# MUSE FAQ
Updated on Jan 4, 2021 to MUSE Alpha 2.
# What is MUSE?
 | MUSE, /myo͞oz/ `(noun)` — "A person, or a personified force, or whatever may act as a source of inspiration (possibly even a cat) for a creative artist." |
MUSE™ is the "Multiverse Usd Standalone Editor", a brand new software application made by J Cube Inc, Yokohama, Japan.
MUSE allows users to open interactively visualize, playback any USD assets and compositions without the need for a DCC application.
The aim of MUSE is to provide fast, non-destructive, multi-editing, of attributes, references and layers in a USD file and to write your edits as USD overrides and USD compositions.
# What can I do with MUSE?
At the present time, version alpha 2, you can do the following in MUSE:
- read any USD files
- visualize interactively USD files in Hydra Storm
- playback animation
- select USD prims in the viewport
- multi-editing of USD attributes
- add references to other USD files on new primitives
- add layers to the USD stage
- add new USD attributes to any primitive
- write USD overrides
- write USD compositions with overrides
- write USD compositions with references
- write USD compositions with layers
Note
MUSE is still its alpha phase of development and is provided as a "tech preview" only. We are working hard to move it into Beta and start extending its capabilities in future releases.
# How does MUSE compare with UsdView?
In a nutshell:
- usdview is a "read-only" viewing application, it cannot edit the stage, nor create overrides nor add references, nor create compositions.
- they both use Hydra for viewing, however MUSE is still in alpha and currently has a more limited feature set for viewing and rendering.
# How can I benefit of MUSE in a CGI pipeline?
You can quickly read and visualize any USD file, playback, perform a variety of non-destructive edits (batch multi-editing at once), and finally write them as compositions and overrides, all without the need for a full fledged DCC application and with a very minimal learning curve.
# Does MUSE use Hydra?
Yes it does.
# Will MUSE use other renderers than Hydra's Storm?
Yes it will.
# Does MUSE need any specific hardware (CPU/GPU)?
No, MUSE does not require any special hardware, it will work just fine even on basic CPU/GPU and on your laptop.
# Can I move/rotate/translate things in MUSE?
Not at the present time, but it's obviously in our plans to allow users to do so and therefore be able to layout and compose your scenes with it.
# Is MUSE cross platform?
Yes, it runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. We are shipping Linux and Windows only for now, macOS also leverages from the Metal API!
Important note for macOS Users
This version of MUSE is not yet "notarized" on macOS and will only run if you RMB on the app and select "open" which will prompt a dialog allowing you to bypass the gatekeeper. Alternatively you can disable macOS' System Integrity Protection (SIP).
# How do I run MUSE?
To run MUSE simply double click on the MUSE.exe application (Windows), on the
MUSE.app icon (macOS) and execute the ./MUSE executable on linux. The
application automatically resolves the environment and will prompt for the
license server address via a small UI.
Have a look at the MUSE Video (opens new window).
# Is MUSE free?
MUSE is currently free and will continue to be free for any client of the Multiverse "Pro Version". We are considering other means of distribution for the future.
# Will MUSE be distributed separately from Multiverse?
Yes, MUSE is "standalone" as per its name, and it is already distributed as a separate package. It currently requires the Multiverse Pro Version license server to performs a initial license validation at startup, and, once started it does not consume a Multiverse license.
A completely separate distribution is planned for MUSE Version v1.0.0 in the future.
# I am a Multiverse Pro customer, can I use MUSE?
Absolutely yes! MUSE is provided as a preview to clients of the Multiverse Pro Version, it can be downloaded in the client area. MUSE builds are time-limited and only released sporadically as preview only. When running MUSE, we briefly check for the presence of a Multiverse license server running but won't consume any actual Multiverse licenses.
# I have found a bug in MUSE, how do I report it?
The very best way to report an issue is on its Gitlab space (opens new window).
Alternatively you contact us by e-mail at support@j-cube.jp but we prefer the former method 😉