How to set decision-period from the python side when training with env as executable?

Hi,

I was wondering how to modify the decision-requester of UnityEnvironment.

More specifically how to set the `Decision Period` when creating the UnityEnvironment from the python side (this parameter can be found in the Editor under the Decision Requester component of the Agent).

I know that Engine Parameters can be set using a communication channel between the Python code and environment executable (see related thread). However, I can't find a similar parameter for decision-period, which is a parameter of the Agent and not the Engine.

Any idea?

 

@awjuliani , thanks a lot for your response!

So according to the example in the link that you gave me, I adapted a bit the Custom Side Channel to have it only receive messages from python to C# and not the other way around, since this is all I need, and so that it sends a float rather than a string.

I have added this C# script that defines my FloatChannel to my Unity Project:

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using Unity.MLAgents.SideChannels;
3. using System;
4.  
5. public class FloatChannel : SideChannel
6. {
7.     public FloatChannel()
8.     {
9.         ChannelId = new Guid("621f0a93-4f87-11ea-a6bf-722f4387d1f7");
10.     }
11.  
12.     protected override void OnMessageReceived(IncomingMessage msg)
13.     {
14.         var receivedFloat = msg.ReadFloat32();
15.         Debug.Log(String.Format("From Python : {0}", receivedFloat));
16.     }
17. }

Then in my Agent's C# script in the same project, I have added these lines:

Code (CSharp):

1.     FloatChannel floatChannel;
2.  
3.     public void Awake()
4.     {
5.         floatChannel = new FloatChannel();
6.         SideChannelManager.RegisterSideChannel(floatChannel);
7.     }
8.     public void OnDestroy()
9.     {
10.         if (Academy.IsInitialized){
11.             SideChannelManager.UnregisterSideChannel(floatChannel);
12.         }
13.     }

And finally on the Python side, I have defined the following class, passed it in the side_channels argument of the UnityEnvironment and I simply call floatChannel.send_float(data=10.) before initiating training.

Code (python):

1. from mlagents_envs.side_channel.side_channel import (
2.     SideChannel,
3.     OutgoingMessage,
4. )
5. import uuid
6.  
7.  
8. class FloatChannel(SideChannel):
9.  
10.     def __init__(self) -> None:
11.         super().__init__(uuid.UUID("621f0a93-4f87-11ea-a6bf-722f4387d1f7"))
12.  
13.     def send_float(self, data: float) -> None:
14.         msg = OutgoingMessage()
15.         msg.write_float32(data)
16.         super().queue_message_to_send(msg)
17.  

So it seems like I am almost there, however I don't know how to store the received float in the C# side and overwrite the DecisionRequester's decision_period?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

Yeah, makes sense! And then, I am not sure how to have the DecisionRequester update its decision period. If I want to change the decision period, do I need to call `this.RequestDecision()` myself in the Update() method of my agent at every decision_period frames, or is there an attribute of DecisionRequester that I can overwritte once say in `OnEpisodeBegin()`, i.e. something like `DecisionRequester.decision_period = floatChannel.receivedFloat;`?