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: 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]