Cross-platform baseline for storing 3D Gaussian Splats in 3D asset delivery format, glTF
The Khronos Group has released a candidate specification for KHR_gaussian_splatting baseline extension, which will allow 3D Gaussian Splats to be stored in glTF 2.0, a popular format for 3D asset delivery. The extension is currently open for industry feedback before final ratification.
Gaussian splatting is a radiance field representation technique for converting multiple 2D photographs or video frames into photorealistic 3D representations. The process generates a sparse point cloud where each point is defined by properties including position, scale, rotation, colour and opacity. Machine learning algorithms optimise these points to match the source imagery, and the results are projected onto 2D surfaces through rasterisation to produce responsive camera views.
The technique has found applications in architectural documentation, site surveying and digital twin development, where photogrammetric capture can be processed into navigable 3D environments. Yoshiharu Sato, founder of Waldek Technologies — one of the pioneers of Gaussian Splats in AEC through its Gauzilla application — showcased some of these applications at NXT BLD 2025.
By establishing a standardised storage format within glTF, which is already widely used for 3D asset delivery across web and real-time applications, the extension aims to improve interoperability between different tools and platforms.
The release candidate status allows developers and vendors to test the specification and provide feedback before it is finalised. Companies including Nvidia, Google, Adobe and Cesium are supporting the extension’s development. Examples of early adopter applications include CesiumJS, Esri ArcGIS, Niantic Spatial’s Scaniverse, and XGrids Lixel Cybercolor.
“KHR_Gaussian_splatting marks a major milestone for glTF, extending the format to support an entirely new class of geometric representation,” said Neil Trevett, president of the Khronos Group. “By bringing the Gaussian splatting community together around a standards-based approach, Khronos is helping ensure this powerful new rendering technique can scale across tools, platforms, and the web.”
“As Gaussian splats become a mainstream content format, frictionless exchange between OpenUSD and glTF will be critical,“ said Guy Martin, vice-chair, AOUSD Steering Committee at the Alliance for OpenUSD.
The Khronos Group develops open standards for graphics and spatial computing through collaborative industry working groups. The organisation’s specifications include Vulkan, OpenXR and the Universal Scene Description format.
Caption: 3D Gaussian splat tileset of a chemical refinery embedded with Cesium World Terrain in CesiumJS. Data from Bentley Systems.
