model_version_control.md is out of date; local repositories don't work

[RussTedrake]

What happened?

I'm trying to add models to Robotlocomotion/models following the instructions in model_version_control.md, but I think perhaps the steps have changed? Simply using local_repository_overload gives me the error:

ERROR: /Users/russt/drake/multibody/parsing/BUILD.bazel:59:8: no such target '@drake_models//:drake_repository_metadata.json': target 'drake_repository_metadata.json' not declared in package '' defined by /private/var/tmp/_bazel_russt/9c100c86c1cc4c543d01c45f7a63d5c6/external/drake_models/BUILD.bazel (Tip: use `query "@drake_models//:*"` to see all the targets in that package) and referenced by '//multibody/parsing:drake_models_json'

@jwnimmer-tri confirmed that "It's generated from tools/workspace/github.bzl. I'll need to do a real fix, but for now I think you could try remove the data citation in BUILD, and nerf GetDrakeModelsRemoteParams() in the code to return a default-constructed object instead of using the json.

Version

No response

What operating system are you using?

No response

What installation option are you using?

No response

Relevant log output

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[jwnimmer-tri]

The other work-around is to avoid local_repository_override and instead change repository = "RobotLocomotion/models" to be repository = "MyUser/models", laundering the local changes through push/pull to GitHub.

[RussTedrake]

Good to know that would work. I already considered that step 2, and could use that for now.

[jwnimmer-tri]

I think something like this would disable the checksum validation, to at least slightly smooth out that workflow:

--- a/tools/workspace/github.bzl
+++ b/tools/workspace/github.bzl
@@ -298,10 +298,7 @@ def _sha256(sha256):
     Args:
         sha256: expected SHA-256 hash of the archive to be downloaded.
     """
-    if not sha256:
-        sha256 = "0" * 64
-
-    return sha256
+    return None
 
 def _strip_prefix(repository, commit, extra_strip_prefix):
     """Compute the strip prefix for a downloaded archive of the provided

[RussTedrake]

Reducing priority, since the work-around mean it is not an immediate blocker.

[RussTedrake]

Related: Looks like I must have missed a step in #19771; building the python bindings now warns about

DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/bin.mtl which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/bin.obj which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/bin.png which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/table_wide.mtl which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/table_wide.obj which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/table_wide.png which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/shelves.mtl which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/shelves.obj which is not in current package
DEBUG: /home/russt/drake/tools/install/install.bzl:75:14: @//examples/manipulation_station:install_data installing file external/drake_models/manipulation_station/shelves.png which is not in current package

But I can't see what step I might have missed...

I will update the issue title with the real victory condition: an updated model_version_control.md that actually works.