Autoware Point Types

Overview

This package provides a variety of structures to represent different types of point cloud data, mainly used for point cloud processing and analysis.

Design

Point cloud data type definition

autoware_point_types defines multiple structures (such as PointXYZI, PointXYZIRC, PointXYZIRADRT, PointXYZIRCAEDT), each structure contains different attributes to adapt to different application scenarios.

• autoware::point_types::PointXYZI: Point type with intensity information.
• autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC: Extended PointXYZI, adds return_type and channel information.
• autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRADRT: Extended PointXYZI, adds ring, azimuth, distance, return_type and time_stamp information.
• autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRCAEDT: Similar to PointXYZIRADRT, but adds elevation information and uses std::uint32_t as the data type for time_stamp.

Operator overload

Each structure overloads the == operator, allowing users to easily compare whether two points are equal, which is very useful for deduplication and matching of point cloud data.

Field generators

The field generator is implemented using macro definitions and std::tuple, which simplifies the serialization and deserialization process of point cloud messages and improves the reusability and readability of the code.

Registration mechanism

Register custom point cloud structures into the PCL library through the macro POINT_CLOUD_REGISTER_POINT_STRUCT, so that these structures can be directly integrated with other functions of the PCL library.

Usage

• Create a point cloud object of PointXYZIRC type

#include "autoware/point_types/types.hpp"

int main(){
    pcl::PointCloud<autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC>::Ptr cloud(new pcl::PointCloud<autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC>());

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
        autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC point;
        point.x = static_cast<float>(i * 0.1);
        point.y = static_cast<float>(i * 0.2);
        point.z = static_cast<float>(i * 0.3);
        point.intensity = static_cast<std::uint8_t>(i * 10);
        point.return_type = autoware::point_types::ReturnType::SINGLE_STRONGEST;
        point.channel = static_cast<std::uint16_t>(i);

        cloud->points.push_back(point);
    }
    cloud->width = cloud->points.size();
    cloud->height = 1;

    return 0;
}

• Convert ROS message to point cloud of PointXYZIRC type

ExampleNode::points_callback(const PointCloud2::ConstSharedPtr & points_msg_ptr)
{
    pcl::PointCloud<autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC>::Ptr points_ptr(
    new pcl::PointCloud<autoware::point_types::PointXYZIRC>);

    pcl::fromROSMsg(*points_msg_ptr, *points_ptr);
}

Changelog for package autoware_point_types

1.1.0 (2025-05-01)

1.9.0 (2026-06-24)

• Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into tmp/bot/bump_version_base

• test(autoware_point_types): cover memory.hpp layout helpers and mark them inline (#1131) memory.hpp had zero test coverage for its eight is_data_layout_compatible_with_point_* overloads and four create_fields_point_* factories, and the free functions were defined non-inline in a header (an ODR hazard if the header is included in more than one translation unit).

  • Mark all memory.hpp free functions inline (additive, ODR-safe; existing signatures unchanged).
  • Add test/test_memory.cpp with round-trip (create -> is_compatible) checks for all four point types, exact create_fields_* content assertions, PointCloud2-overload forwarding, cross-type mismatch, and negative cases (wrong name/offset/datatype/count).
  • Pin the existing field-count guard contract: xyzi/xyzirc/xyziradrt use a 'size() < N' guard (extra trailing fields ignored, still accepted) while xyzircaedt uses a strict 'size() != 10' guard (extra fields rejected). Behavior is preserved; the test characterizes the current divergence.

  - Add sensor_msgs as a direct dependency (memory.hpp includes sensor_msgs headers directly) and register the new gtest in CMakeLists.txt. Refs: autowarefoundation/autoware_core#1096

• Contributors: Yutaka Kondo, github-actions

1.8.0 (2026-05-01)

1.7.0 (2026-02-14)

1.6.0 (2025-12-30)

1.5.0 (2025-11-16)

• Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into humble

• feat: replace [ament_auto_package]{.title-ref} to [autoware_ament_auto_package]{.title-ref} (#700)

  • replace ament_auto_package to autoware_ament_auto_package

  * style(pre-commit): autofix ---------Co-authored-by: pre-commit-ci[bot] <66853113+pre-commit-ci[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

• chore: bump version (1.4.0) and update changelog (#608)

• Contributors: Mete Fatih Cırıt, Yutaka Kondo, mitsudome-r

1.4.0 (2025-08-11)

• chore: bump version to 1.3.0 (#554)
• Contributors: Ryohsuke Mitsudome

1.3.0 (2025-06-23)

• fix: to be consistent version in all package.xml(s)
• chore: bump up version to 1.1.0 (#462) (#464)
• Contributors: Yutaka Kondo, github-actions

1.0.0 (2025-03-31)

0.3.0 (2025-03-21)

• chore: rename from [autoware.core]{.title-ref} to [autoware_core]{.title-ref} (#290)
• test(autoware_point_types): add tests for missed lines (#260)
• feat(point_types): reimplemented the pointcloud preprocesor's memory layout checks (#197) feat: reimplemented the pointcloud preprocesor's memory layout checks in the point types package to avoid depending on the pointcloud preprocessor
• Contributors: Kenzo Lobos Tsunekawa, NorahXiong, Yutaka Kondo

0.2.0 (2025-02-07)

• unify version to 0.1.0

• update changelog

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