Use from ROS

MVSim comes with a ROS 1 and ROS 2 node (an executable named mvsim_node), which is shipped with the ROS package named mvsim.

Note

You can also use the cli application mvsim if you want to test or run your world without launching a whole ROS system. See mvsim cli.

Generic launch file

This launch file can be used to launch a simulated world integrated with ROS from the command line, or can be also included into your own launch file by setting its ROS launch arguments.

Basic usage from the command line

ROS 1

roslaunch mvsim launch_world.launch \
  world_file:=/path/to/your/my.world.xml \
  headless:=True

ROS 2

ros2 launch mvsim launch_world.launch.py \
  world_file:=/path/to/your/my.world.xml \
  headless:=True

All launch parameters

All these parameters apply to both, ROS 1 and ROS 2 launch files above:

$ ros2 launch mvsim launch_world.launch.py --show-args
Arguments (pass arguments as '<name>:=<value>'):

   'world_file':
      Path to the *.world.xml file to load

   'headless':
      no description given
      (default: 'False')

   'do_fake_localization':
      publish fake identity tf "map" -> "odom"
      (default: 'True')

   'publish_tf_odom2baselink':
      publish tf "odom" -> "base_link"
      (default: 'True')

   'force_publish_vehicle_namespace':
      Use vehicle name namespace even if there is only one vehicle
      (default: 'False')

   'use_rviz':
      Whether to launch RViz2
      (default: 'True')

   'rviz_config_file':
      If use_rviz:="True", the configuration file for rviz
      (default: '')

How to include it into your own launch

You can use this code to bootstrap your own launch files:

ROS 1

<launch>
   <!-- Arguments -->
   <arg name="world_file" default="$(find my_package)/mvsim/demo.world.xml" />
   <arg name="headless" default="False" />
   <arg name="do_fake_localization" default="True" />
   <arg name="publish_tf_odom2baselink" default="True" />
   <arg name="force_publish_vehicle_namespace" default="False" />
   <arg name="use_rviz" default="True" />
   <arg name="rviz_config_file" default="$(find mvsim)/mvsim_tutorial/demo_depth_camera.rviz" />

   <!-- Include the original launch file -->
   <include file="$(find mvsim)/launch/launch_world.launch">
      <arg name="world_file" value="$(arg world_file)" />
      <arg name="headless" value="$(arg headless)" />
      <arg name="do_fake_localization" value="$(arg do_fake_localization)" />
      <arg name="publish_tf_odom2baselink" value="$(arg publish_tf_odom2baselink)" />
      <arg name="force_publish_vehicle_namespace" value="$(arg force_publish_vehicle_namespace)" />
      <arg name="use_rviz" value="$(arg use_rviz)" />
      <arg name="rviz_config_file" value="$(arg rviz_config_file)" />
   </include>
</launch>

ROS 2

import os
from launch import LaunchDescription
from launch.actions import IncludeLaunchDescription
from launch.substitutions import LaunchConfiguration
from launch.launch_description_sources import PythonLaunchDescriptionSource
from ament_index_python.packages import get_package_share_directory

def generate_launch_description():
   # *** REMEMBER: Change this to your actual world file ***
   world_file = os.path.join(
      get_package_share_directory('my_package'), 'mvsim', 'demo.world.xml')

   # and replace this RViz file with yours as needed:
   rviz_config_file = os.path.join(
      get_package_share_directory('mvsim'), 'mvsim_tutorial', 'demo_depth_camera_ros2.rviz')

   headless = 'False'
   do_fake_localization = 'True'
   publish_tf_odom2baselink = 'True'
   force_publish_vehicle_namespace = 'False'
   use_rviz = 'True'


   # Create LaunchDescription
   ld = LaunchDescription()

   # Add actions to LaunchDescription
   ld.add_action(IncludeLaunchDescription(
      PythonLaunchDescriptionSource(
            os.path.join(get_package_share_directory('mvsim'), 'launch', 'launch_world.launch.py')
      ),
      launch_arguments={
            'world_file': world_file,
            'headless': headless,
            'do_fake_localization': do_fake_localization,
            'publish_tf_odom2baselink': publish_tf_odom2baselink,
            'force_publish_vehicle_namespace': force_publish_vehicle_namespace,
            'use_rviz': use_rviz,
            'rviz_config_file': rviz_config_file
      }.items()
   ))

   return ld