🚀 LaunchMap – Visualize Your ROS 2 Launch Files

 

LaunchMap is a Visual Studio Code extension that lets you visualize the structure of ROS 2 launch files as interactive graphs directly inside VSCode.

Whether you are debugging a complex launch.py, exploring a new package, or onboarding to a robotics stack, LaunchMap helps you see what is really happening in your launch files.

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✨ Features

• Visualizes ROS 2 launch files as interactive graphs
• Supports core launch constructs like:   - Node(...)   - IncludeLaunchDescription(...)   - GroupAction(...)   - DeclareLaunchArgument(...)   - LaunchConfiguration(...)
• Traces argument usage and include relationships
• Opens the graph in a new tab within VSCode
• Displays a warning banner for unsupported or skipped components
• Export and import parsed launch graphs as JSON
• Parser support for Custom ROS2 Constructs

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📦 Installation

Install from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, or use the CLI:

code --install-extension KodoRobotics.launchmap

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▶️ How to Use

1. Open an existing .launch.py file in VSCode.
2. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
3. Run: Open Launch Visualizer
4. The graph will open in a new editor tab.

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🚀 Quick Start Example

To test the visualizer without an existing project, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a new file named example.launch.py.
2. Open the file in VSCode.
3. Paste the following content and save the file:

from launch import LaunchDescription
from launch_ros.actions import Node

def generate_launch_description():
    return LaunchDescription([
        Node(
            package='demo_nodes_cpp',
            executable='talker',
            name='my_talker'
        ),
        Node(
            package='demo_nodes_cpp',
            executable='listener',
            name='my_listener'
        )
    ])

4. With the file open, open the Command Palette.
5. Run the Open Launch Visualizer Command.

A new tab will open in VSCode, displaying an interactive graph with two nodes: my_talker and my_listener.

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📤 Export & 📥 Import Launch Graph as JSON

LaunchMap supports exporting and importing launch graphs as standalone .json files useful for collaboration, debugging, or offline inspection.

💾 Export Graph to JSON

You can export the current parsed launch graph in two ways:

▶️ From Command Palette

1. Open a launch file.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P.
3. Run: LaunchMap: Export Graph as JSON.
4. Save the launch_graph.json file anywhere.

🖼️ From the Visualizer (Webview)

Click the 💾 Export JSON button in the top right corner of the visualizer to export the current graph.

📂 Import JSON to View Graph

You can also reload a previously saved .json graph:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P.
2. Run: LaunchMap: Import Graph from JSON.
3. Choose any valid launch_graph.json file.
4. The graph will open in the visualizer, no ROS or launch file needed.

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📦 Custom ROS2 Construct Support

LaunchMap supports custom plugin directories for parsing launch files. This allows you to extend parsing with additional includes or user defined launch constructs.

🔧 Setting the Plugin Directory

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P.
2. Run: LaunchMap: Set Plugin Directory.
3. Choose a folder containing your custom plugins.
4. LaunchMap will save the setting to a .launchmap file in your workspace root.

📌 Current Plugin Directory

LaunchMap shows the active plugin directory in the VS Code status bar:

• 📦 Plugin: my_plugins → active directory
• 📦 No Plugin Dir → none configured

Clicking the status bar item opens the Set Plugin Directory command.

📂 Examples

For examples, see parser/tests/real_cases/launch_files/.

• turtlebot4_bringup.launch.py demonstrates the use of RewrittenYaml, which is handled by custom_handlers/rewritten_yaml_handler.py.

More examples coming soon!

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✅ Construct Support Status

A complete list of all supported launch constructs is available on the v0.1.0 release page.

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🪲 Troubleshooting & Having Issues

If you encounter any problems while using LaunchMap, check these common issues:

• The visualizer does not open: Ensure your .launch.py file is saved and doesn't contain any syntax errors (VSCode should highlight these). Also, verify that the LaunchMap extension is installed and enabled in VSCode.

• The graph is empty or incomplete: Please note that LaunchMap is under active development, and some advanced ROS 2 launch constructs are not yet fully supported. A warning banner will appear at the top of the graph if any components were skipped.

• Encountering an error message: Please open a new issue on the GitHub repository with details about the error and steps to reproduce it. Including a screenshot of the error can also be helpful!

For any other issues or unexpected behavior, we encourage you to open a new issue on GitHub. The more information you provide, the easier it is to diagnose and fix the problem.

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📚 Getting Started with ROS 2

New to the ROS 2 ecosystem? Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Official ROS 2 Documentation
• ROS 2 Humble Tutorials
• A Comprehensive Guide to ROS 2 Launch Files
• Articulated Robotics' ROS 2 YouTube Tutorials

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Refer to CONTRIBUTING.md for more details.

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💬 Community

We now have a Kodo Robotics Discord Community!
Join us to share feedback, ideas, and connect with other ROS 2 developers.