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Add Newton physics preset for Anymal-D rough terrain #5096

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Add Newton physics preset for Anymal-D rough terrain #5096

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23 changes: 21 additions & 2 deletions source/isaaclab_newton/isaaclab_newton/physics/newton_manager.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -288,7 +288,21 @@ def start_simulation(cls) -> None:
device = PhysicsManager._device
logger.info(f"Finalizing model on device: {device}")
cls._builder.up_axis = Axis.from_string(cls._up_axis)
# Set smaller contact margin for manipulation examples (default 10cm is too large)

# WAR: USD import produces shapes with zero contact margin. Zero margin causes
# CCD to use the is_discrete path (epsilon=0), where GJK fails to converge on
# mesh terrain, producing NaN in body_q/joint_q.
# TODO: file upstream Newton issue for USD importer zero-margin default.
contact_margin = 0.01
n_margin_fixed = 0
for i in range(len(cls._builder.shape_margin)):
if cls._builder.shape_margin[i] == 0.0:
cls._builder.shape_margin[i] = contact_margin
n_margin_fixed += 1
if n_margin_fixed > 0:
n_total = len(cls._builder.shape_margin)
logger.info(f"Set contact margin={contact_margin} on {n_margin_fixed}/{n_total} shapes with zero margin")
Comment on lines +296 to +304
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@greptile-apps greptile-apps bot Mar 24, 2026

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P2 Global zero-margin fix applied to all Newton builds

The loop unconditionally patches every shape whose margin is exactly 0.0 across the entire model, including non-locomotion tasks (e.g. manipulation). For tasks where zero contact margin is intentional or where a different default is desirable, this silently changes behavior.

The comment in the removed line mentioned "manipulation examples" as the motivation for the old margin logic; applying 0.01 across the board may be too broad. At minimum, consider making the fallback value (and whether to apply it at all) configurable via NewtonCfg, similar to how max_triangle_pairs could be:

contact_margin = getattr(cfg, "default_contact_margin", 0.0)
if contact_margin > 0.0:
    for i in range(len(cls._builder.shape_margin)):
        if cls._builder.shape_margin[i] == 0.0:
            cls._builder.shape_margin[i] = contact_margin
            ...

This keeps the workaround available while letting tasks that don't need it (or prefer a different value) avoid the side-effect.


with Timer(name="newton_finalize_builder", msg="Finalize builder took:"):
cls._model = cls._builder.finalize(device=device)
cls._model.set_gravity(cls._gravity_vector)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -398,7 +412,12 @@ def _initialize_contacts(cls) -> None:
if cls._needs_collision_pipeline:
# Newton collision pipeline: create pipeline and generate contacts
if cls._collision_pipeline is None:
cls._collision_pipeline = CollisionPipeline(cls._model, broad_phase="explicit")
# WAR: default max_triangle_pairs (1M) overflows with mesh terrain at
# 4096+ envs (~2M triangle pairs). Overflow silently drops contacts.
# No upstream issue tracking auto-sizing yet.
cls._collision_pipeline = CollisionPipeline(
cls._model, broad_phase="explicit", max_triangle_pairs=2_000_000
)
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P2 Hardcoded max_triangle_pairs affects all collision-pipeline simulations

max_triangle_pairs=2_000_000 is now applied globally to every simulation that uses the Newton CollisionPipeline (i.e. any solver with use_mujoco_contacts=False, including flat-terrain and manipulation tasks). The default was 1M; this doubles the memory allocation for all such scenarios, not just mesh-terrain ones at 4096 envs.

Consider driving this from NewtonCfg (e.g. max_triangle_pairs: int = 1_000_000) so callers can opt in to the larger budget only when needed (as RoughPhysicsCfg would), rather than silently doubling memory overhead for every pipeline user.

if cls._contacts is None:
cls._contacts = cls._collision_pipeline.contacts()

Expand Down
6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions source/isaaclab_newton/setup.py
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Expand Up @@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ def run(self):
EXTRAS_REQUIRE = {
"all": [
"prettytable==3.3.0",
"mujoco==3.5.0",
"mujoco-warp==3.5.0.2",
"mujoco==3.6.0",
"mujoco-warp==3.6.0",
"PyOpenGL-accelerate==3.1.10",
"newton==1.0.0",
"newton @ git+https://github.com/newton-physics/newton.git@141baffff9",
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P2 Short git commit hash for newton dependency

The newton package is pinned to a 9-character abbreviated SHA (141baffff9). Abbreviated hashes can theoretically collide as the repository grows, and some pip / dependency-resolution paths handle short hashes less reliably than full 40-character SHAs. The full hash should be used here for reproducibility and robustness.

Suggested change
"newton @ git+https://github.com/newton-physics/newton.git@141baffff9",
"newton @ git+https://github.com/newton-physics/newton.git@141baffff9ccab09bc07e3c4bff3c7e785acba4a",

(Replace the long hash above with the actual full SHA; verify with git -C newton rev-parse 141baffff9.)

],
}

Expand Down
34 changes: 33 additions & 1 deletion ...b_tasks/isaaclab_tasks/manager_based/locomotion/velocity/config/anymal_d/rough_env_cfg.py
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Expand Up @@ -3,21 +3,49 @@
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause

from isaaclab_newton.physics import MJWarpSolverCfg, NewtonCfg
from isaaclab_physx.physics import PhysxCfg

from isaaclab.sim import SimulationCfg
from isaaclab.utils import configclass

from isaaclab_tasks.manager_based.locomotion.velocity.velocity_env_cfg import (
EventsCfg,
LocomotionVelocityRoughEnvCfg,
StartupEventsCfg,
)
from isaaclab_tasks.utils import PresetCfg
from isaaclab_tasks.utils import PresetCfg, preset

##
# Pre-defined configs
##
from isaaclab_assets.robots.anymal import ANYMAL_D_CFG # isort: skip


@configclass
class RoughPhysicsCfg(PresetCfg):
default = PhysxCfg(gpu_max_rigid_patch_count=10 * 2**15)
# WAR: Rough terrain requires pyramidal cone — elliptic cone + high impratio diverges
# in float32 with many mesh contacts due to MuJoCo Warp single-precision limitations.
# Upstream (open): https://github.com/google-deepmind/mujoco_warp/issues/1000
# Also uses Newton collision pipeline (use_mujoco_contacts=False) since MuJoCo's
# built-in collision does not support mesh terrain geometry.
newton = NewtonCfg(
solver_cfg=MJWarpSolverCfg(
njmax=200,
nconmax=100,
cone="pyramidal",
impratio=1.0,
integrator="implicitfast",
use_mujoco_contacts=False,
ccd_iterations=100,
),
num_substeps=1,
debug_mode=False,
)
physx = default


@configclass
class AnymalDPhysxEventsCfg(EventsCfg, StartupEventsCfg):
pass
Expand All @@ -32,13 +60,17 @@ class AnymalDEventsCfg(PresetCfg):

@configclass
class AnymalDRoughEnvCfg(LocomotionVelocityRoughEnvCfg):
sim: SimulationCfg = SimulationCfg(physics=RoughPhysicsCfg())
events: AnymalDEventsCfg = AnymalDEventsCfg()

def __post_init__(self):
# post init of parent
super().__post_init__()
# switch robot to anymal-d
self.scene.robot = ANYMAL_D_CFG.replace(prim_path="{ENV_REGEX_NS}/Robot")
# RayCaster height scanner requires Kit (omni.physics) — disable for Newton.
self.scene.height_scanner = preset(default=self.scene.height_scanner, newton=None)
self.observations.policy.height_scan = preset(default=self.observations.policy.height_scan, newton=None)


@configclass
Expand Down