> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.stereolabs.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.stereolabs.com/_mcp/server. # Getting started with Isaac Sim > **Warning** > > This is documentation for previous versions of the **Isaac Sim ZED Extension \< 4.0.0**. > > For the most recent version, please refer to [this page](/docs/integrations/isaac-sim/) NVIDIA® Isaac Sim is part of the NVIDIA® Omniverse platform; it is a high-fidelity, photorealistic simulator tailored to robotics simulation. This tutorial covers the essential steps needed to get started with Isaac Sim and the ZED. For a more in-depth tutorial, you can follow [the official guides from NVIDIA®](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/introduction/tutorial_list.html). ## Install NVIDIA® Isaac Sim The recommended way to install Isaac™ Sim is to download it from [NVIDIA's official website](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/installation/download.html). If you are installing it on Linux, it is recommended to use the NVIDIA® GPU driver version shown in the [Isaac Sim requirements](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/installation/requirements.html#isaac-sim-requirements-isaac-sim-drivers). The Omniverse launcher allows the installation of Omniverse applications. We recommend installing the following applications for a ready-to-start configuration: * [**Omniverse Nucleus Navigator**](https://docs.omniverse.nvidia.com/nucleus/latest/index.html) allows you to save and share assets in Omniverse applications. * [**Omniverse Cache**](https://docs.omniverse.nvidia.com/utilities/latest/cache.html) is a very useful application that allows you to speed up asset imports by caching data. * [**Isaac Sim**](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/index.html) is the simulator you will be using. Read the [Isaac Sim documentation](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/index.html) to get started. For more information follow the [Official NVIDIA® guide](https://docs.omniverse.nvidia.com/install-guide/latest/index.html). ### Workstation Setup * Ensure your local workstation meets the [System Requirements](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/installation/requirements.html#isaac-sim-requirements-isaac-sim-system) for running Isaac Sim. * Download [Isaac Sim](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/installation/download.html) or build it from source using the official [Github repository](https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacSim). * Follow the Workstation [installation guide](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/installation/install_workstation.html). Congrats! :tada: You are now ready to start using Isaac™ Sim and the ZED Camera extension. ## Launch Isaac™ Sim If you installed Isaac™ Sim with the Omniverse Launcher, start it from the Launcher, or run `isaac-sim.sh` from its installation folder (`~/.local/share/ov/pkg/isaac_sim-/` on Linux). If you built Isaac™ Sim from source, you can run the application from a terminal: **Linux:** ```bash # From Isaac Sim root directory cd _build/linux-x86_64/release ./isaac-sim.sh ``` **Windows:** ```bash cd _build/windows-x86_64/release isaac-sim.bat ``` ## Create your environment The environment in Isaac Sim consists of a **Stage** (panel to the right) that holds all of the assets in the USD scene. To have a working simulation with physics, you need to: * Create a physics scene that enables physics simulation and gravity. * Add a ground plane that prevents objects from falling infinitely. A quick way to explore these things is to use a predefined environment by going to the top menu bar **Create -> Isaac -> Environments** and choosing the *Flat grid* as it is the simplest one. ![image](/_fern-img/175a4823ab20d30c7ed8cb8906239d658f1ae0aa51a0ede036fe39f58579ca80.webp) You will notice that the stage has been populated by items with different *prims* (Prim is short for primitive, the fundamental container object in Omniverse). The window that shows the flat grid is called the *Viewport*. ![image](/_fern-img/20d8d19ab1dbc02afac196862819b0d7b1c9344505874cf81806c1e369c2089f.webp) ## Add objects to the scene You can use the *Content* and *Isaac Assets* panels located at the bottom of the window to add prims to the stage. The *Content* tab lets you look for files located on your machine while the *Isaac Assets* tab shows all of the available assets in Isaac Sim. To add an item simply drag it into your scene or the stage panel. ![image](/_fern-img/a3b6adbe0d15ddf66f8facdcba49129590202e5f1d07a350bf303f7cf6977707.webp) ## Create an Action graph Action graphs are part of the Visual Scripting tools provided by Isaac Sim, allowing for programming using nodes instead of code. They are event-based and enable the user to execute actions based on a sequence of events and conditions.\ To create an Action graph, right-click anywhere in the viewport and select **Create -> Visual Scripting -> Action graph** ![image](/_fern-img/4186b40b1d6556c0e17bd9db63d68142383ab778e25be6504f07651c8f6676d6.webp) A new *action graph* appears in the *Stage* view, and the related **Action Graph** panel is now open at the bottom of the screen. Start typing "OnPlaybackTick" in the search bar on the left side of the panel to find the node. Then drag and drop it into the graph. Do the same for the "Print Text" node. Connect the ***Tick*** of the OnPlaybackTick to the ***In*** of the Print Text. Then click on the Print Text node and fill out its properties in the Property panel on the right. You can experiment with different settings to print on the screen (viewport) or on the Console tab. To execute the graph, simply press play (to trigger a playback tick) and you should see the printed text. ![image](/_fern-img/61446dcc2e3b9576ac702804117e0052b9b799a0a3e8d629309bb5ad17b21bab.webp) For a detailed explanation of Omnigraph, Omniverse’s visual programming framework, refer to [the official documentation](https://docs.isaacsim.omniverse.nvidia.com/latest/omnigraph/omnigraph_tutorial.html) that shows you how to control a robot using action graphs. --- Now that we have a solid grasp of Isaac Sim's core concepts and interface, we are ready to configure a [ZED camera within the Isaac Sim environment](/docs/integrations/isaac-sim/old-version-of-the-zed-extension-for-isaac-sim/setting-up-the-zed-in-isaac-sim).