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name: meshroom description: "Guides Meshroom graph-engine, node-descriptor, plugin, CLI pipeline, PySide/QML UI, and local-farm submission workflows for agents working with Meshroom projects or the Meshroom Python package." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: NOASSERTION

Meshroom

Use this skill when a task involves Meshroom, the AliceVision node-based Python/QML framework for building, editing, saving, computing, and submitting data-processing graphs. Meshroom itself is the graph/UI/CLI/plugin framework; AliceVision photogrammetry algorithms and binaries are external plugins/dependencies.

First Checks

1. Read Repository provenance when freshness matters. Refresh this skill if the current Meshroom checkout has a different commit, package version, or changed public entry points.
2. Read Setup and environment before diagnosing installs, imports, Python versions, optional PySide/QML issues, or external AliceVision dependencies.
3. Run scripts/check_meshroom_runtime.py for a safe import/version/CLI smoke check when the runtime may be broken.
4. Use Troubleshooting for cross-cutting import, plugin, CLI, UI, cache, and optional-dependency failures.

Route by Task

User task or signal	Read
Programmatically create, connect, save, load, import, upgrade, or execute .mg graphs; diagnose CompatibilityNode, cache, status, DFS, or invalidation behavior	core-graph-engine
Write or debug a Meshroom node descriptor, attribute schema, CommandLineNode, InputNode, OutputNode, dynamic size, or built-in general utility node	node-descriptors
Load custom plugins/templates/submitters, configure MESHROOM_* paths, inspect plugin config.json, or diagnose duplicate/invalid node providers	plugin-system
Use meshroom_batch, meshroom_compute, meshroom_info, meshroom_submit, meshroom_status, meshroom_statistics, meshroom_newNodeType, or scene-parameter helper workflows	cli-pipeline-execution
Launch or debug the PySide6/QML application, MeshroomApp, Scene, UIGraph, QML imports, viewers, or UI context properties	ui-integration
Start/stop/query Meshroom LocalFarm, inspect farm jobs/tasks, debug LocalFarmSubmitter, or reason about chunk task expansion	local-farm-submission

Minimal Runtime Pattern

For source checkouts, keep commands explicit instead of relying on shell activation:

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m pip install -e . --no-build-isolation --config-settings editable_mode=compat
python -c "import meshroom; print(meshroom.__version__)"

Use PYTHONPATH=$PWD python meshroom/ui or ./start.sh for source UI launch when a display/QML runtime is available. Use package/module imports for library workflows and the bin/ entry points for CLI workflows.

Important Boundaries

• Meshroom graph, node descriptor, plugin, submitter, and UI APIs are in this repo.
• AliceVision executable nodes, photogrammetry algorithms, sensor databases, voctrees, and reconstruction binaries are external. This skill can help wire their plugin paths and environment variables, but it does not document AliceVision C++ algorithm internals.
• Full UI launch can require display/OpenGL/QML platform support. A Python import check is not the same as a displayed application.
• LocalFarm is Unix-oriented because the backend daemon uses process forking; treat Windows farm execution as unsupported unless the codebase changes.

Development/Verification Rules

• Target Python 3.9-3.11 for code reachable from core and CLI entry points.
• Use camelCase names in Meshroom Python/QML code to match the project style.
• For core changes, add focused unit tests and run targeted pytest cases. Use flake8 . --max-line-length=127 for lint when available.
• Do not run expensive photogrammetry pipelines or download external datasets merely to verify framework-level changes. Prefer focused unit tests, CLI help/version checks, and tiny graph/node fixtures.

Useful Public Entry Points

• Package: meshroom, meshroom.core, meshroom.core.desc, meshroom.env, meshroom.ui.app.
• CLIs: meshroom_batch, meshroom_compute, meshroom_info, meshroom_submit, meshroom_status, meshroom_statistics, meshroom_createChunks, meshroom_newNodeType, meshroom_localfarm.
• Built-in node/plugin roots: meshroom/nodes/general, meshroom/submitters/localFarm, localfarm.

If Unsure

• Need dataflow semantics? Start at core graph workflows.
• Need node schema syntax? Start at descriptor API reference.
• Need path/env discovery? Start at plugin loading reference.
• Need command flags? Start at CLI reference.
• Need UI startup? Start at UI reference.
• Need farm jobs/tasks? Start at LocalFarm workflows.