# ros-plotter

**ros-plotter** is a ROS node developed in C++ that plots *topic messages* in real-time.

The GUI of the node is made using [Qt library](https://www.qt.io/), while plotting functions have been integrated with [QCustomPlot](http://qcustomplot.com/).

![screenshot](programexecution.png)

This project has been forked by the DexROV Team and development is being continued upon this version of the code. For this reason, I had to use C++.

Also, considering that variables are defined on the source code and cannot be changed during the execution of the program, ros-plotter cannot be *used universally*, meaning that it cannot be simply downloaded and directly integrated on other ROS projects. This feature has never been implemented for the following reasons:

* ROS nodes are usually bound to architectures because ROS distributions are not backwards compatible;
* ROS community tends to rely on *hardcoding* topics and messages;
* it has been developed from the start within the DexROV project;
* QCustomPlot license does not allow distribution of modified copies and this project has a modified one (some names have been refactored for compiling with ROS env);


## How can I integrate ros-plotter with my ROS project?
### Requirements
1. ROS Indigo Igloo
2. An existing project
3. Qt5
### Steps
1. Create a ROS package with Qt support, using `catkin_create_qt_package`.
2. Replace your package files with ros-plotter source code.
3. Change topic types, messages types inside `rosplotter.h` and `rosplotter.cpp` with your topic and messages types.
4. Assign plotted values to `double` type variables in `rosplotter.h` and `rosplotter.cpp`.
5. Make sure to rename plot names in `mainwindow.cpp` and `mainwindow.h` and connect them to the desired variables.
6. Test and fix.

### Possible improvements
* Dynamically adding topics and plottable variables;
* UI fixes;

## More information
I am Tommaso, graduate in Information Engineering. **ros-plotter** was my graduation thesis for bachelor degree.

**If you want to know more about this project, on its architecture and how it works, I can provide you all the information you need.**

You can contact me at [tommaso.paladini@outlook.com](mailto:tommaso.paladini@outlook.com) .