cras_topic_tools

Nodes and nodeletes for safe and efficient manipulation with topics. Mostly supplementing what is missing from topic_tools and nodelet_topic_tools.

Support and Build Status

This package is supported on Melodic and Noetic until their End of Life (and maybe later). It is occasionally tested with non-default GCC versions like Melodic+GCC8 or Noetic+GCC11.

Development versions:

Release jobs Noetic :

Provided Nodes and Nodelets

Here is an overview of the provided nodes and nodelets. See their API docs for details. Most of these nodes/nodelets are message-type-agnostic, but they may differ between messages that have or do not have a std_msgs/Header header field.

• change_header: Allows modifying headers of messages (frame ID, timestamp). Usage.
• count_messages: Count the number of received messages and make it available as a ROS parameter. Usage.
• filter: (only node, no nodelet) Filter messages on a topic based on a Python expression. Usage.
• heartbeat: Publish cras_msgs/Heartbeat heartbeat of a topic. Usage.
• mux_replay: (only node, no nodelet) Control a mux with a recording of its ~selected topic as if it were live. Usage.
• priority_mux: Inspired by twist_mux, provides a hierarchical way of switching output topics. Works for all message types and for multiple output topics. Usage.
• relay: Simple relay with the possibility of lazy subscription. Usage.
• repeat: Increase the frequency of a topic (with various trigger modes etc.). Usage.
• throttle_messages: Throttle down frequency of a topic - to an exact value, not using the imprecise algorithm from topic_tools throttle. Usage.

A few convenience libraries for working with generic topics are also provided:

• shape_shifter: Easily get the buffer or header of a ShapeShifter message or convert a message to ShapeShifter. Also contains a safe-to-use version of ShapeShifter for Melodic with fixed memory corruption problems.
• lazy_subscriber: Base class for all lazy subscribers.
• generic_lazy_pub_sub: Base implementation of a generic pair of publisher-subscriber of a type not known at compile type.
• priority_mux_base: Base implementation of priority_mux that can be used outside a nodelet.

Changelog for package cras_topic_tools

2.5.1 (2025-02-18)

2.5.0 (2025-02-13)

2.4.8 (2025-01-07)

• Added support for ros::message_traits operations on cras::ShapeShifter on Melodic.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.4.7 (2024-12-12)

2.4.6 (2024-12-12)

2.4.5 (2024-11-02)

2.4.4 (2024-09-14)

2.4.3 (2024-09-14)

2.4.2 (2024-09-05)

2.4.1 (2024-09-04)

2.4.0 (2024-09-04)

• Little fixes suggested by linters.
• priority_mux: Added option to invert disable_topic.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.9 (2024-02-27)

• Removed catkin_lint buildfarm hacks.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.8 (2024-01-12)

2.3.7 (2024-01-09)

2.3.6 (2024-01-09)

• Made use of the simplified syntax of node_from_nodelet.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.5 (2023-11-21)

2.3.4 (2023-10-25)

2.3.3 (2023-10-06)

• priority_mux: Fixed parameters incorrectly reported as required.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.2 (2023-10-06)

• priority_mux: Duration of the wait before publishing the first message is now configurable.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.1 (2023-07-13)

• shape_shifter: Fixed detection of header in messages.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.3.0 (2023-07-12)

• priority_mux: Added possibility to send a message just before disabling a topic.
• shape_shifter: Improved getHeader().
• Increased minimum CMake version to 3.10.2.
• priority_mux: Total rewrite, now it should really work.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.2.3 (2023-06-16)

2.2.2 (2023-05-15)

2.2.1 (2023-05-15)

2.2.0 (2023-04-09)

• Added heartbeat.
• Simplified lazy subscriber classes and nodelet code. Added ~tcp_no_delay param to most nodelets. API breaks included, but hopefully nothing will be affected. API breaks:
  • LazySubscriberBase->ConditionalSubscriber
  • LazySubscriber: callback is now passed as parameter instead of being a virtual member function
  • GenericLazyPubSub: callback is now passed as parameter instead of being a virtual member function
  • the nodelets no longer have a dedicated PubSub object that would be reusable elsewhere (the minimum probability of reuse does not outweigh the code complications it brings)
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.1.2 (2023-02-10)

2.1.1 (2023-02-08)

2.1.0 (2023-02-08)

• Added cras::ShapeShifter as a memory-safe option for Melodic.
• Added a method to convert a message instance to ShapeShifter.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.0.10 (2022-11-24)

2.0.9 (2022-11-24)

2.0.8 (2022-11-24)

2.0.7 (2022-11-24)

2.0.6 (2022-11-24)

2.0.5 (2022-10-23)

2.0.4 (2022-10-14)

2.0.3 (2022-10-07)

• Lower test_repeat thresholds even more, OSRF buildfarm is really bad at this
• cras_py_common: Extended functionality to get closer to cras_cpp_common.
• Improved readmes and added more badges to them.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.0.2 (2022-08-29)

• Added option to change_header to apply current ROS time to stamp.
• De-flake throttle test and enable catkin_lint when it has chance to run correctly.
• Satisfy more pedantic Noetic linter.
• Added website links.
• Add linters and licenses.
• Fixed dependency.
• Added linters.
• Fix catkin_lint, re-enable testing.
• Improved comments in nodelet.xml.
• De-flake and speed up throttle test.
• De-flake and speed up repeater test.
• De-flake and speed up relay test.
• De-flake and speed up filter test.
• De-flake and speed up change_header test.
• Avoid threading errors when stopping nodes created by node_from_nodelet.
• Fix compilation on GCC 7.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka

2.0.1 (2022-08-26)

• Moved hack_frame_id from cras_py_common to cras_topic_tools.
• Moved launch files.
• Merged cras_nodelet_topic_tools with cras_topic_tools, moved repeater and joy_repeater from cras_cpp_common to cras_topic_tools.

1.0.0

• Add option to publish only on timer event.
• Protected mux_replay against looping.
• Added mux_replay
• Added filter node. Added ~reset_timer_on_msg to repeat.
• Added topic repeater.
• Contributors: Martin Pecka