| name | print-usd |
| description | Inspect and print USD scene hierarchy using the wu CLI. Use when the user wants to examine a USD file structure, list prims, show prim types, variants, API schemas, collections, custom token attributes, query a specific prim, limit traversal depth, or get scene statistics for .usd/.usda/.usdc/.usdz files. |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| author | NVIDIA Content Agents |
| tags | ["content-agents","usd","inspection","cli"] |
| tools | ["Shell","Filesystem","wu"] |
| compatibility | Requires the wu CLI, readable USD input files, and USD Python bindings installed through the repository environment. |
Print USD
Inspect USD scene hierarchy and prim metadata with wu print-usd.
When to Use
- Use when the user wants a quick tree view of a USD asset.
- Use when the user needs prim paths for rendering, material binding,
filtering, debugging, or follow-up CLI commands.
- Use when the user asks for prim types, variants, API schemas, collections,
custom tokens, active-only traversal, depth-limited output, or statistics.
- Use
flatten-usd when the user wants to resolve composition arcs from a
.usd, .usda, or .usdc stage, not merely inspect the composed stage.
Limitations
- Very large scenes can produce thousands of lines. Prefer
--max-depth,
--start-prim, --query-prim, or --stats for focused output.
--query-prim requires an exact prim path.
- Output is textual inspection only; it does not modify the USD file.
Prerequisites
- Activate the repo Python environment and confirm
wu is on PATH.
- Ensure the input
.usd, .usda, .usdc, or .usdz file exists.
- USD Python bindings must be available in the environment.
Instructions
- Start with a shallow overview for unknown scenes.
- Add
--stats for counts or --max-depth for large assets.
- Add
--show-types before choosing render, material, or physics targets.
- Add
--show-all only when the user needs all metadata.
- Use
--query-prim for a specific prim path and report whether the prim was
found.
- Return useful prim paths and suggested next commands.
Command Reference
wu print-usd <usd_path> [OPTIONS]
| Option | Description |
|---|
--start-prim, -p | Start traversal from a prim path. |
--show-types, -t | Show prim type names. |
--show-variants | Show variant set selections. |
--show-api-schemas | Show applied API schemas. |
--show-collections | Show collections and their includes. |
--show-custom-tokens | Show custom token attributes. |
--show-all, -a | Enable all metadata display flags. |
--active-only | Show only active prims. |
--max-depth, -d | Limit traversal depth. |
--no-info | Hide the stage information header. |
--stats, -s | Show scene statistics. |
--query-prim, -q | Show detailed information for one prim. |
--verbose, -v | Enable debug logging. |
Common Workflows
wu print-usd scene.usd
wu print-usd scene.usd --show-types --show-variants --max-depth 3
wu print-usd scene.usd --show-all --active-only
wu print-usd scene.usd --start-prim /World/Geometry --show-types
wu print-usd scene.usd --query-prim /World/Geometry/mesh1
wu print-usd scene.usd --stats
Output Format
Report:
- Command executed and input path.
- Whether output was full tree, subtree, statistics, or a prim query.
- Important prim paths, types, active/instance state, collection membership, or
counts relevant to the user's goal.
- Suggested follow-up command when useful, such as
render-usd --focus or
flatten-usd for .usd, .usda, or .usdc sources.
- Any error cause, including missing file or missing prim path.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|
| USD file not found | Path is wrong or relative to a different directory. | Use an absolute path or rerun from the expected working directory. |
| Prim not found | --query-prim path is not exact. | Run a shallow --show-types --max-depth listing and copy the exact path. |
| Output is too large | Scene has many prims. | Use --max-depth, --start-prim, --query-prim, or --stats. |
| USD loading error | Missing USD bindings or unresolved asset issue. | Activate the repo environment and inspect the asset dependencies. |