USDVIEW(1)

🦋 NAME 🦋

Okay so bestie, this is USDVIEW(1) from the User Commands manual — the manual page for usdview version 26.11.1. It's literally the page for viewing a usd file, and we're gonna get into every single flag. No cap. 💖

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

Here's the usage, bestie — copy it exactly if you're scripting:

usage: /build/usd/pkg/usd/usr/bin/usdview [-h] [--renderer {Storm,Embree,GL}]
       [--select PRIMPATH] [--camera CAMERA] [--mask PRIMPATH[,PRIMPATH...]]
       [--clearsettings] [--config {}] [--defaultsettings] [--norender]
       [--noplugins] [--unloaded] [--bboxStandin] [--timing] [--allow-async]
       [--traceToFile TRACETOFILE] [--traceFormat {chrome,trace}]
       [--tracePython] [--memstats {none,stage,stageAndImaging}]
       [--dumpFirstImage DUMPFIRSTIMAGE] [--viewportSize VIEWPORTSIZE]
       [--numThreads NUMTHREADS] [--ff FIRSTFRAME] [--lf LASTFRAME]
       [--cf CURRENTFRAME] [--complexity {low,medium,high,veryhigh}]
       [--quitAfterStartup] [--sessionLayer SESSIONLAYER] [--mute MUTELAYERSRE]
       [--detachLayers] [--detachLayersInclude PATTERN[,PATTERN...]]
       [--detachLayersExclude PATTERN[,PATTERN,...]] [usdFile]

In human terms: you use usdview to view a usd file. That's the whole main-character job. 💅

🌟 positional arguments 🌟

• usdFile — the file to view (Optional). Yes, optional, so you can run usdview without it, bestie.

💅 options 💅

• -h, --help — show this help message and exit. Classic, iconic, does exactly what it says. ✨
• --renderer, -r {Storm,Embree,GL} — which render backend to use, named as it appears in the menu. 'GL' and 'Storm' currently alias to the same renderer, Storm. Pick your fighter, but know those two are the same vibe.
• --select PRIMPATH — a prim path to initially select and frame. Jump straight to the prim, iykyk.
• --camera, -cam CAMERA — which camera to set the view to on open. It can be just the camera's prim name (ie, just the last element in the prim path), or a full prim path. Heads up: if you only use the prim name and more than one camera has that name, which one gets used will be effectively random. (default=None) Camera roulette, bestie. 🎥
• --mask PRIMPATH[,PRIMPATH...] — limit stage population to these prims, their descendants and ancestors. To specify multiple paths, either use commas with no spaces, or quote the argument and separate paths by commas and/or spaces. Selective queen behavior. 👑
• --clearsettings — restores usdview settings to default. Factory reset vibes.
• --config {} — load usdview with the state settings found in the specified config. If not provided, it will use the previously saved application state and automatically persist state on close. The value is literally {}, no cap.
• --defaultsettings — launch usdview with default settings. Fresh start energy.
• --norender — display only the hierarchy browser. No render, just hierarchy.
• --noplugins — do not load plugins. Plugins? Not today.
• --unloaded — do not load payloads. Keep it unloaded.
• --bboxStandin — display unloaded prims with bounding boxes. Boxes standing in for the unloaded stuff.
• --timing — echo timing stats to console. NOTE: timings will be unreliable when the --memstats option is also in use. Timing tea ☕
• --allow-async — enable asynchronous hydra scene processing. Async slay.
• --traceToFile TRACETOFILE — start tracing at application startup and write --traceFormat specified format output to the specified trace file when the application quits. Trace it, save it.
• --traceFormat {chrome,trace} — output format for the trace file specified by --traceToFile. 'chrome' files can be read in chrome, 'trace' files are simple text reports. (default=chrome) Chrome or text, your call.
• --tracePython — enable python trace collection; requires --traceToFile to be set. You gotta set --traceToFile first, bestie.
• --memstats {none,stage,stageAndImaging} — use the Pxr MallocTags memory accounting system to profile USD, saving results to a tmp file, with a summary to the console. Will have no effect if MallocTags are not supported in the USD installation. Memory receipts.
• --dumpFirstImage DUMPFIRSTIMAGE — dumps the first image to file (as png). First image goes to a png.
• --viewportSize VIEWPORTSIZE — fix the viewport to a specific size (WxH) for deterministic rendering, e.g. 601x458. Deterministic viewport realness.
• --numThreads NUMTHREADS — number of threads used for processing (0 is max, negative numbers imply max - N). Thread math, fr fr.
• --ff FIRSTFRAME — set the first frame of the viewer. First frame, set.
• --lf LASTFRAME — set the last frame of the viewer. Last frame, set.
• --cf CURRENTFRAME — set the current frame of the viewer. Current frame, set.
• --complexity, -c {low,medium,high,veryhigh} — set the initial mesh refinement complexity (low). Start at low, okay?
• --quitAfterStartup — quit immediately after start up. In and out, no lingering. 💀
• --sessionLayer SESSIONLAYER — if specified, the stage will be opened with the 'sessionLayer' in place of the default anonymous layer. As this changes the session layer from anonymous to persistent, be aware that layers saved from Export Overrides will include the opinions in the persistent session layer. Persistent session layer tea — read that warning, bestie.
• --mute MUTELAYERSRE — layer identifiers searched against this regular expression will be muted on the stage prior to, and after loading. Multiple expressions can be supplied using the | regex separator operator. Alternatively the argument may be used multiple times. Mute the matching layers.

🎀 Detached Layers: 🎀

This is the detached-layers crew: specify layers to be detached from their serialized data source when loaded. This may increase time to load and memory usage but will avoid issues like open file handles preventing other processes from safely overwriting a loaded layer.

• --detachLayers — detach all layers. All of them.
• --detachLayersInclude PATTERN[,PATTERN...] — detach layers with identifiers containing any of the given patterns. Include matching patterns.
• --detachLayersExclude PATTERN[,PATTERN,...] — exclude layers with identifiers containing any of the given patterns from the set of detached layers specified by the --detachLayers or --detachLayerIncludes arguments. Exclude matching patterns.

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That's the whole page, bestie! Source/version: usdview 26.11.1; date: October 2026; manual: USDVIEW(1). Now go open a usd file and slay 💅✨🦋