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[isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui] URDF Importer UI Extension#

Version: 1.4.2

Overview#

The URDF Importer UI extension adds a graphical import workflow for robot URDF files in Isaac Sim. Use it from File > Import to convert a URDF into USD and place the robot on the stage. Core parsing and conversion are handled by the companion isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf extension.

URDF Importer UI

Dependencies#

  • isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf — converts URDF files to USD

Usage#

Accessing the URDF Importer#

  1. In Window > Extensions, enable isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui if it is not already loaded.

  2. Choose File > Import and select a .urdf file.

  3. Adjust settings in the panel on the right side of the import window.

  4. Click Import to add the robot to the stage.

Import settings#

The options panel is organized into three sections you can expand or collapse:

Model#

  • USD Output — Where to save the generated USD. The default Same as Imported Model (Default) saves next to your URDF file. Click Select File to pick another folder.

  • ROS Package List — Maps ROS package names to folders on disk so package:// links in the URDF resolve correctly. Click Add Row to add entries; use the row delete control to remove them.

Colliders#

  • Collision From Visuals — Builds collision shapes from the robot’s visual meshes instead of collision meshes in the URDF. When checked, Collision Type appears below.

  • Collision Type — How to approximate collision when generating from visuals:

    • Convex Hull

    • Convex Decomposition

    • Bounding Sphere

    • Bounding Cube

  • Allow Self-Collision — Lets parts of the robot collide with each other. Turn this off if the model becomes unstable or parts interpenetrate at rest.

Options#

  • Robot Type — Category label for the imported robot (for example Manipulator, Humanoid, or Wheeled). Choose Default if unsure.

  • Base Type — Whether the robot is fixed in the world or free to move:

    • Source — Keep the URDF as authored.

    • Fixed — Bolt the base to the world.

    • Mobile — Allow the base to move and rotate.

  • Merge Mesh — Combines meshes where possible for a lighter, faster asset.

  • Debug Mode — Keeps extra output files and log detail for troubleshooting imports.

Preview

Enable Extension#

The extension can be enabled (if not already) in one of the following ways:

Define the next entry as an application argument from a terminal.

APP_SCRIPT.(sh|bat) --enable isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui

Define the next entry under [dependencies] in an experience (.kit) file or an extension configuration (extension.toml) file.

[dependencies]
"isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui" = {}

Open the Window > Extensions menu in a running application instance and search for isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui. Then, toggle the enable control button if it is not already active.

URDF Importer UI Extension [isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui]#

URDF Import UI Workflow#

Enable the URDF UI extension to import URDF assets through the asset importer UI. The UI uses the same configuration object as the core importer.

Deprecated Commands#

The following commands are deprecated and provided for backward compatibility only. New code should use URDFImporter and URDFImporterConfig directly.

class isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui.impl.command.URDFCreateImportConfig#

Deprecated command to create an ImportConfig object.

Should be used with the URDFParseFile and URDFImportRobot commands.

Deprecated since version Use: URDFImporterConfig() directly instead.

do() → URDFImporterConfig#

Execute the command to create an import configuration.

Returns:

New URDFImporterConfig instance.

undo() → None#

Undo the command (no-op).

class isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui.impl.command.URDFParseText(
urdf_text='',
import_config=URDFImporterConfig(),
)#

Deprecated command to parse a URDF string.

Parameters:

  • urdf_text (str) – The URDF string to parse.

  • import_config (URDFImporterConfig) – Import configuration.

Deprecated since version Parsing: URDF strings is not supported. Use URDFImporter() with a file path instead.

do() → NoReturn#

Execute the command to parse the URDF string.

Raises:

RuntimeError – Parsing URDF strings is no longer supported.

undo() → None#

Undo the command (no-op).

class isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui.impl.command.URDFParseFile(
urdf_path='',
import_config=URDFImporterConfig(),
)#

Deprecated command to parse a URDF file.

Parameters:

  • urdf_path (str) – The absolute path to the URDF file.

  • import_config (URDFImporterConfig) – Import configuration.

Deprecated since version Use: URDFImporter() directly instead.

do() → NoReturn#

Execute the command to parse the URDF file.

Raises:

RuntimeError – Parsing URDF files is no longer supported.

undo() → None#

Undo the command (no-op).

class isaacsim.asset.importer.urdf.ui.impl.command.URDFImportRobot(
urdf_path='',
urdf_robot=None,
import_config=URDFImporterConfig(),
dest_path='',
return_articulation_root_prim=False,
)#

Deprecated command to import a URDF robot.

Parameters:

  • urdf_path (str) – The absolute path to the URDF file.

  • urdf_robot (object) – The robot model from URDFParseFile (optional, for backward compatibility).

  • import_config (URDFImporterConfig) – Import configuration.

  • dest_path (str) – Destination path for robot USD. Default is “” which will load the robot in-memory on the open stage.

  • return_articulation_root_prim (bool) – Whether to return the articulation root prim instead of the robot USD path.

Deprecated since version Use: URDFImporter() directly instead.

do() → tuple[Result, str]#

Execute the command to import the URDF file.

Returns:

Tuple of (Result, prim_path).

undo() → None#

Undo the command (no-op).