Adds record at close functionality to the RecorderManager (#2826)

# Description

Introducing a close function to the recorder manager which exports the
data to file when the environment is closed and closes the recorder
terms.

Fixes # (issue)

## Type of change

<!-- As you go through the list, delete the ones that are not
applicable. -->

- New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)

## Screenshots

## Checklist

- [x] I have run the [`pre-commit` checks](https://pre-commit.com/) with
`./isaaclab.sh --format`
- [x] I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
- [x] My changes generate no new warnings
- [x] 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
- [x] I have added my name to the `CONTRIBUTORS.md` or my name already
exists there

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---------
Signed-off-by: James Tigue <166445701+jtigue-bdai@users.noreply.github.com>
Signed-off-by: ooctipus <zhengyuz@nvidia.com>
Co-authored-by: Eva M. <164949346+mmungai-bdai@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: James Smith <142246516+jsmith-bdai@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: ooctipus <zhengyuz@nvidia.com>

source/isaaclab/config/extension.toml

 [package]
 
 # Note: Semantic Versioning is used: https://semver.org/
-version = "0.49.0"
+version = "0.49.1"
 
 # Description
 title = "Isaac Lab framework for Robot Learning"

source/isaaclab/docs/CHANGELOG.rst

 Changelog
 ---------
 
+0.49.1 (2025-12-08)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Added
+^^^^^
+
+  * Added write to file on close to :class:`~isaaclab.manager.RecorderManager`.
+  * Added :attr:`~isaaclab.manager.RecorderManagerCfg.export_in_close` configuration parameter.
+
+
 0.49.0 (2025-11-10)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

source/isaaclab/isaaclab/managers/recorder_manager.py

@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ class RecorderManagerBaseCfg:
     export_in_record_pre_reset: bool = True
     """Whether to export episodes in the record_pre_reset call."""
 
+    export_in_close: bool = False
+    """Whether to export episodes in the close call."""
+
 
 class RecorderTerm(ManagerTermBase):
     """Base class for recorder terms.
@@ -132,6 +135,17 @@ class RecorderTerm(ManagerTermBase):
         """
         return None, None
 
+    def close(self, file_path: str):
+        """Finalize and "clean up" the recorder term.
+
+        This can include tasks such as appending metadata (e.g. labels) to a file
+        and properly closing any associated file handles or resources.
+
+        Args:
+            file_path: the absolute path to the file
+        """
+        pass
+
 
 class RecorderManager(ManagerBase):
     """Manager for recording data from recorder terms."""
@@ -202,15 +216,7 @@ class RecorderManager(ManagerBase):
 
     def __del__(self):
         """Destructor for recorder."""
-        # Do nothing if no active recorder terms are provided
-        if len(self.active_terms) == 0:
-            return
-
-        if self._dataset_file_handler is not None:
-            self._dataset_file_handler.close()
-
-        if self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler is not None:
-            self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler.close()
+        self.close()
 
     """
     Properties.
@@ -519,6 +525,20 @@ class RecorderManager(ManagerBase):
             if self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler is not None:
                 self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler.flush()
 
+    def close(self):
+        """Closes the recorder manager by exporting any remaining data to file as well as properly closes the recorder terms."""
+        # Do nothing if no active recorder terms are provided
+        if len(self.active_terms) == 0:
+            return
+        if self._dataset_file_handler is not None:
+            if self.cfg.export_in_close:
+                self.export_episodes()
+            self._dataset_file_handler.close()
+        if self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler is not None:
+            self._failed_episode_dataset_file_handler.close()
+        for term in self._terms.values():
+            term.close(os.path.join(self.cfg.dataset_export_dir_path, self.cfg.dataset_filename))
+
     """
     Helper functions.
     """
@@ -538,6 +558,7 @@ class RecorderManager(ManagerBase):
                 "dataset_export_dir_path",
                 "dataset_export_mode",
                 "export_in_record_pre_reset",
+                "export_in_close",
             ]:
                 continue
             # check if term config is None

source/isaaclab/test/managers/test_recorder_manager.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ simulation_app = AppLauncher(headless=True).app
 
 """Rest everything follows."""
 
+import h5py
 import os
 import shutil
 import tempfile
@@ -21,14 +22,20 @@ import torch
 import uuid
 from collections import namedtuple
 from collections.abc import Sequence
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+import omni.usd
 import pytest
 
-from isaaclab.envs import ManagerBasedEnv
+from isaaclab.envs import ManagerBasedEnv, ManagerBasedEnvCfg
 from isaaclab.managers import DatasetExportMode, RecorderManager, RecorderManagerBaseCfg, RecorderTerm, RecorderTermCfg
+from isaaclab.scene import InteractiveSceneCfg
 from isaaclab.sim import SimulationContext
 from isaaclab.utils import configclass
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import numpy as np
+
 
 class DummyResetRecorderTerm(RecorderTerm):
     """Dummy recorder term that records dummy data."""
@@ -78,6 +85,72 @@ class DummyRecorderManagerCfg(RecorderManagerBaseCfg):
     dataset_export_mode = DatasetExportMode.EXPORT_ALL
 
 
+@configclass
+class EmptyManagerCfg:
+    """Empty manager specifications for the environment."""
+
+    pass
+
+
+@configclass
+class EmptySceneCfg(InteractiveSceneCfg):
+    """Configuration for an empty scene."""
+
+    pass
+
+
+def get_empty_base_env_cfg(device: str = "cuda", num_envs: int = 1, env_spacing: float = 1.0):
+    """Generate base environment config based on device"""
+
+    @configclass
+    class EmptyEnvCfg(ManagerBasedEnvCfg):
+        """Configuration for the empty test environment."""
+
+        # Scene settings
+        scene: EmptySceneCfg = EmptySceneCfg(num_envs=num_envs, env_spacing=env_spacing)
+        # Basic settings
+        actions: EmptyManagerCfg = EmptyManagerCfg()
+        observations: EmptyManagerCfg = EmptyManagerCfg()
+        recorders: EmptyManagerCfg = EmptyManagerCfg()
+
+        def __post_init__(self):
+            """Post initialization."""
+            # step settings
+            self.decimation = 4  # env step every 4 sim steps: 200Hz / 4 = 50Hz
+            # simulation settings
+            self.sim.dt = 0.005  # sim step every 5ms: 200Hz
+            self.sim.render_interval = self.decimation  # render every 4 sim steps
+            # pass device down from test
+            self.sim.device = device
+
+    return EmptyEnvCfg()
+
+
+def get_file_contents(file_name: str, num_steps: int) -> dict[str, np.ndarray]:
+    """Retrieves the contents of the hdf5 file
+    Args:
+        file_name: absolute path to the hdf5 file
+        num_steps: number of steps taken in the environment
+    Returns:
+        dict[str, np.ndarray]: dictionary where keys are HDF5 paths and values are the corresponding data arrays.
+    """
+    data = {}
+    with h5py.File(file_name, "r") as f:
+
+        def get_data(name, obj):
+            if isinstance(obj, h5py.Dataset):
+                if "record_post_step" in name:
+                    assert obj[()].shape == (num_steps, 5)
+                elif "record_pre_step" in name:
+                    assert obj[()].shape == (num_steps, 4)
+                else:
+                    raise Exception(f"The hdf5 file contains an unexpected data path, {name}")
+                data[name] = obj[()]
+
+        f.visititems(get_data)
+    return data
+
+
 @configclass
 class DummyEnvCfg:
     """Dummy environment configuration."""
@@ -146,9 +219,9 @@ def test_initialize_dataset_file(dataset_dir):
     assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(cfg.dataset_export_dir_path, cfg.dataset_filename))
 
 
-def test_record(dataset_dir):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("device", ("cpu", "cuda"))
+def test_record(device, dataset_dir):
     """Test the recording of the data."""
-    for device in ("cuda:0", "cpu"):
     env = create_dummy_env(device)
     # create recorder manager
     cfg = DummyRecorderManagerCfg()
@@ -179,3 +252,30 @@ def test_record(dataset_dir):
     for env_id in range(env.num_envs):
         episode = recorder_manager.get_episode(env_id)
         assert torch.stack(episode.data["record_post_reset"]).shape == (1, 3)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("device", ("cpu", "cuda"))
+def test_close(device, dataset_dir):
+    """Test whether data is correctly exported in the close function when fully integrated with ManagerBasedEnv and
+    `export_in_close` is True."""
+    # create a new stage
+    omni.usd.get_context().new_stage()
+    # create environment
+    env_cfg = get_empty_base_env_cfg(device=device, num_envs=2)
+    cfg = DummyRecorderManagerCfg()
+    cfg.export_in_close = True
+    cfg.dataset_export_dir_path = dataset_dir
+    cfg.dataset_filename = f"{uuid.uuid4()}.hdf5"
+    env_cfg.recorders = cfg
+    env = ManagerBasedEnv(cfg=env_cfg)
+    num_steps = 3
+    for _ in range(num_steps):
+        act = torch.randn_like(env.action_manager.action)
+        obs, ext = env.step(act)
+    # check contents of hdf5 file
+    file_name = f"{env_cfg.recorders.dataset_export_dir_path}/{env_cfg.recorders.dataset_filename}"
+    data_pre_close = get_file_contents(file_name, num_steps)
+    assert len(data_pre_close) == 0
+    env.close()
+    data_post_close = get_file_contents(file_name, num_steps)
+    assert len(data_post_close.keys()) == 2 * env_cfg.scene.num_envs