map_to_gazebo.md

Create a Gazebo map from the occupancy map

Creating a Gazebo map from the 2D occupancy map, created by arena-tools can be broken down into six steps

❶ Transform the pgm file into an svg

❷ Open the svg in Blender

❸ Scale and Extrude the svg

❹ Convert to mesh

❺ (Optinal) simplify the world for higher simulation speed

❻ Include the mesh into the world file and save the file

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1. Transform the pgm file into an svg

Use Incspace to transform the image to an svg

pgm.to.svg.mp4

2. Open the svg in Blender

Open Blender, clear the scene and import the svg

import.svg.mp4

3. Scale and Extrude the svg

When working with arena-tools worlds have a size of 25x25m. You can determine this by multiplying the resolution (pixel per meter) with the number of pixels.

scale+extrude.mp4

4. Convert to mesh

Right-click and select, convert to mesh

export.to.mesh.mp4

5. (Optinal) simplify the world for higher simulation speed

The gazebo simulation-speed can be increased by decreasing the model complexity in this case the number of wires. This can be done with the decimate tool.

NOTE: Don't reduce the number to much, so that structural integrety of the map stays intact

reduce.size.mp4

6. Include the mesh into the world file and save the file

Create a new world folder under: simulator_setup/worlds/WORLD_NAME. Export the mesh object in dae format under the name map.dae. Download the .world file into that folder. You can run the code below:

roscd simulator_setup/worlds/WORLD_NAME
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ignc-research/arena-tools/main/map_to_gazebo/map.world

save.mesh.mp4