The consortium behind GDTF and MVR is pushing the open data standards into new territory, with audio sector integration on the roadmap and recent work making the formats compatible with Open Sound Control and OpenUSD.

Seven years after launching the General Device Type Format, the founding group — Vectorworks, MA Lighting, and Robe — reports growing adoption across the industry. More than 60 manufacturers now contribute device files to GDTF Share, while 14 control platforms have implemented GDTF or MVR support.

The formats create what developers call a ‘digital twin’ of production equipment, allowing consistent data exchange between lighting consoles, visualizers, and design software. Recent development work has extended the system beyond DMX to support Open Sound Control, demonstrating the framework’s adaptability to different protocol structures.

The group is also exploring compatibility with OpenUSD — Pixar’s open standard that’s becoming a foundation for spatial computing and virtual production workflows.

Next up: expanding the specification into audio. The consortium says competitive differences are being set aside as more manufacturers recognize the operational benefits of standardized device data.