Introduction to OpenUSD 2025

Learn the fundamentals of OpenUSD to build production-ready assets.

In this live/online course*, we’ll explore all things OpenUSD. We’ll do this by creating a photoreal environment and then creating a series of variants, allowing us to have a multitude of variants for use in shot work.

For those that cannot make the live/online sessions, they will be recorded and uploaded to the CAVE platform, so you’ll be able to work through the teaching at your own pace.

Throughout the course, we’ll explore the built-in tools in Maya for a USD workflow, and discuss how we can go about approaching an asset for maximum flexibility. This includes variants, version control and general asset publishing.

*Please note that the lesson plan is subject to minor change.

Course Details

Type: Online
Level: Beginner
Format: Online Zoom meetings
Schedule: 06th October 2025 - 12th December 2025
Workshop Session: 2hrs. Thursdays, 10am - 12noon.
Feedback Session: Thursdays, 12noon - 1pm.
Tools: Maya, Nuke, Houdini
Prerequisites: Introduction to Maya 1001
Course Access Time: Lifetime

Industry partners

Lessons in this course

Week 01. Overview of OpenUSD

We’ll be kicking off the course off with a breakdown of what OpenUSD is and how it came about.
Week 02. Introduction to Variants and Layers

In this lesson, we'll look at how we can switch between different model LODs using Variants and different geometry states using Layers.
Week 03. Working with Layers

In this lesson we'll look at working with Layers and using Bifrost to create an asset-based USD template.
Week 04. Asset Workflow Issues and Solutions

Continuing with our Layering workflow, in this lesson, we'll look at how we can work between Modelling and Surfacing, the issues we'll encounter and how to work around them.
Week 05. Creating our OpenUSD Asset Package

Now that we've looked at working with Variants and Layers, and the pros and cons, let's now create our OpenUSD Asset Package for our spaceship asset.
Week 06. Designing our Asset Package Layer Template

In this lesson, we'll look at designing an Asset Package Layer Template, which can then be used for all future assets. This template will allow us to manage turntables, cameras and light rigs for Modelling and Surfacing.
Week 07. Creating our Asset Package Template in Bifrost

In this lesson, we'll use Bifrost to build our Asset Package Template, allowing us to more easily rename Layers and customise the setup for different asset types.
Week 08. Dealing with Asset Updates

Here we will explore how to go about dealing with asset updates.
Week 09. Hydra and Arnold Support

With our variants ready to go, we'll explore how we can visualise the data using Hydra and Arnold.
Week 10. Testing our USD in other Applications

For our final lesson, we'll test our USD asset in other applications.
Available on: 2026.02.12 9:00 am

Course Information

Course Type: Live, Online Zoom meetings
Schedule: 06th October 2025 - 12th December 2025
Workshop Session: 2hrs. Thursdays, 10am - 12noon
Feedback Session: 1hr. Thursdays, 12noon - 1pm

Tutor: Jahirul Amin

CAVE Academy Founder | VFX Teacher

Jahirul Amin is a Computer Animation and Visual Effects Teacher and Consultant. He specialises in designing and delivering courses to create solid and diverse production ready skills in all 3D related departments and across a number of facilities worldwide. His background in academia feeds into his ongoing connections with Universities and Colleges which provide Computer Animation and Visual Effects courses. He is also involved in course and examination design as well as lecturing, running workshops and mentoring.

Live and Online

Course Fee: FREE (thanks to Autodesk)

Enrol on Course

Introduction to OpenUSD 2025

In partnership with Autodesk, this FREE course will teach you the fundamentals of OpenUSD through practical exercises, in which we will create an interior photoreal environment suitable for VFX.