Convert a TAO DAFT Dataset

Quick start

bash

tao-daft convert <source-format> <target-format> --path <input> --output <output>

Source and target are positional subcommands;

--path

and

--output

are flags. Discover the supported formats and per-pair flags from the leaf

--help

(see "CLI conventions" below).

Preflight

bash

python -c "import nvidia_tao_daft" 2>/dev/null || {
  echo "MISSING: tao-daft not installed. Run:"
  echo "  pip install nvidia-tao-daft"
  exit 1
}

Quick Start

Discover the installed CLI surface before choosing format slugs, then run the leaf conversion command with explicit

--path

and

--output

flags:

bash

tao-daft --version
tao-daft convert --help
tao-daft convert <source-format> --help
tao-daft convert <source-format> <target-format> --path /path/to/daft --output /path/to/converted

Purpose

Drives

tao-daft convert

to transform a DAFT dataset (or a tree of them) between supported formats. The CLI does the real work; the skill picks the right source/target pair and flags, then explains the result.

Trigger on: converting a DAFT dataset, packaging DAFT QA / summarization / temporal tasks for VLM training, producing a

meta.json

-style training set, or the command

tao-daft convert

. Do not trigger for non-DAFT → DAFT conversion (COCO, YOLO, Data Factory JSONL) — redirect to the upstream

nvidia-tao-daft

repo's converter skills.

If the user opens ambiguously, run a few

--help

calls first.

Prerequisites

```
nvidia-tao-daft
```
installed (wheel only, not the source repo). Confirm with
```
tao-daft --version
```
.
A DAFT dataset, or a parent directory containing many, on local disk.

Instructions

CLI conventions

tao-daft

is nested argparse subcommands. The conventions below are stable across versions even when format names or flags change, so always discover the current surface from
--help
rather than relying on names this doc happens to mention.

Source and target are both positional subcommands, not
```
--from
```
/
```
--to
```
:
```
tao-daft convert <source> <target> [flags]
```
. Format slugs are versioned, lowercase, dot-separated (
```
metropolis-v3.0
```
,
```
cosmos-reason-v1.0
```
, ...).
Path and output are flags —
```
--path PATH
```
(source),
```
--output OUTPUT
```
(destination). Both required at the leaf; passing positionally fails.
--path
accepts both granularities — a single scene/dataset or a parent directory; the converter walks the tree.
Per-pair flags live at the leaf — flag sets differ between targets (e.g. media-handling). Always check the leaf
```
--help
```
.

Operating procedure:

```
tao-daft --version
```
— confirm install, pin version in any report.
```
tao-daft convert --help
```
— list supported source formats.
```
tao-daft convert <source> --help
```
— list valid targets for that source.
Infer source from layout (same directory markers as the
```
tao-validate-dataset-format
```
skill's "Format inference"). If you cannot infer or the target is unspecified, ask.
```
tao-daft convert <source> <target> --help
```
— pick flags for the user's intent (task subset, media copy vs reference, metadata).
Execute, then interpret (see below).

Reading output

Per-scene progress prints to stdout; non-zero exit on failure. The converted dataset is written under

--output

— spot-check it with the

tao-validate-dataset-format

skill before training. For large trees, capture the full output and partial-read if huge.

Limitations

DAFT-supported source formats only. For non-DAFT layouts use the upstream repo's converter skills.
Supported pairs are whatever
```
--help
```
reports for the installed version — don't pass an unconfirmed pair.
Source and target are positional;
```
--path
```
/
```
--output
```
are flags.
```
convert
```
only —
```
validate
```
and
```
info
```
have their own skills.
Do not reimplement conversion in Python; the CLI is the spec.

Troubleshooting

tao-daft: command not found
— wheel not installed;

pip install nvidia-tao-daft

, verify with

tao-daft --version

error: argument --path/--output is required
— passed positionally; move behind the flag.
invalid choice: '<format>'
— slug not wired up in this version. Re-run the relevant
```
--help
```
.
Output rejected by
tao-daft validate
— re-check per-pair flags (media handling, task subset) via leaf
```
--help
```
; a misset flag often produces a structurally valid but semantically wrong target.

tao-convert-dataset-format

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Convert a TAO DAFT Dataset

Quick start

Preflight

Quick Start

Purpose

Prerequisites

Instructions

CLI conventions

Reading output

Limitations

Troubleshooting