Sketchfab Introduces USD Upload Support

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Today we’re pleased to announce that Sketchfab now supports the upload of USD files, including USDZ, USDA, and USDC.

Sample model generated with Object Capture, courtesy of Apple’s sample gallery.

Why have we added USD upload support?

Our mission is to make 3D accessible. As the leading platform to publish and find 3D models, we stand at the center of the 3D ecosystem. Creators and brands can showcase their work, buy and sell 3D assets, utilize API-based upload and download integrations, and connect with a community of over 5 million members.

Since 2018 when we partnered with Apple as they launched support for USDZ, the USD format has been widely adopted for augmented reality (AR) applications and is being embraced as an output format by an increasing number of tools. Last year, in keeping with this trend, we introduced automatic conversion and easy export of models into the USDZ file format.

Yesterday Apple announced Object Capture, which makes photorealistic 3D capture and AR optimization quick and easy. This exciting new development, combined with years of gathering momentum for USD, are the key reasons that we now support USD uploads. Now the tools for 3D creation are even more accessible and we are able to welcome an even wider range of content creators.

Supported features

The USD (Universal Scene Description) format, which was developed by Pixar Animation for 3D movie pipelines, is intended for the transfer of rich 3D models and scenes. Given the richness of the file type, Sketchfab currently supports only a subset of its features.

  • File types: USD, USDA, USDC, USDZ
  • Model types: Static (i.e., not animated), Polygonal (e.g., not point clouds or NURBS)
  • Shaders: UsdPreviewSurface only

Models that use unsupported features of the file type will still upload but will display as a simplified version, for example, static instead of animated or white materials instead of shaders.

All Sketchfab members, regardless of their subscription type, can now upload USD files to their accounts.

This model was generated by Mikko using Apple’s Object Capture

We would love to hear about your experience uploading USD-type files to Sketchfab. If you have questions or feedback, please contact our Support team.

About the author

Alban Denoyel

Co-founder and CEO of Sketchfab.



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