feat: add FabricStageCache service for shared hierarchy handles

Introduces FabricStageCache — a lightweight cache for the usdrt stage
attachment and IFabricHierarchy handles, registered as a service on
SimulationContext via the service locator (set_service/get_service).

Multiple FabricFrameView instances now share a single hierarchy handle
instead of each creating its own. The cache is automatically closed on
SimulationContext.clear_instance().

Also replaces the assert device check with a proper RuntimeError and
removes the now-unused isaaclab.sim import from fabric_frame_view.py.

Author: pv-nvidia

source/isaaclab_physx/changelog.d/fabric-stage-cache.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Added
+^^^^^
+
+* Added :class:`~isaaclab_physx.sim.FabricStageCache` — a lightweight cache for the
+  ``usdrt.Usd.Stage`` attachment and ``IFabricHierarchy`` handles, registered as a
+  service on :class:`~isaaclab.sim.SimulationContext` via ``set_service()``.
+
+  Multiple :class:`~isaaclab_physx.sim.views.FabricFrameView` instances now share a
+  single hierarchy handle instead of each creating its own.  The cache is automatically
+  closed on ``SimulationContext.clear_instance()``.

source/isaaclab_physx/isaaclab_physx/sim/fabric_stage_cache.py

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022-2026, The Isaac Lab Project Developers (https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacLab/blob/main/CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+
+"""Fabric stage and hierarchy cache, registered as a service on SimulationContext."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pxr import UsdUtils
+
+
+class FabricStageCache:
+    """Caches the usdrt stage attachment and IFabricHierarchy handles.
+
+    Registered as a singleton service on :class:`~isaaclab.sim.SimulationContext` via
+    ``set_service(FabricStageCache, ...)``.  Multiple
+    :class:`~isaaclab_physx.sim.views.FabricFrameView` instances share a single
+    hierarchy handle per Fabric attachment.
+
+    The hierarchy cache is keyed by ``fabric_id_int`` (the stable ``.id`` integer from
+    ``FabricId``).  Currently Isaac Lab always has exactly one Fabric attachment per
+    stage, so this dict will hold at most one entry.  A dict is used rather than a plain
+    attribute so the design naturally extends to multi-Fabric scenarios without an API change.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, usd_stage) -> None:
+        import usdrt  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        stage_id = UsdUtils.StageCache.Get().GetId(usd_stage).ToLongInt()
+        self._stage = usdrt.Usd.Stage.Attach(stage_id)
+        self._stage.SynchronizeToFabric()
+        self._hierarchy_cache: dict[int, object] = {}
+
+    @property
+    def stage(self):
+        """The usdrt stage (already attached and synchronized)."""
+        return self._stage
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        """Release cached handles.  Called by SimulationContext on teardown."""
+        self._hierarchy_cache.clear()
+        self._stage = None
+
+    def get_hierarchy(self):
+        """Return the IFabricHierarchy handle for the current Fabric attachment.
+
+        Creates and caches the handle on first call.  Change-tracking is enabled
+        for both local and world xforms.
+
+        Returns:
+            A tuple of ``(hierarchy_handle, fabric_id_int)``.
+        """
+        import usdrt  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        fabric_id = self._stage.GetFabricId()
+        fabric_id_int = fabric_id.id
+
+        if fabric_id_int not in self._hierarchy_cache:
+            hierarchy = usdrt.hierarchy.IFabricHierarchy().get_fabric_hierarchy(
+                fabric_id, self._stage.GetStageIdAsStageId()
+            )
+            hierarchy.track_local_xform_changes(True)
+            hierarchy.track_world_xform_changes(True)
+            self._hierarchy_cache[fabric_id_int] = hierarchy
+
+        return self._hierarchy_cache[fabric_id_int], fabric_id_int

source/isaaclab_physx/isaaclab_physx/sim/views/fabric_frame_view.py

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 from pxr import Usd
 
-import isaaclab.sim as sim_utils
 from isaaclab.app.settings_manager import SettingsManager
 from isaaclab.sim.views.base_frame_view import BaseFrameView
 from isaaclab.sim.views.usd_frame_view import UsdFrameView
@@ -373,8 +372,21 @@ def _initialize_fabric(self) -> None:
         import usdrt  # noqa: PLC0415
         from usdrt import Rt  # noqa: PLC0415
 
-        stage_id = sim_utils.get_current_stage_id()
-        fabric_stage = usdrt.Usd.Stage.Attach(stage_id)
+        from isaaclab.sim import SimulationContext  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        from isaaclab_physx.sim.fabric_stage_cache import FabricStageCache  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        sim_context = SimulationContext.instance()
+        if sim_context is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("SimulationContext must be initialized before FabricFrameView.")
+
+        # Get or create the FabricStageCache service.
+        cache = sim_context.services[FabricStageCache]
+        if cache is None:
+            cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+            sim_context.services[FabricStageCache] = cache
+
+        fabric_stage = cache.stage
 
         for i in range(self.count):
             rt_prim = fabric_stage.GetPrimAtPath(self.prim_paths[i])
@@ -393,9 +405,7 @@ def _initialize_fabric(self) -> None:
             rt_prim.CreateAttribute(self._view_index_attr, usdrt.Sdf.ValueTypeNames.UInt, custom=True)
             rt_prim.GetAttribute(self._view_index_attr).Set(i)
 
-        self._fabric_hierarchy = usdrt.hierarchy.IFabricHierarchy().get_fabric_hierarchy(
-            fabric_stage.GetFabricId(), fabric_stage.GetStageIdAsStageId()
-        )
+        self._fabric_hierarchy, _ = cache.get_hierarchy()
         self._fabric_hierarchy.update_world_xforms()
 
         self._default_view_indices = wp.zeros((self.count,), dtype=wp.uint32, device=self._device)

source/isaaclab_physx/test/sim/test_fabric_stage_cache.py

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022-2026, The Isaac Lab Project Developers (https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacLab/blob/main/CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+
+"""Tests for FabricStageCache service lifecycle."""
+
+from isaaclab.app import AppLauncher
+
+simulation_app = AppLauncher(headless=True).app
+
+import pytest  # noqa: E402
+from isaaclab_physx.sim.fabric_stage_cache import FabricStageCache  # noqa: E402
+
+import isaaclab.sim as sim_utils  # noqa: E402
+from isaaclab.sim import SimulationContext  # noqa: E402
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.isaacsim_ci
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def setup_teardown():
+    """Create and clear stage for each test."""
+    sim_utils.create_new_stage()
+    sim_utils.update_stage()
+    yield
+    if SimulationContext.instance() is not None:
+        sim_utils.clear_stage()
+        SimulationContext.clear_instance()
+
+
+class TestFabricStageCacheService:
+    """Test that FabricStageCache integrates with SimulationContext's service locator."""
+
+    def test_register_and_retrieve(self):
+        """Service can be registered and retrieved via services[]."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        sim_context.services[FabricStageCache] = cache
+
+        retrieved = sim_context.services[FabricStageCache]
+        assert retrieved is cache
+
+    def test_stage_attached(self):
+        """The cached usdrt stage is not None after construction."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        assert cache.stage is not None
+
+    def test_get_hierarchy_returns_handle(self):
+        """get_hierarchy returns a hierarchy handle and fabric id."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+
+        hierarchy, fabric_id_int = cache.get_hierarchy()
+        assert hierarchy is not None
+        assert isinstance(fabric_id_int, int)
+
+    def test_get_hierarchy_is_cached(self):
+        """Repeated calls return the same hierarchy handle."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+
+        h1, id1 = cache.get_hierarchy()
+        h2, id2 = cache.get_hierarchy()
+        assert h1 is h2
+        assert id1 == id2
+
+    def test_close_clears_state(self):
+        """close() clears internal caches."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        cache.get_hierarchy()  # populate cache
+        cache.close()
+        assert cache.stage is None
+
+    def test_clear_instance_closes_service(self):
+        """SimulationContext.clear_instance() calls close() on registered services."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        sim_context.services[FabricStageCache] = cache
+
+        SimulationContext.clear_instance()
+
+        # After clear_instance, the cache should have been closed
+        assert cache.stage is None
+
+    def test_replacement_caller_closes_old(self):
+        """Caller is responsible for closing old service before replacing."""
+        sim_context = SimulationContext()
+        cache1 = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        sim_context.services[FabricStageCache] = cache1
+
+        cache1.close()
+        cache2 = FabricStageCache(sim_context.stage)
+        sim_context.services[FabricStageCache] = cache2
+
+        # Old cache was closed by caller
+        assert cache1.stage is None
+        # New cache should be active
+        assert cache2.stage is not None