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name: api-extension description: "Guides Nerfstudio custom method and dataparser packaging, entry-point registration, config objects, and plugin discovery checks." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: Apache 2.0

API Extension

Use this route when the task is to add or debug a custom Nerfstudio method or dataparser package, rather than using only the built-in models.

What this route covers

• MethodSpecification and DataParserSpecification registration patterns.
• Pyproject entry points for nerfstudio.method_configs and nerfstudio.dataparser_configs.
• Temporary registration through NERFSTUDIO_METHOD_CONFIGS and NERFSTUDIO_DATAPARSER_CONFIGS.
• Discovery behavior visible in ns-train --help and the plugin registry tests.
• Boundaries between public extension packages and built-in Nerfstudio method/dataparser routes.

What this route excludes

• Training built-in methods: use training-and-configs.
• Data conversion or transforms.json validation: use data-preparation.
• Viewer, rendering, or export work: use visualization-and-export.

Read these bundled files

• references/extension-guide.md for packaging and registration patterns.
• references/api-reference.md for the verified plugin classes and behavior.
• references/troubleshooting.md for registration and discovery failures.

Typical workflow

1. Define a typed dataclass or specification wrapper for the new method/dataparser.
2. Register it as a package entry point or with the temporary environment variable during development.
3. Reinstall the package in editable mode so discovery can see the new entry point.
4. Confirm the new method/dataparser appears in the right CLI help or registry result.