Moves asset path from AppLauncher to app files (#228)

In a recent commit, Isaac Lab extensions were added to the app files as
dependencies in order to support installing Isaac Lab modules from pip.
However, this introduced a new issue where the assets module may be
loaded prior to the asset base path setting was set in AppLauncher,
causing assets to not be found. This causes the first runs of Isaac Lab
scripts to fail as the carbonite setting we look for in the assets
script has not been populated yet.

To fix this, this PR moves the definition of the asset path from
AppLauncher to the app files. This ensures that the carbonite setting is
set prior to any code being executed.

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- Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)

- [x] I have run the [`pre-commit` checks](https://pre-commit.com/) with
`./isaaclab.sh --format`
- [ ] I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
- [x] My changes generate no new warnings
- [ ] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my
feature works
- [x] I have updated the changelog and the corresponding version in the
extension's `config/extension.toml` file
- [ ] I have added my name to the `CONTRIBUTORS.md` or my name already
exists there

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apps/isaaclab.python.headless.kit

@@ -188,3 +188,11 @@ enabled=true # Enable this for DLSS
 "isaaclab_tasks" = {}
 "isaaclab_mimic" = {}
 "isaaclab_rl" = {}
+
+# Asset path
+# set the S3 directory manually to the latest published S3
+# note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
+[settings]
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.default = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.cloud = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.nvidia = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"

apps/isaaclab.python.headless.rendering.kit

@@ -140,3 +140,11 @@ folders = [
     "${app}", # needed to find other app files
     "${app}/../source", # needed to find extensions in Isaac Lab
 ]
+
+# Asset path
+# set the S3 directory manually to the latest published S3
+# note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
+[settings]
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.default = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.cloud = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.nvidia = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"

apps/isaaclab.python.kit

@@ -293,3 +293,11 @@ fabricUpdateTransformations = false
 fabricUpdateVelocities = false
 fabricUpdateForceSensors = false
 fabricUpdateJointStates = false
+
+# Asset path
+# set the S3 directory manually to the latest published S3
+# note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
+[settings]
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.default = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.cloud = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.nvidia = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"

apps/isaaclab.python.rendering.kit

@@ -138,3 +138,11 @@ folders = [
     "${app}", # needed to find other app files
     "${app}/../source", # needed to find extensions in Isaac Lab
 ]
+
+# Asset path
+# set the S3 directory manually to the latest published S3
+# note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
+[settings]
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.default = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.cloud = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.nvidia = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"

apps/isaaclab.python.xr.openxr.kit

@@ -56,3 +56,11 @@ folders = [
     "${app}", # needed to find other app files
     "${app}/../source", # needed to find extensions in Isaac Lab
 ]
+
+# Asset path
+# set the S3 directory manually to the latest published S3
+# note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
+[settings]
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.default = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.cloud = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
+persistent.isaac.asset_root.nvidia = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"

source/isaaclab/config/extension.toml

 [package]
 
 # Note: Semantic Versioning is used: https://semver.org/
-version = "0.33.7"
+version = "0.33.8"
 
 # Description
 title = "Isaac Lab framework for Robot Learning"

source/isaaclab/docs/CHANGELOG.rst

 Changelog
 ---------
 
-0.33.7 (2025-01-30)
+0.33.8 (2025-01-30)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Fixed
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Fixed
   to the event being triggered at the wrong time after the reset.
 
 
-0.33.6 (2025-01-17)
+0.33.7 (2025-01-17)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Fixed
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Fixed
   the :class:`omni.isaac.lab.assets.RigidObjectCollection` class.
 
 
-0.33.5 (2025-01-14)
+0.33.6 (2025-01-14)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Fixed
@@ -51,6 +51,16 @@ Fixed
 * Fixed the respawn of only wrong object samples in :func:`repeated_objects_terrain` of :mod:`omni.isaac.lab.terrains.trimesh` module. Previously, the function was respawning all objects in the scene instead of only the wrong object samples, which in worst case could lead to infinite respawn loop.
 
 
+0.33.5 (2025-01-13)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Changed
+^^^^^^^
+
+* Moved the definition of ``/persistent/isaac/asset_root/*`` settings from :class:`AppLauncher` to the app files.
+  This is needed to prevent errors where ``isaaclab_assets`` was loaded prior to the carbonite setting being set.
+
+
 0.33.4 (2025-01-10)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

source/isaaclab/isaaclab/app/app_launcher.py

@@ -684,13 +684,6 @@ class AppLauncher:
         # set fabric update flag to disable updating transforms when rendering is disabled
         carb_settings_iface.set_bool("/physics/fabricUpdateTransformations", self._rendering_enabled())
 
-        # set the nucleus directory manually to the latest published Nucleus
-        # note: this is done to ensure prior versions of Isaac Sim still use the latest assets
-        assets_path = "http://omniverse-content-staging.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/4.5"
-        carb_settings_iface.set_string("/persistent/isaac/asset_root/default", assets_path)
-        carb_settings_iface.set_string("/persistent/isaac/asset_root/cloud", assets_path)
-        carb_settings_iface.set_string("/persistent/isaac/asset_root/nvidia", assets_path)
-
         # disable physics backwards compatibility check
         carb_settings_iface.set_int(physx_impl.SETTING_BACKWARD_COMPATIBILITY, 0)
 

source/isaaclab/test/performance/test_kit_startup_performance.py

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class TestKitStartUpPerformance(unittest.TestCase):
         self.app_launcher = AppLauncher(headless=True).app
         end_time = time.time()
         elapsed_time = end_time - start_time
-        self.assertLessEqual(elapsed_time, 8.0)
+        self.assertLessEqual(elapsed_time, 10.0)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":