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+---
+name: arena-create-external-workflow
+description: Create a new external IsaacLab-Arena project — creates directory structure, pyproject.toml, Dockerfile, run_docker.sh, and entrypoint.sh, then launches the docker container. Use this skill whenever the user wants to create a new project, package, or workflow that builds on top of IsaacLab-Arena, even if they don't say "create" or "external workflow" — any request like "start a new Arena-based project", "set up my custom environment package", or "create a project using Arena" should trigger this skill.
+---
+
+## How to invoke
+
+```
+/arena-create-external-workflow <project_name>
+```
+
+`<project_name>` is both the project directory name and the Docker image name. Use `snake_case`.
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+The user must have a local IsaacLab-Arena clone with submodules initialized. It will be copied into the project at build time:
+
+```bash
+git clone git@github.com:isaac-sim/IsaacLab-Arena.git ~/IsaacLab-Arena
+cd ~/IsaacLab-Arena && git submodule update --init --recursive
+```
+
+---
+
+## Host project layout
+
+```
+<project_name>/
+├── submodules/
+│   └── IsaacLab-Arena/              ← cp -r from local clone (used at docker build time)
+├── pyproject.toml                   ← at project root, defines the Python package
+├── <project_name>/
+│   ├── __init__.py
+│   └── isaaclab_arena_environments/
+│       ├── __init__.py
+│       └── my_environment.py        ← inherits ExampleEnvironmentBase
+├── docker/
+│   ├── Dockerfile                   ← adapted from Arena's Dockerfile.isaaclab_arena
+│   ├── run_docker.sh                ← adapted from Arena's run_docker.sh
+│   └── entrypoint.sh                ← adapted from Arena's entrypoint.sh (one-line change)
+```
+
+---
+
+## Container layout
+
+```
+/
+├── opt/arena/                          ← IsaacLab-Arena (baked into image)
+│   └── submodules/
+│       ├── IsaacLab/                   ← ISAACLAB_PATH
+│       └── Isaac-GR00T/                ← optional
+├── isaac-sim/                          ← Isaac Sim runtime (base image)
+├── workspaces/
+│   └── <project_name>/                 ← WORKDIR (bind-mounted at runtime)
+│       ├── submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/  ← present via bind-mount but unused by Python
+│       ├── pyproject.toml
+│       └── <project_name>/
+│           ├── __init__.py
+│           └── isaaclab_arena_environments/
+│               ├── __init__.py
+│               └── my_environment.py
+├── datasets/                           ← optional mount
+├── models/                             ← optional mount
+└── eval/                               ← optional mount
+```
+
+`submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/` appears inside the container via the project bind-mount but is harmless — Python imports from `/opt/arena/` (where `pip install -e` registered it), not from the mounted copy.
+
+**Key variables:**
+
+| Variable | Value | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|
+| `ARENA_DIR` | `/opt/arena` (hardcoded) | Arena install path |
+| `ISAACLAB_PATH` | `${ARENA_DIR}/submodules/IsaacLab` | decoupled from `WORKDIR` |
+| `WORKDIR` | `/workspaces/<project_name>` (via `--build-arg`) | Docker working dir + user project path |
+
+**Always use `/isaac-sim/python.sh`** for all pip and python commands — never system `python`.
+
+---
+
+## Step 1 — Create project directory and copy Arena
+
+**Ask the user where to create the project** before proceeding. The project must be created **outside** the IsaacLab-Arena repo.
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p <parent_dir>/<project_name>/{submodules,<project_name>/isaaclab_arena_environments,docker}
+cd <parent_dir>/<project_name>
+git init
+
+# Copy Arena into the project — used only at docker build time, not at runtime
+cp -r ~/IsaacLab-Arena submodules/IsaacLab-Arena
+```
+
+Ask the user for the path to their local Arena clone if it is not at `~/IsaacLab-Arena`.
+
+---
+
+## Step 2 — Write `<project_name>/pyproject.toml`
+
+```toml
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=61.0"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "<project_name>"
+version = "0.1.0"
+description = "Custom environments built on IsaacLab-Arena"
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
+
+[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
+where = ["."]
+include = ["<project_name>*"]
+exclude = ["submodules*"]   # skip submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/ during package discovery
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 3 — Write Python stubs
+
+```python
+# <project_name>/__init__.py  (empty)
+```
+
+```python
+# <project_name>/isaaclab_arena_environments/__init__.py  (empty)
+```
+
+```python
+# <project_name>/isaaclab_arena_environments/my_environment.py
+from isaaclab_arena_environments.example_environment_base import ExampleEnvironmentBase
+from isaaclab_arena.assets.register import register_environment
+
+@register_environment
+class MyEnvironment(ExampleEnvironmentBase):
+    name: str = "<project_name>_env"
+```
+
+External environments are registered explicitly at runtime via the CLI — they are NOT auto-discovered by Arena:
+```bash
+/isaac-sim/python.sh policy_runner.py \
+    --external_environment_class_path \
+    <project_name>.isaaclab_arena_environments.my_environment:MyEnvironment \
+    <project_name>_env
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 4 — Write `docker/Dockerfile`
+
+**Adapted from `submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/docker/Dockerfile.isaaclab_arena`.** Read Arena's Dockerfile and apply the changes below. Do not write from scratch.
+
+**Change 1 — Add `ARENA_DIR` and decouple `ISAACLAB_PATH` from `WORKDIR`** (after `ARG INSTALL_GROOT`):
+
+```dockerfile
+# Add:
+ARG ARENA_DIR=/opt/arena
+ENV ARENA_DIR=${ARENA_DIR}
+
+# Change WORKDIR default to user project path:
+ARG WORKDIR=/workspaces/<project_name>
+
+# Change ISAACLAB_PATH to use ARENA_DIR instead of WORKDIR:
+ENV ISAACLAB_PATH=${ARENA_DIR}/submodules/IsaacLab
+```
+
+**Change 2 — Replace all IsaacLab/Arena COPY and install steps** to use `${ARENA_DIR}`:
+
+Replace Arena's individual COPY instructions and all `${WORKDIR}` references in install steps:
+```dockerfile
+# Replace all of Arena's individual COPY lines with one:
+COPY submodules/IsaacLab-Arena ${ARENA_DIR}
+
+# Replace all ${WORKDIR} in install steps with ${ARENA_DIR}, e.g.:
+RUN ln -s /isaac-sim/ ${ARENA_DIR}/submodules/IsaacLab/_isaac_sim
+RUN for DIR in ${ARENA_DIR}/submodules/IsaacLab/source/isaaclab*/; do ...
+RUN ${ISAACLAB_PATH}/isaaclab.sh -i
+# ... and so on for all install steps
+```
+
+**Change 3 — GR00T scripts** no longer need a separate COPY — they are already inside `${ARENA_DIR}/docker/setup/` from Change 2:
+
+```dockerfile
+# Replace:
+COPY docker/setup/install_cuda.sh /tmp/install_cuda.sh
+# With (no COPY needed, run directly):
+RUN if [ "$INSTALL_GROOT" = "true" ]; then \
+        chmod +x ${ARENA_DIR}/docker/setup/install_cuda.sh && \
+        ${ARENA_DIR}/docker/setup/install_cuda.sh; ...
+
+# Same for install_gr00t_deps.sh
+```
+
+**Change 4 — Arena `pip install -e`**: remove `[dev]` extras:
+
+```dockerfile
+# Replace:
+RUN /isaac-sim/python.sh -m pip install -e "${WORKDIR}/[dev]"
+# With:
+RUN /isaac-sim/python.sh -m pip install -e "${ARENA_DIR}/"
+```
+
+**Change 5 — Add user package section** (after Arena install, before bash aliases):
+
+```dockerfile
+# COPY bakes the package into the image. The bind-mount at runtime overlays
+# this with live source — no reinstall needed for daily edits.
+COPY pyproject.toml ${WORKDIR}/pyproject.toml
+COPY <project_name> ${WORKDIR}/<project_name>
+RUN /isaac-sim/python.sh -m pip install -e "${WORKDIR}/"
+```
+
+**Change 6 — Update prompt and entrypoint**:
+
+```dockerfile
+# Update prompt:
+RUN echo "PS1='[<project_name>] \[\e[0;32m\]~\u \[\e[0;34m\]\w\[\e[0m\] \$ '" >> /etc/bash.bashrc
+
+# Point to custom entrypoint (Step 6):
+COPY docker/entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 5 — Write `docker/run_docker.sh`
+
+**Adapted from `submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/docker/run_docker.sh`.** Read Arena's script and apply the three changes below. Everything else (flags, Omniverse auth, X11, SSH, datasets/models/eval mounts) is inherited unchanged.
+
+**Change 1 — Update variables** (right after `SCRIPT_DIR=...`):
+
+Replace:
+```bash
+DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME='isaaclab_arena'
+...
+WORKDIR="/workspaces/isaaclab_arena"
+```
+With:
+```bash
+DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME='<project_name>'
+...
+PROJECT_WORKDIR="/workspaces/<project_name>"
+WORKDIR="$PROJECT_WORKDIR"
+```
+
+**Change 2 — Replace the `docker build` block** (single build, no two-stage):
+
+```bash
+if [ "$(docker images -q $DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:$DOCKER_VERSION_TAG 2>/dev/null)" ] && \
+    [ "$FORCE_REBUILD" = false ]; then
+    echo "Docker image $DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:$DOCKER_VERSION_TAG already exists. Not rebuilding."
+else
+    docker build --pull $NO_CACHE --progress=plain \
+        --build-arg WORKDIR="${PROJECT_WORKDIR}" \
+        --build-arg INSTALL_GROOT=$INSTALL_GROOT \
+        -t ${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME}:${DOCKER_VERSION_TAG} \
+        --file $SCRIPT_DIR/Dockerfile \
+        $SCRIPT_DIR/..
+fi
+```
+
+**Change 3 — Replace the Arena volume mount** (in `DOCKER_RUN_ARGS`):
+
+Replace:
+```bash
+"-v" "$SCRIPT_DIR/..:${WORKDIR}"
+```
+With:
+```bash
+"-v" "$SCRIPT_DIR/..:${PROJECT_WORKDIR}"
+```
+
+Arena is baked at `/opt/arena/` — it is **not** mounted at runtime. Also remove the GR00T volume mount (`./submodules/Isaac-GR00T`) — Isaac-GR00T is baked inside `/opt/arena/submodules/Isaac-GR00T/`.
+
+---
+
+## Step 6 — Write `docker/entrypoint.sh`
+
+**Adapted from `submodules/IsaacLab-Arena/docker/setup/entrypoint.sh`.** Copy it verbatim and change one line:
+
+```bash
+# Before (Arena's original):
+if [ ! -e "$WORKDIR/submodules/IsaacLab/_isaac_sim" ]; then
+    ln -s /isaac-sim/ "$WORKDIR/submodules/IsaacLab/_isaac_sim"
+fi
+
+# After (Arena is baked at /opt/arena, not at $WORKDIR):
+if [ ! -e "$ARENA_DIR/submodules/IsaacLab/_isaac_sim" ]; then
+    ln -s /isaac-sim/ "$ARENA_DIR/submodules/IsaacLab/_isaac_sim"
+fi
+```
+
+`ARENA_DIR` is set as `ENV` in the Dockerfile and is available inside the container without additional configuration.
+
+---
+
+## Key path reference
+
+| What | Container path | Source |
+|---|---|---|
+| IsaacLab-Arena | `/opt/arena/` | baked at build time |
+| IsaacLab | `/opt/arena/submodules/IsaacLab/` | baked at build time |
+| Isaac-GR00T | `/opt/arena/submodules/Isaac-GR00T/` | baked (optional) |
+| Isaac Sim runtime | `/isaac-sim/` | base image |
+| User project | `/workspaces/<project_name>/` | bind-mounted at runtime |
+| User package | `/workspaces/<project_name>/<project_name>/` | bind-mounted + `pip install -e` |
+| Datasets | `/datasets` | `~/datasets` (optional) |
+| Models | `/models` | `~/models` (optional) |
+
+---
+
+## Verify
+
+```bash
+ls <project_name>/docker/run_docker.sh \
+   <project_name>/docker/Dockerfile \
+   <project_name>/docker/entrypoint.sh \
+   <project_name>/pyproject.toml \
+   <project_name>/<project_name>/__init__.py
+```
+
+All five paths must exist. Then build and launch:
+
+```bash
+cd <project_name> && bash docker/run_docker.sh
+```
+
+Inside the container, run all three checks:
+
+```bash
+/isaac-sim/python.sh -c "import isaaclab; print(isaaclab.__file__)"
+# Expected: /opt/arena/submodules/IsaacLab/source/isaaclab/isaaclab/__init__.py
+
+/isaac-sim/python.sh -c "import isaaclab_arena; print(isaaclab_arena.__file__)"
+# Expected: /opt/arena/isaaclab_arena/__init__.py
+
+/isaac-sim/python.sh -c "import <project_name>; print('OK')"
+# Expected: OK
+```
+
+Only report `arena-create-external-workflow complete — <project_name> created.` if the container starts and all three import checks pass.