Mariusz Janiak

How to generate typekit for ROS message?

In the ROS workspace (replace angle brackets <> with correct ROS package name)

cd src
rosrun rtt_roscomm create_rtt_msgs <ros_package_name>

Example

Let assume that in the workspace we have OROCOS oro_test package and ROS ros_test packages, and ros_test containing message MsgTest.msg in the msg folder. After

rosrun rtt_roscomm create_rtt_msgs ros_test

we get new package rtt_ros_test. Then we modify the oro_test component header file

#include <ros_test/MsgTest.h>

class Oro_test : public RTT::TaskContext{
private:
  RTT::InputPort<ros_test::MsgTest> inport;
  RTT::OutputPort<ros_test::MsgTest> outport;
  ...
}

We have defined input and output ports that can be connected to ROS topics, next we need to initialize these ports,

Oro_test::Oro_test(std::string const& name) :
  TaskContext(name),
  inport("MsgTest_in"),
  outport("MsgTest_out")
{
  this->addEventPort(inport).doc("Input port");
  this->addPort(outport).doc("Sends out message.");
  ...
}

and handle message in updateHook

void Oro_test::updateHook()
{
  ros_test::MsgTest msg;

  if(RTT::NewData == inport.read(msg)){
     //Process message
     ...
     // Write message to output port
     outport.write(msg);
  }
}

The package.xml need to updated as well

<build_depend>rtt</build_depend>
<build_depend>orogen</build_depend>
<build_depend>rtt_ros</build_depend>
...
<run_depend>rtt</run_depend>
<run_depend>rtt_ros</run_depend>
...
<build_depend>rtt_ros_test</build_depend>
<run_depend>rtt_ros_test</run_depend>
...
<export>
  <rtt_ros>
    <plugin_depend>rtt_ros_test</plugin_depend>
  </rtt_ros>
</export>

Finally in deployer (please launch roscore first)

import("rtt_ros")
import("rtt_roscomm")

ros.import("oro_test")
ros.import("rtt_ros_test")

# Load a oro_test component
loadComponent("Oro_test","Oro_test")

# Create connections
stream("Oro_test.MsgTest_out", ros.topic("oro_to_ros"))
stream("Oro_test.MsgTest_in", ros.topic("ros_to_oro"))

# Configure the component
Oro_test.configure()

# Start it
Oro_test.start()