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what is rviz_2d_plot_plugin fr?

amgaber95/rviz_2d_plot_plugin — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

38C++Audience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

tl;dr

An RViz 2 plugin that overlays live 2D graphs of ROS 2 sensor and robot data directly inside the 3D visualization.

vibe map

mindmap
  root((rviz_2d_plot_plugin))
    What it does
      Live 2D graphs
      Overlay on 3D view
    Tech stack
      C++
      ROS 2
      RViz 2
      Qt
    Use cases
      Debug controllers
      Monitor odometry
      Trace robot paths
    Audience
      Robotics developers
    Requirements
      ROS 2 Humble

Code map

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filefunction / class

what do people make with this?

VIBE 1

Watch live sensor readings or motor outputs as a scrolling graph inside RViz 2.

VIBE 2

Plot one data field against another, such as tracing a robot's X versus Y position.

VIBE 3

Debug controller behavior and monitor odometry without leaving the 3D visualization.

what's the stack?

C++ROS 2RViz 2Qt

how it stacks up fr

amgaber95/rviz_2d_plot_pluginmolaorg/rosbag_timing_inspectorpower-pill/ascii-aquarium
Stars383737
LanguageC++C++C++
Setup difficultymoderatehardeasy
Complexity3/54/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

how do i run it?

Difficulty · moderate time til it works · 1h+

Requires a working ROS 2 Humble and RViz 2 setup.

in plain english

This is a plugin for RViz 2, the 3D visualization tool used in ROS 2 (a framework for programming robots). The plugin adds live 2D graphs as an overlay on top of the usual 3D robot view, so you can watch sensor readings, motor outputs, or other numeric values change in real time without switching windows. The tool subscribes to ROS 2 topics, which are streams of data flowing between parts of a robot system, and automatically discovers which fields in those streams can be plotted. You can display values over time (like a scrolling graph) or plot one field against another, such as a robot's X position versus its Y position to trace its path. Multiple data series can be shown at once with different colors and styles, and you can add reference lines for limits or target values. Someone working on robotics who uses RViz 2 would reach for this when they need to debug controller behavior, check sensor values, or monitor odometry all within the same visualization session. Instead of running a separate graphing tool, the charts appear right inside the 3D scene. The plugin is written in C++ and uses Qt for its interface, and it is built to work with ROS 2 Humble.

prompts (copy fr)

prompt 1
Help me build and install this RViz 2 plugin for ROS 2 Humble.
prompt 2
Explain how this plugin auto-discovers plottable fields from ROS 2 topics.
prompt 3
Show me how to add reference lines for limits in a plotted graph.

Frequently asked questions

what is rviz_2d_plot_plugin fr?

An RViz 2 plugin that overlays live 2D graphs of ROS 2 sensor and robot data directly inside the 3D visualization.

What language is rviz_2d_plot_plugin written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, ROS 2, RViz 2.

How hard is rviz_2d_plot_plugin to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is rviz_2d_plot_plugin for?

Mainly developer.

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