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FAQ - How to for "USD with HOOPS Exchange"
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HOOPS Exchange supports an experimental integration with OpenUSD — Universal Scene Description to export USD files.

  1. How to create USD files with HOOPS Exchange?

    1. Detailed information is available about our USD Writer including enabling experimental features.

    2. The process in 3 steps -

      1. Download & unzip the latest HOOPS Exchange package (i.e. 2025.4.0) from the ​https://developer.techsoft3d.com/hoops/exchange/downloads/latest

      2. Download, unzip & place the experimental USD writer package inside in bin/win64_v142 or linux64

      3. Use the HOOPS Exchange “ImportExport” sample to convert any supported format to USD / USDA (make sure experimental features are enabled)

  2. How to view USD files?

    1. HOOPS Exchange does not support Import of USD (yet !) so the produced USD can not be used in any of our Demo apps (HOOPS Demo Viewer, HOOPS Exchange Demo or HOOPS Communicator Web demo).

    2. There are some very useful tools available to visualize USD files. Here are few of them -

      1. USD View - download ​https://developer.nvidia.com/usd?sortBy=developer_learning_library%2Fsort%2Ffeatured_in.usd_resources%3Adesc%2Ctitle%3Aasc&hitsPerPage=6#section-getting-started

        image-20250516-131600.png
        USD View

      2. Blender USD Import - ​https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/getting_started/installing/index.html#download-blender

        image-20250516-130857.png
        Blender

      3. Other proprietary CAD Software like Autodesk, Adobe, etc. support USD file format.

  3. What are the compatibility requirements of HOOPS Exchange and the Experimental USD Package?

    1. The compatibility of the two packages is ensured with the release versions.

    2. Please make sure both the packages (HOOPS Exchange and Experimental_USD_Writer are from the same release versions.

    3. Backward or forward compatibility is not guaranteed. Using packages from different versions should be avoided.

  4. Is USD Export available from other HOOPS Toolkits?

    1. USD Export is not yet supported with HOOPS Visualize (Sprocket Exchange) or HOOPS Communicator (Converter).

  5. How do I resolve an issue using the USD Writer?

    1. Make sure experimental features are enabled

    2. On Windows, ensure the “experimental_usd_writer“ folder exist in the “bin/win64_v142” folder

      image-20250516-095723.png

    3. On Linux, ensure that the OS minimal requirements (glibc version) as described in ​https://docs.techsoft3d.com/exchange/latest/start/supported-platforms.html are fulfilled. Otherwise you may see an error like - “A3D_WRITE_CANNOT_LOAD_WRITER“

      image-20250516-095507.png

    4. For other problems, ​https://docs.techsoft3d.com/exchange/latest/contact_us.html according to the method available to you.

  6. What are the license requirements?

    1. You must have a HOOPS Exchange license in general

    2. Specifically for the USD format, the OpenUSD toolkit uses the TOST License.

  7. Can I use the USD Export in my application and deliver it to my partners?

    1. The USD export is in “Experimental” state as of now.

    2. The intention is to provide this feature to our existing partners and evaluators to collect feedback. We definitely encourage you to use it in your Development.

    3. Its not yet recommended to provide these feature to end users until it becomes official.

  8. Are there any other resource available?

    1. ​https://docs.techsoft3d.com/exchange/latest/start/format/usd_writer.html USD Writer

    2. ​https://forum.techsoft3d.com/t/how-to-usd-writer-for-hoops-exchange-experimental/4695 Forum post

    3. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpe3PUrdBYo video