Question 1

How do I use urdf-viz without installing ROS?

Accepted Answer

You can skip ROS if your URDF doesn't use package:// URIs or xacro files. For package:// URIs, manually replace them with file paths or URLs as described in the README's 'How to use' section.

Question 2

What's the difference between urdf-viz and RViz?

Accepted Answer

urdf-viz is a lightweight, standalone tool focused on URDF visualization with built-in inverse kinematics, while RViz is a comprehensive ROS visualization tool with plugins for topics, TF, and sensors but requires a running ROS core.

Question 3

How can I control a robot model programmatically with urdf-viz?

Accepted Answer

Use the built-in REST API on port 7777 to send HTTP POST requests with JSON data to set joint angles or robot origin, as shown in the curl examples in the 'Web I/O interface' section.

Question 4

Does urdf-viz support Python scripting?

Accepted Answer

No, urdf-viz lacks a native Python API; control is limited to the command line and HTTP/JSON interface, though you can use Python libraries like requests to interact with the web API.

Question 5

How to visualize collision models in urdf-viz?

Accepted Answer

Press the 'c' key in the GUI to toggle between visual and collision models, allowing you to inspect both representations interactively, as mentioned in the keyboard shortcuts.

Question 6

Can urdf-viz handle complex robots with many joints?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can load complex URDFs, but the GUI joint selection might become tedious; the web API allows setting multiple joints programmatically for better management of high-DOF robots.

urdf-viz

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