c51e6d1369
:Release Notes: - Agents files for opencode and claude - Skills for opencode and claude - 3d models with medical organs - Some textures :Detailed Notes: - :Testing Performed: - :QA Notes: - Looks like shit :) :Issues Addressed: TG-1
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iMSTK — Notes for This Project
What it is
iMSTK (Interactive Medical Simulation ToolKit) is a Kitware open-source C++ simulation toolkit with a Unity plugin (iMSTK-Unity). License: Apache 2.0.
It provides:
- Deformable body simulation (FEM, mass-spring, PBD)
- Rigid body dynamics
- Collision detection and response (tissue-tool, tissue-tissue)
- Geometric filters and mesh importers
- A Unity MonoBehaviour wrapper layer around the native C++ core
The latest version is iMSTK Unity 2.0 (based on iMSTK v7.0), available on the Unity Asset Store.
Relevance to This Project
iMSTK is the main option for physically-based tissue deformation in Unity, which would directly enable:
workflow.md §5.2— deformable tissue surfaceworkflow.md §6.2— deformation parameter sweeps (deformation_amplitude,deformation_frequency)workflow.md §17— deformation failure mode category
The existing SurgeryBenchmark/Shared/AnatomySlot anchor is the natural insertion point for an iMSTK-driven deformable mesh.
Hard Constraint: DISCONTINUED May 2, 2025
"Support and development of iMSTK has been discontinued as of May 2, 2025."
The Unity Asset Store package still exists and the last release still works, but there will be no bug fixes, no Unity 6 compatibility updates, and no support. This is a project risk to document.
Practical Trade-offs
| Aspect | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Deformation realism | High — FEM/PBD is physically grounded |
| Integration effort | Medium — native C++ plugin, adds a heavy dependency |
| Compatibility | Unity 2022 LTS supported by iMSTK-Unity 2.0; Unity 6 unknown |
| Off-limits script risk | iMSTKSimulation components would be new scripts, not touching off-limits ones |
| Discontinuation risk | No future fixes; pin the version and freeze |
| Alternative | Blend shapes + BlendShaderController (already in project) gives visual deformation without physics |
Recommendation
Use iMSTK only if physical contact accuracy is required (e.g., tool-deforms-tissue ground-truth). For the Phase 2–4 benchmark scope (specular/smoke/occlusion sweeps), blend-shape deformation is sufficient and already present. If a deformation-specific sweep is added in Phase 7, revisit iMSTK with a frozen version pinned in Packages/manifest.json.