Academy Software Foundation

aid: academy-software-foundation
name: Academy Software Foundation
description: >-
  The Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) is a Linux Foundation project that
  supports open source software development for the motion picture, visual
  effects, and animation industries. ASWF hosts a portfolio of production-proven
  open source projects including OpenEXR, OpenVDB, OpenColorIO, OpenTimelineIO,
  OpenShadingLanguage, MaterialX, and more. These projects form the backbone of
  modern film and media production pipelines worldwide.
type: Index
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
  - Animation
  - Color Management
  - Film
  - Linux Foundation
  - Open Source
  - Rendering
  - Standards
  - Visual Effects
  - VFX
created: '2026-03-16'
modified: '2026-04-19'
url: >-
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/academy-software-foundation/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openexr
    name: OpenEXR
    description: >-
      OpenEXR is an open standard high-dynamic-range (HDR) image file format
      specification and reference implementation developed by Industrial Light
      and Magic. It is the industry standard for visual effects and animation
      and provides a C++ library for reading and writing EXR image files.
    humanURL: https://openexr.com/
    tags:
    - Image Format
    - HDR
    - Standards
    - C++
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://openexr.com/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openvdb
    name: OpenVDB
    description: >-
      OpenVDB is an Academy Award-winning open source C++ library for efficient
      storage and manipulation of sparse volumetric data discretized on
      three-dimensional grids. It is the industry standard for volumetric
      effects in film and visual effects production.
    humanURL: https://www.openvdb.org/
    tags:
    - Volumetric Data
    - C++
    - Rendering
    - Standards
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://www.openvdb.org/documentation/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:opencolorio
    name: OpenColorIO
    description: >-
      OpenColorIO (OCIO) is a complete color management solution geared towards
      motion picture production, enabling color transforms and image display to
      be handled in a consistent manner across many applications. It is used by
      major VFX studios and DCC tools including Maya, Nuke, and Houdini.
    humanURL: https://opencolorio.org/
    tags:
    - Color Management
    - Standards
    - C++
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://opencolorio.readthedocs.io/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenColorIO

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:opentimelineio
    name: OpenTimelineIO
    description: >-
      OpenTimelineIO (OTIO) is an open source API and interchange format for
      editorial timeline information. It is designed to be more expressive than
      existing formats while still being easy to read and write, enabling better
      interoperability between editing tools.
    humanURL: https://opentimeline.io/
    tags:
    - Editorial
    - Timeline
    - Standards
    - Python
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://opentimelineio.readthedocs.io/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenTimelineIO

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openshadinglanguage
    name: Open Shading Language
    description: >-
      Open Shading Language (OSL) is a small but rich language for
      programmable shading in advanced renderers and other applications. It is
      ideal for describing materials, lights, displacement, and pattern
      generation and is supported by many production renderers.
    humanURL: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenShadingLanguage
    tags:
    - Shading
    - Rendering
    - Standards
    - C++
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenShadingLanguage/blob/main/src/doc/osl-languagespec.pdf
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenShadingLanguage

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:materialx
    name: MaterialX
    description: >-
      MaterialX is an open standard for the exchange of rich material and
      look-development content between applications and renderers. It provides
      a language for defining surface and volume shading patterns that can be
      used across different rendering systems and DCC applications.
    humanURL: https://www.materialx.org/
    tags:
    - Materials
    - Shading
    - Standards
    - XML
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://materialx.org/docs/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/MaterialX

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:opencue
    name: OpenCue
    description: >-
      OpenCue is an open source render management system for visual effects and
      animation productions. It enables studios to deploy and manage a render
      farm, schedule jobs, and track progress across large numbers of render
      nodes. It was originally developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks.
    humanURL: https://www.opencue.io/
    tags:
    - Render Management
    - VFX
    - Python
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://www.opencue.io/docs/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenCue

    - url: openapi/academy-software-foundation-opencue.yaml
      type: OpenAPI
    - url: json-schema/opencue-job-schema.json
      type: JSONSchema
    - url: examples/opencue-job-example.json
      type: Example
  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openimagedio
    name: OpenImageIO
    description: >-
      OpenImageIO (OIIO) is a library for reading, writing, and processing
      images in a wide variety of file formats. It is used in visual effects
      and animation production pipelines for texture baking, image compositing,
      and format conversion.
    humanURL: https://sites.google.com/site/openimageio/home
    tags:
    - Image Processing
    - C++
    - VFX
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://openimageio.readthedocs.io/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openfx
    name: OpenFX
    description: >-
      OpenFX is an open standard API for visual effects plug-ins used in
      compositing and image processing applications. It defines how host
      applications and image processing plug-ins communicate, enabling
      interoperability across compositing tools.
    humanURL: https://openfx.io/
    tags:
    - Visual Effects
    - Plugin API
    - Standards
    - C++
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://openfx.io/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openfx

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openapv
    name: OpenAPV
    description: >-
      OpenAPV is an open, royalty-free video codec specification designed for
      professional video production and post-production workflows. It is
      optimized for high-quality intermediate video formats used in camera
      and on-set production pipelines.
    humanURL: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openapv
    tags:
    - Video Codec
    - Standards
    - C
    properties:
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openapv

  - aid: academy-software-foundation:openpbr
    name: OpenPBR
    description: >-
      OpenPBR is an open specification and reference implementation for a
      physically-based shading model. It defines a standard material
      definition language that can be used across different renderers to
      achieve consistent appearance.
    humanURL: https://academysoftwarefoundation.github.io/OpenPBR/
    tags:
    - Rendering
    - Materials
    - Standards
    properties:
    - type: Documentation
      url: https://academysoftwarefoundation.github.io/OpenPBR/
    - type: GitHubRepository
      url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenPBR

common:
  - type: LinkedIn
    url: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academysoftwarefoundation
  - type: Website
    url: https://www.aswf.io/
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.aswf.io/projects/
  - type: GitHubOrganization
    url: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation
  - type: Blog
    url: https://www.aswf.io/news/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://www.aswf.io/get-involved/
  - type: TermsOfService
    url: https://www.aswf.io/terms/
  - type: PrivacyPolicy
    url: https://www.aswf.io/privacy/
  - type: Features
    data:
    - name: Open Source Governance
      description: All ASWF projects are governed by open, transparent processes under the Linux Foundation umbrella
    - name: Production-Proven Projects
      description: Projects like OpenEXR, OpenVDB, and OpenColorIO are used in major film studios worldwide
    - name: Vendor-Neutral Collaboration
      description: ASWF provides a neutral forum where studios, vendors, and developers collaborate on shared technology challenges
    - name: CI/CD Infrastructure
      description: ASWF provides shared containerized build and test infrastructure via aswf-docker for consistent CI/CD across all projects
    - name: Working Groups
      description: Dedicated working groups address cross-project topics such as CI, color interop, and language interoperability
    - name: Standards Development
      description: ASWF projects define and maintain industry standards used across the global VFX and animation pipeline
  - type: UseCases
    data:
    - name: VFX Production Pipeline
      description: OpenEXR, OpenVDB, OpenColorIO, and OSL form the core of visual effects production pipelines at major studios
    - name: Render Farm Management
      description: OpenCue enables studios to build and operate large-scale distributed render farms for animation and VFX
    - name: Color Pipeline Standardization
      description: OpenColorIO provides consistent color transforms across all DCC tools in a studio pipeline
    - name: Editorial Interchange
      description: OpenTimelineIO enables timeline data exchange between editing applications like Avid, Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve
    - name: Material Interchange
      description: MaterialX and OpenPBR enable look development assets to be transferred between different render engines
    - name: Image Format Standardization
      description: OpenEXR provides a universal HDR image format for compositing, rendering output, and archiving
  - type: Integrations
    data:
    - name: Autodesk Maya
      description: Integrates with OpenColorIO, OpenEXR, and other ASWF standards via native plug-ins
    - name: The Foundry Nuke
      description: Uses OpenColorIO, OpenEXR, and OpenFX plug-ins extensively in compositing workflows
    - name: SideFX Houdini
      description: Deep integration with OpenVDB, OpenColorIO, and OpenEXR for VFX and simulation workflows
    - name: Blender
      description: Uses OpenEXR, OpenColorIO, OpenShadingLanguage, and OpenVDB for rendering and compositing
    - name: Pixar USD
      description: Works alongside ASWF standards as part of the broader VFX open source ecosystem
    - name: NVIDIA Omniverse
      description: Uses MaterialX and OpenColorIO for material interchange and color management

  - url: rules/academy-software-foundation-spectral-rules.yml
    type: SpectralRules
  - url: capabilities/render-farm-management.yaml
    type: NaftikoCapability
  - url: vocabulary/academy-software-foundation-vocabulary.yaml
    type: Vocabulary
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: [email protected]