Extending UniLab: New Terrain

Terrain generation is a cold-path scene feature. Keep generation and asset materialization out of step(), reset(), and hot domain-randomization loops.

Implementation Checklist

  1. Add a SubTerrainCfg implementation in src/unilab/terrains/heightfield_terrains.py if the terrain needs new heightfield geometry.

  2. Add a preset in src/unilab/terrains/config.py with @terrain_preset if the terrain should be selectable by name.

  3. Wire terrain into a TerrainGeneratorCfg, either through an existing named set such as ROUGH_TERRAINS_CFG or through an owner YAML under src/unilab/conf/.

  4. Expose terrain to scenes through SceneCfg.terrain and TerrainSceneCfg in src/unilab/base/scene.py.

  5. If an env needs height observations, create the backend scanner on init via bind_height_scanner(...); read samples through the returned HeightScanner.

  6. Keep terrain spawn, curriculum, and observation dimensions reflected in the owning env config and obs_groups_spec.

Validation Near Risk

  • Terrain generator shape and numerical behavior: tests/terrains/test_terrain_generator.py

  • Backend terrain materialization contract: tests/base/test_backend_conformance.py

  • Backend materialization boundaries: tests/utils/test_xml_utils.py

Evidence In Repo

  • Terrain configs and presets: src/unilab/terrains/config.py

  • Terrain generator: unisim.terrain.generator

  • Heightfield terrain types: src/unilab/terrains/heightfield_terrains.py