configurable default visualizer

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- Default visualizer can be changed with `PINOCCHIO_VIEWER` environment variable ([#2419](https://github.com/stack-of-tasks/pinocchio/pull/2419))
+
 ### Fixed
 - Fix linkage of Boost.Serialization on Windows ([#2400](https://github.com/stack-of-tasks/pinocchio/pull/2400))
 - Fix mjcf parser appending of inertias at root joint ([#2403](https://github.com/stack-of-tasks/pinocchio/pull/2403))

bindings/python/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -224,8 +224,14 @@ if(BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE)
 
   # --- INSTALL VISUALIZATION SCRIPTS
   install_python_files(
-    MODULE visualize FILES __init__.py base_visualizer.py gepetto_visualizer.py
-                           meshcat_visualizer.py panda3d_visualizer.py rviz_visualizer.py)
+    MODULE visualize
+    FILES __init__.py
+          base_visualizer.py
+          gepetto_visualizer.py
+          meshcat_visualizer.py
+          panda3d_visualizer.py
+          rviz_visualizer.py
+          visualizers.py)
 
   # --- STUBS --- #
   if(GENERATE_PYTHON_STUBS)

bindings/python/pinocchio/robot_wrapper.py

@@ -413,14 +413,14 @@ def initViewer(self, share_data=True, *args, **kwargs):
         """Init the viewer"""
         # Set viewer to use to MeshCat.
         if self.viz is None:
-            from .visualize import MeshcatVisualizer
+            from .visualize import Visualizer
 
             data, collision_data, visual_data = None, None, None
             if share_data:
                 data = self.data
                 collision_data = self.collision_data
                 visual_data = self.visual_data
-            self.viz = MeshcatVisualizer(
+            self.viz = Visualizer.default()(
                 self.model,
                 self.collision_model,
                 self.visual_model,

bindings/python/pinocchio/visualize/__init__.py

@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@
 from .meshcat_visualizer import MeshcatVisualizer
 from .panda3d_visualizer import Panda3dVisualizer
 from .rviz_visualizer import RVizVisualizer
+from .visualizers import Visualizer

bindings/python/pinocchio/visualize/visualizers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+from enum import Enum
+from importlib.util import find_spec
+from os import environ
+
+from .base_visualizer import BaseVisualizer
+from .gepetto_visualizer import GepettoVisualizer
+from .meshcat_visualizer import MeshcatVisualizer
+from .panda3d_visualizer import Panda3dVisualizer
+from .rviz_visualizer import RVizVisualizer
+
+
+class Visualizer(Enum):
+    BASE = BaseVisualizer
+    GEPETTO = GepettoVisualizer
+    MESHCAT = MeshcatVisualizer
+    PANDA3D = Panda3dVisualizer
+    RVIZ = RVizVisualizer
+
+    @classmethod
+    def default(cls):
+        """
+        Allow user to choose their prefered viewer with eg.
+        export PINOCCHIO_VIEWER=RVIZ.
+
+        Otherwise, try to find one which is installed.
+        """
+        # Allow user to define which viewer they want
+        if "PINOCCHIO_VIEWER" in environ:
+            selected = environ["PINOCCHIO_VIEWER"].upper()
+            if hasattr(cls, selected):
+                return getattr(cls, selected).value
+            err = (
+                f"The visualizer '{selected}' is not available.\n"
+                "Please set PINOCCHIO_VIEWER to something installed among:\n"
+                "- meshcat\n"
+                "- gepetto-viewer\n"
+                "- panda3d\n"
+                "- rviz\n"
+            )
+            raise ImportError(err)
+
+        # Otherwise, use the first available
+        for v in ["meshcat", "gepetto", "panda3d_viewer", "rviz"]:
+            if find_spec(v) is not None:
+                return getattr(cls, v.replace("_viewer", "").upper()).value
+
+        err = (
+            "No visualizer could be found.\n"
+            "Please install one of those:\n"
+            "- meshcat\n"
+            "- gepetto-viewer\n"
+            "- panda3d\n"
+            "- rviz\n"
+        )
+        raise ImportError(err)