GitHub Import¶

Canard can import robots and discover environments directly from GitHub repos. Connect your GitHub account for private repo access, or paste a public repo URL.

Importing a Robot¶

Your repo must contain a .urdf file. Canard finds the shallowest URDF automatically.

Required structure¶

my-robot/
├── robot/
│   ├── my_robot.urdf        # Required — at least one .urdf file
│   └── meshes/              # Mesh files referenced by the URDF
│       ├── base.dae
│       ├── link1.stl
│       └── ...
└── ...

URDF mesh paths¶

Mesh paths in your URDF must be relative — not package:// paths:

<!-- Good -->
<mesh filename="meshes/base.dae"/>

<!-- Bad — Canard can't resolve ROS packages -->
<mesh filename="package://my_robot_description/meshes/base.dae"/>

If your URDF uses package:// paths, rename them to relative paths from the URDF file's directory.

Common errors¶

Error	Fix
"No .urdf file found in repository"	Add a `.urdf` file to your repo
"Repo or ref not found"	Check the URL and branch name. For private repos, connect GitHub in Settings
"Repository too large (>200MB)"	Reduce mesh file sizes or remove unnecessary files

Discovering Environments¶

For training runs, Canard scans your repo for gym.register() calls.

Required structure¶

my-env/
├── my_env/
│   ├── __init__.py           # Must contain gym.register(id="My-Env-v0", ...)
│   ├── my_env.py
│   └── my_env_cfg.py
├── setup.py or pyproject.toml
└── ...

The key requirement is a gym.register() call with a string id parameter somewhere in a .py file.

Connecting GitHub¶

Go to Settings in the dashboard
Click Connect GitHub under Connected Accounts
Authorize Canard in the GitHub popup
Your repos now appear in the dropdown on Add Robot and New Run pages

Private repos require a GitHub connection. Public repos work without connecting.

Example repos¶

Repo	Type	Description
go2-standing-env	Robot + Environment	Unitree Go2 with URDF and standing balance env