Building an Omniverse Extension with Omniverse Code and Publishing to GitHub

NVIDIA Omniverse Code allows developers to create, test, and deploy their own Extensions.

In this post, we walk through how to build a custom Extension using Omniverse Code and then publish it to GitHub for distribution.

This guide includes everything from setting up the development environment to making your Extension publicly accessible through the Omniverse Extensions window.

1. Development Environment Setup

1-1. Install and Launch Omniverse Code

Use Omniverse Launcher to download and launch Omniverse Code.

1-2. Install Visual Studio Code

To modify the Extension and push to GitHub, install VS Code.

https://code.visualstudio.com

1-3. Install Git

Git is required to version-control your code and publish it to GitHub.

https://git-scm.com/downloads

1-4. Create a GitHub Account

If you haven’t already, sign up at GitHub to host your Extension repository.

https://github.com/

1-5. Create an Extension Template

Open Omniverse Code and create a new Extension using the built-in Extension Template generator.

1-6. Set the Extension Name

Specify the root folder name and Extension name when prompted.

1-7. Publish to GitHub

1. After creating the Extension, VS Code will automatically launch.
2. Open the Source Control tab on the left sidebar.
3. Click the Publish to GitHub button.

1-8. Choose Repository Visibility

You can set your repository to Private or Public.

If you want it to show up in the Omniverse Extension list, it must be Public.

2. Making the Extension Appear in Omniverse Extensions Window

2-1. Add the omniverse-kit-extension Topic

1. Go to your GitHub repository’s Settings
2. In the Topics section, add: omniverse-kit-extension

This tag tells Omniverse to include your repository in its Extension list.

2-2. Create a Release

1. From the GitHub sidebar, go to Releases → Create a new release

2. Enter a tag (e.g., v1.0) and click Create new tag

3. Hit Publish release

2-3. Change Repository to Public

Go to Settings → Danger Zone, and change the visibility to Public.

This is required for Omniverse to automatically detect and show the Extension.

Final Thoughts

This post covered the full process of building and publishing an Omniverse Extension to GitHub and making it available via the Omniverse Extensions window.

Summary of Steps:

1. Set up the environment (Omniverse Code, VS Code, Git, GitHub)
2. Create a new Extension using the built-in template
3. Push the Extension to GitHub
4. Add the appropriate topic and publish a release
5. Set the repository to Public for visibility

This approach lets you easily develop, share, and manage custom Extensions. It’s ideal for personal projects, team collaboration, or open-source contributions to the Omniverse community.