Clear self-collision filter pairs before finalizing shadow Newton model

source/isaaclab/test/sim/test_newton_manager_visualization_state.py

@@ -330,6 +330,29 @@ def _finalize(device):
     assert NewtonManager._state_0 is not None
 
 
+def test_ensure_visualization_model_clears_shape_collision_filter_pairs_before_finalize(monkeypatch):
+    """The shadow model never runs collision detection, so USD-authored self-collision
+    filters (which scale with the number of cloned envs) must not be packed into it.
+    """
+    from isaaclab_newton.physics import NewtonManager
+    from isaaclab_newton.physics import newton_manager as nm
+
+    _reset_newton_manager_state()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(NewtonManager, "_backend_is_newton", classmethod(lambda cls, scene_data_provider=None: False))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(nm, "get_current_stage", lambda *args, **kwargs: _make_env_stage())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(nm.PhysicsManager, "_sim", None, raising=False)
+    _set_sim_context(monkeypatch, nm)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(nm.PhysicsManager, "_device", "cpu", raising=False)
+
+    builder = _make_finalize_builder(body_count=3)
+    builder.shape_collision_filter_pairs = [(0, 1), (0, 2)]
+    monkeypatch.setattr(nm, "build_visualization_builder_from_stage_envs", lambda *args, **kwargs: (builder, ([], [])))
+
+    NewtonManager._ensure_visualization_model()
+
+    assert builder.shape_collision_filter_pairs == []
+
+
 def test_physx_shadow_model_is_rebuilt_after_physics_stop(monkeypatch):
     """Sequential PhysX scenes must not reuse the prior scene's Newton visualization model."""
     from isaaclab_newton.physics import NewtonManager

source/isaaclab_newton/changelog.d/fix-shadow-model-collision-filter-oom.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Fixed
+^^^^^
+
+* Fixed :class:`~isaaclab_newton.physics.NewtonManager` building the PhysX-backend
+  shadow Newton visualization model (used by Newton-native visualizers/renderers such
+  as viser, rerun, and Newton GL/RTX) with USD-authored self-collision filter pairs.
+  These pairs scale with the number of cloned environments and could reach billions
+  of entries, causing ``ModelBuilder.finalize()`` to run out of memory. The shadow
+  model never runs collision detection, so its collision filter pairs are now cleared
+  before finalization.

source/isaaclab_newton/isaaclab_newton/physics/newton_manager.py

@@ -2815,6 +2815,14 @@ def _ensure_visualization_model(cls) -> None:
 
         device = PhysicsManager._device or "cpu"
         try:
+            # The shadow model never runs collision detection -- body_q is overwritten every
+            # frame from the PhysX SceneDataProvider state, not computed by a Newton solver.
+            # USD-authored self-collision filters (e.g. physxArticulation:enabledSelfCollisions)
+            # still get imported by add_usd though, and replicated across every cloned env.
+            # At real env counts that PhysX tasks train with, that filter-pair set can reach
+            # billions of entries and blow up ModelBuilder.finalize() trying to pack it.
+            # Drop it before finalizing since the shadow model has no use for it.
+            builder.shape_collision_filter_pairs = []
             NewtonManager._model = builder.finalize(device=device)
             NewtonManager._state_0 = cls._model.state()
             cls._model.num_envs = cls._num_envs