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Quick Start

This guide walks you through launching usdtweak, opening a USD file, and getting familiar with the main interface elements.

Launching usdtweak​

Run the usdtweak executable. On first launch you will see an empty workspace with the main menu bar at the top.

You can also open a file directly from the command line:

usdtweak path/to/your/file.usd

Opening a USD file​

There are three ways to open a file:

  1. File menu -- Go to File > Open, browse to your USD file, and click OK. You can choose to open the file as a stage (composed, with viewport rendering) or as a layer (raw data, no composition).
  2. Drag and drop -- Drag a .usd, .usda, .usdc, or .usdz file from your system file browser into the usdtweak window. The file opens as a layer by default.
  3. Command line -- Pass the file path as an argument when launching: usdtweak scene.usd.
Open as stage vs. layer

Opening as a stage composes all sublayers, references, and payloads together and enables the 3D viewport. Opening as a layer shows only the raw data in that single file, which is useful for debugging or when the composed stage would be too heavy. See Layer vs. Stage to learn more.

Understanding the layout​

The usdtweak interface is built around dockable panels that you can rearrange to suit your workflow. The default layout includes:

The top menu bar provides access to all operations:

  • File -- Create, open, save, export, and quit.
  • Edit -- Undo, redo, search, and preferences.
  • Tools -- Playblast and other utilities.
  • Windows -- Toggle visibility of each panel.
  • Help -- About dialog.

To the right of the menus you will find the stage selector (switch between open stages) and the edit target selector (the pen icon, which controls which layer receives your edits).

Viewport​

The 3D viewport renders your stage using Hydra Storm. It appears when you open a file as a stage.

  • Orbit: Middle-click and drag
  • Pan: Shift + middle-click and drag
  • Zoom: Scroll wheel
  • Select: Left-click on an object

A toolbar along the top of the viewport provides access to renderer settings, camera selection, lighting toggles, and display options. A manipulator toolbox on the left side lets you switch between Select, Translate, Rotate, and Scale modes.

Stage Outliner​

A tree view of all prims in the composed stage. Click a prim to select it. The selection syncs with the viewport and the property editor.

Stage Property Editor​

Displays the properties and metadata of the selected prim in the composed stage. You can modify property values, bind materials, apply schemas, and select variants here.

Layer Hierarchy​

Shows the prim specs in the current layer (the raw, uncomposed data). Right-click to create, delete, or rearrange prims.

Layer Property Editor​

Edits properties on the selected prim spec in the current layer, operating at the Sdf level rather than the composed Usd level.

Content Browser​

Lists all currently open stages and layers. Click an entry to switch to it.

Making your first edit​

  1. Open a USD file as a stage (File > Open, check "Open as stage").
  2. In the Stage Outliner, click on a prim to select it.
  3. In the Stage Property Editor, find a property (for example, a transform attribute) and change its value.
  4. Press Ctrl+S to save the current layer.

That is it -- you have made your first edit in usdtweak. Explore the Guides for more detailed workflows.