

Ensures consistent performance diagnosis through a standardized workflow.
Prevents accidental data loss by requiring approval for destructive operations.
Provides clear, evidence-based reporting on performance improvements.
Integrates seamlessly with existing Omniverse validation and optimization tools.
Maintains strict separation between diagnosis, planning, and execution phases.

Usage examples

“This USD scene loads very slowly; please triage what I should check first.”: The agent will initiate the runtime context gate, perform a composition audit, and provide a structured plan to identify the source of the slow load time.
“Optimize my CAD scene for better performance.”: The agent will verify the runtime, assess the CAD conversion quality, and propose a milestone-based optimization plan including validation and profiling.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/openai/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/download

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

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip omniverse-usd-performance-tuning.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by NVIDIA Omniverse

Omniverse USD Performance Tuning

When to Use

Use this workflow for broad performance asks such as slow loading, high memory, low FPS, GPU crashes, conversion-quality triage, or generic requests to optimize a USD scene.

Instructions

Start from the mandatory runtime context gate before producing tuning output, unless the prompt is only asking for a static classification test.
Classify broad optimization requests as ready_to_plan; reserve approval_required for prompts that explicitly name a destructive operation to execute before planning.
Plan the full canonical chain through optimization-report, preserving the structured milestone order and the profile-stage:baseline / profile-stage:after labels when listing milestones.
Invoke downstream skill bodies only when their phase is reached, and keep raw runtime artifacts on disk while reading compact summaries.

Frontmatter keeps version and tools at top level for agentskills.io runtime compatibility. NVCARPS discoverability fields live under metadata.

Output Format

Return a plan or status summary that names the selected entry skill, uses ready_to_plan for generic optimization requests, includes the full milestone chain through optimization-report, and labels profile phases as profile-stage:baseline and profile-stage:after. For structured outputs, the broad-optimization milestone subsequence is omniverse-usd-performance-tuning -> profile-stage:baseline -> usd-structure-assessment -> usd-validation-runner -> restructure-decision -> apply-restructure -> so-run-validators -> so-interpret-validators -> so-run-operations -> profile-stage:after -> compare-profiles -> optimization-report. End-to-end execution should produce an optimized stage when mutation runs and a report conforming to the optimization-report reference's schema (scripts/optimization-report.schema.json within that reference).

Use this workflow for broad performance asks such as slow loading, low FPS, high memory, GPU crashes, conversion quality, or "optimize my scene."

Entry skill rule

This skill is the named entry point for broad performance work whenever the agent has any verified way to do that work. Runtime probing details live in setup-usd-performance-tuning; this rule only decides which skill owns the user-facing performance request.

If the setup probe shows any verified runtime path - Kit, standalone, or even a partial stack such as Asset Validator only - enter here. If the user's requested tool is missing, return the specific blocked_code (blocked_missing_scene_optimizer, blocked_missing_so_operation, etc.) instead of substituting another workflow.
Enter at setup-usd-performance-tuning only when no runtime path is verified and runtime choice/setup is the first unresolved problem.
For omniverse:// assets, enter at omniverse-authentication first. Authentication precedes setup and triage for remote assets.

The decision is about ownership, not order. Setup, authentication, and triage all run in their normal phase order; this rule only fixes which skill the agent names as the entry skill in its response.

Runtime context — session-start gate (mandatory)

Before any other tuning output, follow the mandatory session-start gate in skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/setup-usd-performance-tuning/references/runtime-context-header.md. That reference owns output_path, the canonical setup-preflight.json location, Format A/Format B, and the "do not improvise a silent probe" anti-pattern.

Required outcomes:

Missing or unreadable preflight: invoke setup-usd-performance-tuning.
Present preflight: print Format A and wait for the user to choose Continue, Change Kit, Switch to standalone, or Re-run probe.
Confirmed runtime in the same session: use compact Format B for follow-up status.

[Kit: {runtime_context.kit.application} {runtime_context.kit.version}  |  SO: {runtime_context.sceneOptimizer.version}  |  AV: {runtime_context.assetValidator.version}]

Runtime artifact token budget

Before reading Kit logs, Asset Validator CSVs, Scene Optimizer logs, Tracy CSVs, or other runtime output, follow references/runtime-artifact-token-budget.md. Keep raw artifacts on disk, read summary JSON first, and use bounded log snapshots instead of full dumps or live streams.

Plan-time vs execution-time approval

approval_required at planning time is reserved for requests that explicitly name a destructive operation. Use the following rule when deciding between ready_to_plan and approval_required:

approval_required at planning time — the user's request itself names a destructive operation: "flatten this stage", "decimate the meshes", "merge prototypes", "delete unused prims", or any specific named mutation that cannot be undone within the same workflow. In this case the agent's first response must be an approval prompt that names the operation, before the agent commits to a plan that executes it.
ready_to_plan at planning time — the user's request is general: "optimize this scene", "make it load faster", "reduce GPU memory", "improve interactivity". The agent lays out the full plan, including any destructive operations the plan would invoke (for example so-run-operations with mergeMaterials), without withholding the plan itself. Approval for each destructive operation is requested alongside plan approval.

The distinction is between authorising a plan and authorising a destructive action. A general optimisation request authorises planning; it does not authorise execution of specific destructive operations.

For structured runtime-test responses and similar planning summaries:

A future restructure-decision prompt is a planned user-decision gate, not a reason to set the top-level response decision to approval_required for a generic optimization request.
For a generic optimization request, set decision: "ready_to_plan" and include the full intended chain in both committed_milestones and planned_phases, through optimization-report.
It is valid for gates_observed to include asks_user_for_restructure_decision while the top-level decision remains ready_to_plan.
Whenever a chain names profile phases, use the exact labels profile-stage:baseline and profile-stage:after; do not emit the ambiguous bare profile-stage token.
Start structured milestone lists with omniverse-usd-performance-tuning as the owning entry skill. Include setup-usd-performance-tuning only as additional Phase 0 context, not as a replacement for the entry skill milestone.
For broad optimization requests, preserve the milestone subsequence from Output Format above exactly, with optional extra analysis steps inserted only where they do not reorder it.
Do not list so-run-validators or so-interpret-validators before restructure-decision in broad optimization milestone summaries. Phase-aware validator routing still happens through usd-validation-runner; the SO validator executor/interpreter milestones appear after the restructure decision path in the structured plan contract.

Output expectation

End-to-end optimization work should produce both an optimized USD stage, when mutation is executed, and a structured optimization report conforming to the optimization-report reference's scripts/optimization-report.schema.json. The HTML report must be rendered from references/report-templates/optimization-report.html.template via render_preview.py — never hand-write HTML. Diagnosis-only work should still end with a report or summary that states no optimized stage was written.

Purpose

Route digital twin USD performance requests into the right diagnostic and optimization workflow while preserving evidence before mutation.

Prerequisites

Stage path or enough context to identify the target asset.
User goal: diagnosis only, validation, profiling, or processor execution.
Runtime availability status from setup-usd-performance-tuning when not already known.
Permission status for in-place mutation vs writing a separate optimized output.

Examples

"This USD loads slowly; triage what to check first."
"Route a low-FPS CAD scene through the performance workflow."

Triage order

Runtime gate. Follow the mandatory session-start gate above before validation, profiling, or optimization. Do not scan, probe, install, or pick Kit/standalone runtimes directly in this skill; setup-usd-performance-tuning owns probe/chooser/install dispatch and writes the preflight consumed here.
Identify the target problem:
- Load time.
- FPS or interactivity.
- GPU or system memory.
- Crash or device lost.
- CAD conversion quality.
- Validation failure.
Gather minimum context:
- Stage path and size.
- Whether the stage is local, mounted, or omniverse:// remote. For remote assets, route through omniverse-authentication before first open.
- Kit or USD runtime.
- Whether the workload is CAD, VFI, AIF, Isaac, or generic OpenUSD.
- Whether in-place mutation is allowed.
- Whether the user wants diagnosis only or processor execution.
Route:
- USD composition questions: usd-structure-assessment (composition is now part of the SA umbrella; deeper detail in skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/composition-audit.md).
- Validation and content issues: usd-validation-runner (master router; routes to validate-* family or so-run-validators based on intent).
- Edit/output decisions: usd-edit-target-planner (also owns variant/payload gates).
- Repeated copied hierarchy or high mesh count with no instancing: usd-hierarchy-dedupe-candidates.
- Restructure decision (monolithic stage, asset boundary materialization): restructure-decision.
- CAD converter settings: read references/cad-conversion/README.md (niche pre-USD concern; see reference for details).
- Scene Optimizer: so-run-validators, so-interpret-validators, so-run-operations.

Optimization ordering

Follow the canonical ordering in workflow.md § Operation ordering invariants. The high-level rule: prototypes first → per-asset validation → stage-level operations last. The workflow reference owns the full invariant list (meshCleanup before decimateMeshes, deduplication before decimation, never merge if instanced, etc.) and the analysis-only ops catalogue.

Rules

Always run composition audit before mutation.
Always validate before and after processor execution.
Optimize prototypes before per-asset validation.
Do not run whole-stage mesh deduplication on very large CAD scenes before checking for hierarchy-level reuse.
Do not recommend a fixed optimization stack without bottleneck evidence.
Do not invent numeric thresholds or expected percentage wins.
Prefer canonical SO ops over specialty / documentary ones. The op curation in references/operations/_curation.json classifies every op as canonical, specialty, analysis, documentary, or deprecated. When more than one op could resolve the same finding, recommend the canonical one first and only reach for a specialty op when the user explicitly asks or the rationale warrants it. Specifically:
- For vertex welding, prefer canonical meshCleanup with explicit flags over the standalone mergeVertices op. The standalone op is a legacy/specialty surface; use upstream usd-optimize for the operation mechanics and local approval policy before mutating.
- For hierarchy dedupe, recommend usd-hierarchy-dedupe-candidates + apply-restructure (the USD-authored rewrite path).
- For per-mesh dedupe, recommend deduplicateGeometry (canonical) over findCoincidingGeometry (analysis — produces a report, not a change).
- Do not recommend documentary-status ops (e.g., boxClip, deletePrims, removeAttributes, removeUntypedPrims, merge outside its narrow non-instanced case) without an explicit user request. Documentary ops survive in the per-op references/operations/<key>.md routing stubs for completeness but are excluded from agent-initiated recommendations.
- Specialty ≠ documentary. Ops classified as specialty in _curation.json either (a) have validator-finding evidence that wires them into the so-interpret-validators chain (e.g. sparseMeshes, optimizePrimvars), or (b) are load-bearing escape hatches needed for specific downstream contexts (e.g. primitivesToMeshes when output must be UsdGeomMesh, utilityFunction for instancing toggles and material rebinding, pythonScript for so-create-proxy recipes). Recommend specialty ops when their validator fires OR when their downstream context applies — the suppression above only targets documentary ops.

Limitations

Does not replace downstream reference instructions; load each required reference before executing it.
Does not install runtimes directly; follow setup or install references when requirements are missing.
Does not authorize mutation when the user has not allowed writes.

Troubleshooting

If runtime status is unclear, run setup-usd-performance-tuning before profiling or validation.
If the reported problem is vague, gather stage path, workload type, and whether diagnosis or execution is requested.
If the workflow suggests mutation before evidence, return to baseline profiling and composition audit first.

References

Before routing, read:

skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/optimization-tradeoffs.md — identify which pipeline phase the scene is in (extraction, structuring, or optimization). The right action depends on the phase.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/factory-level-structuring.md — understand the three pillars (assets, aggregation, animation) and the seven-step structuring pattern.

If you have network access, prefer the live URLs (noted in each reference file) for the most current version.

Required execution flow

Read references/workflow.md for the canonical Phase 0-7 flow, including Kit/standalone branches, validator-stack routing, operation ordering, termination conditions, duration hints, and the optional iteration pattern. The compact root map at references/skill-map.md only routes agents into this workflow.

Do not treat downstream phase names as plain checklist labels. Before executing each step, load that phase's nested README.md reference and follow its instructions. Claude Code only exposes the public catalog skill; it does not recursively inject profile-stage, usd-structure-assessment, or other nested references.

The final deliverable must come from optimization-report: save both the structured JSON report and the generated Markdown summary. Do not substitute an ad hoc SUMMARY.md or chat-only recap for the optimization report.

For deeper subtopic guidance, consult the references:

skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/composition-audit.md, skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/layer-health.md - subtopic detail for SA's Phase 1 checklist.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/instancing-readiness/references/instancing-tradeoffs.md - merge safety, decision tree for instancing choices.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-structure-assessment/references/usd-edit-target-planner/references/variants-payloads.md - deeper variant/payload trade-offs (gates are inline in usd-edit-target-planner).
references/cad-conversion/README.md - CAD converter settings.
references/upstreams/usd-optimize.md - upstream SO mechanics and prebuilt package resolution.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-validation-runner/references/so-run-validators/references/infrastructure.md - local handoff for SO validator infrastructure.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/usd-validation-runner/references/validation-scoping.md - tier 1/2/3 plan + scene-aware adjustment.
skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning/references/optimization-report/references/optimization-report-template.md - the data contract every phase populates.

For full Kit runtime profiling (FPS, frame time, Hydra/RTX metrics), refer to the external profiling skills at NVIDIA/omniperf.

Files

references/usd-structure-assessment/references/apply-restructure/references/restructure-mode.md

Restructure Mode

Use this reference for apply-restructure mode=restructure after restructure-decision returns proceed.

Internal-Reference Scan

Before finalizing boundaries, scan for internal Sdf.Reference objects with an empty assetPath whose primPath escapes the candidate boundary. CAD/BIM exports often place instance prims under a level or discipline and canonical meshes/materials under sibling scopes such as /A/Prototypes or /A/Looks.

If an internal reference escapes the boundary, choose one branch and record it in the dry-run plan:

Promote the shared dependency to its own layer and sublayer it where needed.
Inline the dependency into every boundary that needs it.
Abort and recommend optimize-as-is when the dependency graph is too tangled to split cleanly.

Input Validation

Confirm:

input_stage exists and opens.
output_dir exists and is not the input stage directory.
Every boundary prim path exists.
dry_run=true emits a report and writes no USD files.

Dedupe Plan

When the plan includes dedupe, follow hierarchy-dedupe-rewrite-tool-spec.md while materializing boundaries:

Use the candidate report from usd-hierarchy-dedupe-candidates.
Keep only user-approved, non-overlapping candidate groups.
Prefer external_prototype unless the user explicitly chooses internal_reference.
Inline local material bindings and UsdShade networks that cross the boundary unless the user asks to preserve shared material-library dependencies.
Set instanceable=true only for sites that passed instanceability checks.
Record skipped groups and reasons in the manifest.

Instanced Asset Extraction

When the boundary plan records goal: extract_as_assets, apply the dedupe rules above (shared prototype, instanceable=true for passing sites) AND structure each site using the reference-payload pattern: the site's interface prim is referenced into the assembly, and heavy content is behind a payload arc internal to that asset.

Required structure per duplicate site:

Each site becomes a self-contained asset with interface/payload separation:

site_N.inter.usd       (interface layer — kind, assetInfo, extent hints)
  └─ payloads = [@./site_N.pay.usd@]   (payload arc to heavy content)

site_N.pay.usd         (payload layer — reference to shared prototype)
  └─ references = [@./shared_prototype.usd@]
      instanceable = true   (when instancing-readiness gate passes for this group)

On the assembly root, reference each site's interface layer. The assembly consumer can then selectively load/unload each site via standard payload controls without affecting other sites or the shared prototype.

See the VFI guide: Factory-Level Structuring for the broader factory/facility assembly pattern this follows.

Execution order:

Write shared prototypes first (one per dedupe group).
For each duplicate site on the assembly root: a. Create the interface + payload layers following the reference-payload pattern above. b. Set instanceable=true on the payload root prim only when instancing-readiness (see restructure-decision/README.md §"instancing-readiness gate") passes for that site's dedupe group. c. Reference the site's interface layer from the assembly root.
For unique (non-duplicate) boundary candidates, extract as independent payloads (standard decompose behavior — same interface/payload pattern, without instancing).
Validate all outputs per §"Authoring Requirements" below.

Boundary Materialization

For each boundary, copy the subtree into a new prototype layer and replace the original subtree on the assembly root with a reference to that prototype. When dedupe selected duplicate hierarchy groups, write one prototype per approved group and rewrite every duplicate site to reference it.

Cross-Boundary Material Bindings

Before extracting a sub-hierarchy as a standalone payload, scan prims inside the extraction boundary for material bindings that reference prims OUTSIDE the boundary (e.g. /Root/Materials/Metal_01 while the payload only contains /Root/Floor_1/Cabinet_01/...).

When the payload is opened standalone (for validation per "Post-Restructure Validation Strategy" or for SO per-payload ops), cross-boundary bindings become unresolvable dangling references. This silently breaks optimizeMaterials, material-binding validators, and deduplicateGeometry material-index grouping.

Apply the boundary plan's material_policy (top-level field, not just inside dedupe):

inline_local_external (default): copy the bound material scope into the payload if it's defined in the same layer stack. The payload becomes self-contained.
preserve_external: leave the binding as-is. Document that standalone open will have dangling refs — material validators must run on the composed stage, not per-payload standalone.
block_on_external: halt and ask the user when cross-boundary materials are detected.

Use:

Sdf.Layer.CreateNew(path)
Sdf.CopySpec(srcLayer, srcPath, dstLayer, dstPath)
Usd.Stage.Open(layer) and prim.GetReferences().AddReference(asset_path)
prim.SetActive(False) only when deactivation is the chosen reversible alternative to deletion.

Authoring Requirements (Critical for Phase 4 Compatibility)

Sdf.CopySpec preserves the source specifier. If copying from an over-only layer, the destination spec will also be Over — fix it after copy.
Fresh specs from Sdf.CreatePrimInLayer default to Sdf.SpecifierOver. You MUST set Sdf.SpecifierDef on every ancestor prim in the payload that is not brought in by composition (reference/sublayer).
Bare Sdf.Reference(assetPath=...) resolves to the target layer defaultPrim; set defaultPrim or pass primPath.
Every extracted payload/prototype MUST have defaultPrim set to the root prim of the extracted sub-hierarchy.

Why Specifier Correctness Is Critical

Scene Optimizer operations that use USD's default-predicate prim traversal (including decimateMeshes, meshCleanup, fitPrimitives, removeSmallGeometry) will silently skip all meshes under Over-spec ancestors. The operation returns success=True with zero work done — no error, no warning, no indication of failure.

Operations that enumerate via material bindings or instance indices (deduplicateGeometry, removeUnusedUVs, optimizeMaterials) may still work, creating a confusing partial-success state.

Verification (On Unexpected Zero-Work Results)

If a Phase 4 operation returns success=True with zero work on a target known to contain geometry, check for Over-spec ancestors:

from pxr import Usd, UsdGeom, Sdf

stage = Usd.Stage.Open(payload_path)
mesh_count = sum(
    1 for p in Usd.PrimRange.Stage(stage, Usd.PrimDefaultPredicate)
    if p.IsA(UsdGeom.Mesh)
)
if mesh_count == 0:
    # Promote Over specs to Def on all ancestors
    layer = stage.GetRootLayer()
    for prim in stage.Traverse():
        if prim.GetSpecifier() == Sdf.SpecifierOver:
            layer.GetPrimAtPath(prim.GetPath()).specifier = Sdf.SpecifierDef
    layer.Save()

This is NOT a routine post-write check — it is a diagnostic for the red-flag pattern described in operation-safety.md §"SO Operation Returns Success With Zero Work".

Output Validation

Run the runner's minimum-openability check on every written USD. Record pass | fail | skipped in the manifest and never delete failed outputs.

Datasmith/Revit Shape

Typical monolithic exports have level scopes that internally reference shared prototype and material scopes:

/A
  /A/Level1
  /A/Level2
  /A/Prototypes
  /A/Looks

When every level depends on /A/Prototypes and /A/Looks, prefer promoting those shared scopes to shared layers rather than inlining them into every level. The shared layers are valid Phase 4 targets because optimizing them propagates to every instance site.

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.

Needs: Needs Python

The author says: Orchestrator skill. Downstream phases may require Kit, Scene Optimizer, Asset Validator, USD Python, writable output paths, and omniverse:// authentication selected by setup-usd-performance-tuning.

Security

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Attribution and licence

Created by

NVIDIA Omniverse

Publisher

OpenAI (Official)

Distributed by

OpenAI

Source

openai/plugins · plugins/nvidia/skills/omniverse-usd-performance-tuning · commit d420d13

Licence

Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)

LICENSE (written by AutoGineer)
ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)

Synced

2026-11-08

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

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