How do I display my own URDF in rviz?

asked 2014-07-25 05:01:42 -0600

MaxR
43 ●2 ●3 ●7

updated 2014-07-25 05:02:28 -0600

Hello!

This might be a dumb question, but how do I view my own URDF File in rviz?

My approach so far:

Create a new catkin package named "myrobot_description" with dependencies on the urdf package
Create a folder urdf in the folder myrobot_description/urdf
Create a valid URDF-File (as far as check_urdf is concerned)
Build the package with catkin_make install
Source the package by invoking source setup.bash in the install folder
Copy the launch files and folder from the urdf_tutorial folder to the install/share/myrobot_description folder (this doesn't feel right.)
Copy the URDF folder from the src/myrobot_description/ folder to the install/share/myrobot_description folder (wtf, this doesn't feel right AT ALL)

Edit the display.launch file like this:

<launch>
<arg name="gui" default="False" />
<param name="robot_description" textfile="/home/viki/catkin_ws/install/share/myrobot_description/urdf/myrobot.urdf" />
<param name="use_gui" value="$(arg gui)"/>
<node name="joint_state_publisher" pkg="joint_state_publisher" type="joint_state_publisher" />
<node name="robot_state_publisher" pkg="robot_state_publisher" type="state_publisher" />
<node name="rviz" pkg="rviz" type="rviz" args="/home/viki/catkin_ws/install/share/myrobot_description/myrobot.rviz" required="true" />

</launch>

Launch rviz via roslaunch myrobot_description display.launch
End up with a white block in rviz and Errors concerning a missing base frame

Now, as you can see, I just play around helpless and do not understand the whole process - but I do not find any ressources on how to craft a correct launch file or on "registering" my package or using rviz or which directory I should use for building URDF models etc.

I appreciate any help and pointers in any direction.

Thanks. :)

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6

answered 2014-07-25 06:11:31 -0600

bvbdort

3034 ●32 ●43 ●58

You are right 6,7 steps not required.

After launching rviz, add robot model to rviz display and edit fixed frame in Global options to "base_link" (this is the link name which you gave in .urdf )

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So, how do I craft a launch file then? Just create a new folder "launch" in the install folder and create a file "display.launch" with the same content as the one from my original Post? Or is there an easier, more streamlined way? By the way, changing the fixed frame got rid of my white-box Problem

MaxR ( 2014-07-25 06:43:14 -0600 )edit

2

keep launch folder parllel to your src folder inside your package. Check this https://github.com/ros/urdf_tutorial hope will make things clear about folder structure and others