Windows Setup (Kit App)

This guide covers the installation of NVIDIA Omniverse applications on Windows using the Kit App Template. This is the modern, developer-centric approach replacing the deprecated Omniverse Launcher.

Prerequisites

OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
GPU: NVIDIA RTX GPU (RTX 3070 or higher recommended)
Driver: NVIDIA Studio Driver >=591.44 (Verified 2026-01-02)

Warning

Laptop Users (RTX 5080 etc.): Avoid Game Ready Driver 591.59. It is known to cause conflicts with Intel integrated graphics. Use the NVIDIA App to install the Studio Driver (591.44+) instead.
Tools: * Git * Visual Studio 2019 or 2022 (with “Desktop development with C++” workload)

Installation Steps

1. Configure Environment

Before cloning, set up the Packman dependency cache to avoid long download times and path issues.

Open PowerShell as Administrator.
Set the PM_PACKAGES_ROOT environment variable to a local path (e.g., C:\packman-repo):
```
setx PM_PACKAGES_ROOT "C:\packman-repo"
```
Close and reopen PowerShell to apply the change.

2. Clone the Kit App Template

Clone the official template repository to a local drive (e.g., C:\Projects). Do not clone into a network share or WSL mount.

cd C:\Projects
git clone https://github.com/NVIDIA-Omniverse/kit-app-template.git
cd kit-app-template

3. Configure the Application

Run the configuration script to scaffold your application. You will be prompted to accept the EULA on first run.

.\repo.bat template new

Follow the prompts with these values:

Select what you want to create: Application
Select desired template: USD Composer
Enter name of application .kit file: whoimpg.biologger.sim
Enter application_display_name: WHOI-MPG Biologger Simulator
Enter version: 0.1.0
Enter name of extension (Setup Extension): whoimpg.biologger.subscriber
Enter extension_display_name: WHOI-MPG Biologger Subscriber Extension
Enter version: 0.1.0
Do you want to add application layers?: No

4. Link to Monorepo Source (Critical)

To enable the “Monorepo” workflow where code lives in WSL but runs on Windows, we replace the generated extension code with a symlink to our repository.

Delete the generated extension folder:

Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "source\extensions\whoimpg.biologger.subscriber"

Create a Symlink to your WSL repository:

:: Run in Command Prompt (cmd.exe) as Administrator, NOT PowerShell
mklink /D "source\extensions\whoimpg.biologger.subscriber" "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\[WSL_USER]\Projects\whoi-mpg\biologger-sim\omniverse\extensions\whoimpg.biologger.subscriber"
mklink /D "source\assets" "\\wsl$\Ubuntu-24.04\home\[WSL_USER]\Projects\whoi-mpg\biologger-sim\omniverse\assets"

(Replace `[WSL_USER]` with your actual WSL username)

5. Build the Application

Compile the application binaries for your local machine. This ensures you have the latest Kit SDK (v106.0+).

.\repo.bat build

6. Launch the Application

Start the application.

.\repo.bat launch

Note

The initial startup may take 5–8 minutes as shaders compile. Subsequent launches will be much faster.

7. Accessing Files from Windows

To access your WSL project files (logs, data, etc.) from this Windows application:

In the Omniverse Content Browser, navigate to the My Computer tab.
Enter the WSL network path in the address bar:
```
\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\username\projects\biologger-sim
```
(Replace ‘Ubuntu’ with your specific distribution name if different)

8. Opening the Sample Scene

A sample USD scene with a rigged shark is provided in the repository.

Prerequisite: Download Assets

The high-fidelity 3D models are not stored in the git repository. You must download them separately.

Download the asset pack from the project’s shared drive (see omniverse/assets/README.md for the link).
Place great_white_shark.glb into the omniverse/assets/ folder.

Opening the Scene:

In the Omniverse application, go to File > Open.
Navigate to your WSL repository path (via the My Computer tab as described above).
Open omniverse/assets/ocean_scene.usda.

9. Launching with Dynamic Assets

You can launch the application with a specific scene and configuration from the command line. This is useful for switching between different animal models (e.g., Shark vs. Swordfish) while using a shared environment.

Command Line Syntax:

.\repo.bat launch -- "path\to\scene.usda" --/biologger/animal=[type]

Examples:

Launch with Shark:

.\repo.bat launch -- "omniverse/assets/ocean_scene.usda" --/biologger/animal=shark

Launch with Swordfish:

.\repo.bat launch -- "omniverse/assets/ocean_scene.usda" --/biologger/animal=swordfish

Note: Ensure you have downloaded the corresponding .glb assets (e.g., swordfish.glb) into the omniverse/assets/ folder.