feat: package native messages for external applications (2/6)

.github/scripts/check_sdist.py

@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
 
 # Paths below the dimos-<version>/ root that every release sdist must carry.
 REQUIRED = (
+    "dimos/message_codegen/schemas/sensor_msgs/msg/Image.msg",
+    "dimos/message_codegen/templates/dimos_cdr.hpp",
+    "dimos/message_codegen/_vendor/rosidl_parser.py",
+    "scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh",
     "web/cockpit/dist/index.html",
     "web/deno.lock",
     "web/relay/main.ts",

.github/scripts/wheel_smoke.py

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 import urllib.request
 
+from dimos.message_codegen.registry import message_types
 from dimos.navigation.replanning_a_star.min_cost_astar_ext import min_cost_astar_cpp  # noqa: F401
 from dimos.web.relay_bridge import locate
 from dimos.web.relay_bridge.relay_process import RelayProcess
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@
 
 
 def main() -> None:
+    types = message_types()
+    image_type = types["sensor_msgs/msg/Image"]
+    value = image_type(height=1, width=2, step=2, encoding="mono8", data=[3, 7])
+    assert list(image_type.decode(value.encode()).data) == [3, 7]
+    assert "MSG: std_msgs/msg/Header" in image_type.schema
     dist = Path(locate.__file__).resolve().parent / "_relay_dist"
     for rel in REQUIRED:
         if not (dist / rel).is_file():

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -605,6 +605,8 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install -y portaudio19-dev libturbojpeg ffmpeg
       - name: Fetch the go2_short replay dataset
         run: git lfs pull --include="data/.lfs/go2_short.db.tar.gz" --exclude=""
+      - name: Build standalone CDR dependency
+        run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: uv sync --group tests --group browser-tests --frozen
       - name: Install Playwright browsers  # the e2e runs in both engines
@@ -709,6 +711,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Provision native modules from Cachix
         if: steps.native-marker.outputs.cache-hit == 'true'
         run: python3 bin/build-native-modules --link-results .cachix-marker/links.txt
+      - name: Build standalone CDR dependency
+        run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: uv sync --group tests --frozen
       - name: Run tests
@@ -842,6 +846,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           uv venv .codecov-venv
           uv pip install --python .codecov-venv/bin/python codecov-cli==11.2.8
+      - name: Build standalone CDR dependency
+        run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: uv sync --group tests-self-hosted --frozen
       - name: Install web_browser e2e dependencies (macOS)
@@ -1089,6 +1095,8 @@ jobs:
             libpango-1.0-0 libxcomposite1 libxdamage1 libxkbcommon0 libxrandr2 \
             `# Rerun viewer pulls in X11 keyboard bindings when DISPLAY is set.` \
             libxkbcommon-x11-0
+      - name: Build standalone CDR dependency
+        run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: uv sync --group tests-self-hosted --frozen
       - name: Build C++ extensions in-place

.github/workflows/message-codegen.yml

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ on:
       - examples/message-codegen/**
       - native/rust/dimos-lcm-transport/**
       - scripts/*message*codegen*
+      - scripts/test_message_packages.sh
       - scripts/vendor_message_definitions.py
       - .github/workflows/message-codegen.yml
       - .github/docker/message-codegen-reference.Dockerfile
@@ -28,12 +29,22 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           test ! -d /opt/ros
           uv venv .venv --python 3.12
-          uv pip install --python .venv/bin/python pybind11==3.0.1 rosbags==0.11.0 numpy pytest pytest-asyncio pytest-env lcm-dimos-fork
+          uv pip install --python .venv/bin/python pybind11==3.0.1 rosbags==0.11.0 numpy pytest pytest-asyncio pytest-env lcm-dimos-fork setuptools wheel
           .venv/bin/python -c "import importlib.util; assert importlib.util.find_spec('rclpy') is None"
       - name: Build the pinned standalone CDR library
         run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - name: Generate, build, test, and demonstrate all three languages
         run: bash scripts/test_message_codegen.sh
+      - name: Build and consume wheel, sdist, CMake, and Cargo packages
+        run: bash scripts/test_message_packages.sh
+      - name: Retain external application and packages
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: message-package-evidence
+          path: |
+            build/message-codegen/external-app/evidence/
+            build/message-codegen/external-app/dist/
+            build/message-codegen/external-app/generated/rust/target/package/*.crate
       - name: Retain executable demo evidence
         if: always()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7

.github/workflows/release-build-check.yml

@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ on:
       - .github/scripts/wheel_smoke.py
       - pyproject.toml
       - setup.py
+      - dimos/message_codegen/**
+      - scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
       - MANIFEST.in
       - web/cockpit/**
       - web/sdk/**
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ jobs:
     env:
       # Keep in sync with the build-wheels env in release.yml
       CIBW_MANYLINUX_X86_64_IMAGE: manylinux_2_34
+      CIBW_BEFORE_BUILD: "bash {project}/scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh"
       CIBW_TEST_COMMAND: "python {project}/.github/scripts/wheel_smoke.py"
     steps:
       - name: Checkout

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ jobs:
       CIBW_MANYLINUX_X86_64_IMAGE: manylinux_2_34  # open3d>=0.19 requires glibc 2.31+
       CIBW_MANYLINUX_AARCH64_IMAGE: manylinux_2_34  # open3d>=0.19 requires glibc 2.31+
       # Asserts the packaged relay + Cockpit and serves them from the installed wheel.
+      CIBW_BEFORE_BUILD: "bash {project}/scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh"
       CIBW_TEST_COMMAND: "python {project}/.github/scripts/wheel_smoke.py"
       MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET: "11.0"
     steps:
@@ -141,6 +142,26 @@ jobs:
           name: wheels-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ matrix.arch }}
           path: wheelhouse/*.whl
 
+  build-message-packages:
+    needs: validate
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v10.0.1
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+      - run: uv venv .venv --python 3.12
+      - run: bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
+      - name: Package CMake headers, schemas, and native Rust sources
+        env:
+          MESSAGE_VERSION: ${{ needs.validate.outputs.version }}
+        run: bash scripts/package_messages.sh "$MESSAGE_VERSION"
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: native-message-packages
+          path: build/message-codegen/release/dist/*
+
   publish-testpypi:
     if: ${{ inputs.dry-run }}
     needs: [validate, build-sdist, build-wheels]
@@ -155,6 +176,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Download wheels/sdist
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
+          name: sdist
+          path: dist
+      - name: Download wheels
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          pattern: wheels-*
           path: dist
           merge-multiple: true
       - name: Install uv
@@ -184,6 +211,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Download wheels/sdist
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
+          name: sdist
+          path: dist
+      - name: Download wheels
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          pattern: wheels-*
           path: dist
           merge-multiple: true
       - name: Install uv
@@ -199,7 +232,7 @@ jobs:
 
   tag-and-release:
     if: ${{ ! inputs.dry-run }}
-    needs: [validate, publish-pypi]
+    needs: [validate, publish-pypi, build-message-packages]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: release-tag
     permissions:

MANIFEST.in

@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ global-exclude .DS_Store
 # runtime data and must stay out. Add a new extension here when code starts
 # loading a new data type — never go back to per-package globs.
 recursive-include dimos *.yaml *.yml *.json *.urdf *.html *.css *.js *.svg *.tcss
+graft dimos/message_codegen/schemas
+graft dimos/message_codegen/templates
+include dimos/message_codegen/_vendor/*.pyi
+include scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh
 
 # --- Exclusions (must come after the includes above so they win) ---
 # Test fixtures must never ship.

dimos/message_codegen/README.md

@@ -47,3 +47,19 @@ Applications and builds never run the maintenance downloader.
 This work is being delivered through the `replace-lcm-message-encoding` OpenSpec
 change. The generated pipeline is under development; the old runtime message APIs
 have not yet been replaced.
+
+## Distribution
+
+Pass `--package` to emit a setuptools source project in `python/`, alongside the
+CMake project and Cargo crate. `--python-module` gives independent message
+packages distinct extension names; `--version` sets the package version.
+The Python sdist contains the generator, its pinned parser, and all definition
+inputs. Building the sdist regenerates source without ROS. The wheel contains
+native code plus definitions, licenses, and the `dimos.messages` provider.
+
+DimOS's own wheel uses the same `MessageBuildExt` and generator from `setup.py`.
+The release workflow preserves the existing Linux x86_64/aarch64 and macOS arm64
+wheel matrix and adds CMake/schema and Cargo source packages to GitHub releases.
+Source developers run `bash scripts/setup_message_codegen.sh` before building;
+`scripts/install.sh --mode dev` does this during dependency setup. Ordinary wheel
+users need no compiler, generator run, or ROS installation.

dimos/message_codegen/builtin_provider.py

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Dimensional Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""The message definitions and native types shipped in the DimOS wheel."""
+
+from importlib import import_module
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+from dimos.message_codegen.definitions import Definitions
+
+
+def schema_root() -> Path:
+    return Path(__file__).with_name("schemas")
+
+
+def message_types() -> dict[str, Any]:
+    extension = import_module("dimos_generated")
+    return {
+        message.name: getattr(getattr(extension, message.package).msg, message.short_name)
+        for message in Definitions([]).resolve()
+    }

dimos/message_codegen/cpp.py

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from dataclasses import asdict
+from hashlib import sha256
 import json
 import math
 from typing import Any
@@ -201,6 +203,22 @@ def validation(message: Message) -> list[str]:
 
 
 def generate(messages: tuple[Message, ...]) -> str:
+    guards = {
+        message.name: "DIMOS_MESSAGE_"
+        + sha256(
+            json.dumps(
+                [
+                    message.name,
+                    [asdict(field) for field in message.fields],
+                    [asdict(constant) for constant in message.constants],
+                ],
+                sort_keys=True,
+            ).encode()
+        )
+        .hexdigest()
+        .upper()
+        for message in messages
+    }
     lines = [
         "// Generated from ROS2 .msg definitions. Do not edit.",
         "#pragma once",
@@ -215,6 +233,8 @@ def generate(messages: tuple[Message, ...]) -> str:
         '#include "dimos_cdr.hpp"',
     ]
     for message in messages:
+        guard = guards[message.name] + "_TYPE"
+        lines.extend([f"#ifndef {guard}", f"#define {guard}"])
         namespace = qualified(message.name.rsplit("/", 1)[0])
         name = identifier(message.short_name)
         lines.extend([f"namespace {namespace} {{", f"struct {name} {{"])
@@ -236,9 +256,12 @@ def generate(messages: tuple[Message, ...]) -> str:
         lines.append("void validate() const {")
         lines.extend(validation(message))
         lines.extend(["}", f'static constexpr const char* msg_name = "{message.name}";', "};", "}"])
+        lines.append("#endif")
 
     lines.append("namespace eprosima::fastcdr {")
     for message in messages:
+        guard = guards[message.name] + "_CODEC"
+        lines.extend([f"#ifndef {guard}", f"#define {guard}"])
         name = qualified(message.name)
         lines.extend(
             [
@@ -269,5 +292,6 @@ def generate(messages: tuple[Message, ...]) -> str:
         if not message.fields:
             lines.append("uint8_t unused; cdr >> unused;")
         lines.extend(["value.validate();", "}"])
+        lines.append("#endif")
     lines.append("}")
     return "\n".join(lines) + "\n"

dimos/message_codegen/definitions.py

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     InvalidValue,
     parse_message_string,
 )
+from dimos.message_codegen.providers import schema_roots
 
 BUNDLED_SCHEMAS = Path(__file__).with_name("schemas")
 
@@ -142,9 +143,15 @@ def parse_message(path: Path) -> Message:
 class Definitions:
     """A closed set of local definitions with dependency-first resolution."""
 
-    def __init__(self, roots: Iterable[Path], *, bundled: bool = True) -> None:
+    def __init__(
+        self, roots: Iterable[Path], *, bundled: bool = True, installed: bool = False
+    ) -> None:
         self._messages: dict[str, Message] = {}
-        for root in ([BUNDLED_SCHEMAS] if bundled else []) + list(roots):
+        for root in (
+            ([BUNDLED_SCHEMAS] if bundled else [])
+            + list(roots)
+            + (list(schema_roots()) if installed else [])
+        ):
             if not root.is_dir():
                 raise ValueError(f"Schema root does not exist: {root}")
             for path in sorted(root.rglob("*.msg")):