Handle new exogenous signals after the logger started in real-time mode

[xela-95]

Note

This issue is the sister of ami-iit/bipedal-locomotion-framework#1007

Blocked by ami-iit/bipedal-locomotion-framework#1008

I opened this issue to track the problem we currently have when using the real-time mode in the visualizer and YarpRobotLoggerDevice: if a new exogenous signal (e.g. something from a controller that has been launched after all the other devices and the visualizer) starts sending new data, it is not possible to visualize in real time this data.

The ideal behavior is that the new exogenous signal appears in the signal tree and it is possible to select and visualize it.

CC @GiulioRomualdi @HosameldinMohamed

[xela-95]

Now that the main logic to enable data exchange between VectorsCollection at real time has been introduced in ami-iit/bipedal-locomotion-framework#1008, I'll try to develop in a feature branch the update of the visualizer to react to a new metadata received at runtime and show the new signals to visualize.

[xela-95]

Starting the implementation in https://github.com/xela-95/robot-log-visualizer/tree/feature/rt-signal-update

[xela-95]

I reached a first prototype that is working with the development branch of ami-iit/bipedal-locomotion-framework#1007

Commit: 32b0306

I added a "refresh" button in the GUI that is only enabled when the real time mode is activated. This button triggers the rpc call to the yarp-robot-logger RT server to query for new metadata. (In the future this could also be an automated call, it has to be investigated the impact on performance).

When new metadata is received from the logger, the tree of signals of the visualizer is updated (only addition of new signals is possible). This behavior is working but unfortunately there is still a bug that is preventing to plot this new data.

I'm currently investigating this. CC @HosameldinMohamed

2025-10-24.17-09-26.mp4

[xela-95]

✅ Finally working

2025-10-28.17-42-37.mp4

PR coming soon

[HosameldinMohamed]

Awesome @xela-95 🚀

[xela-95]

Draft PR opened: #109

Now on this side I think I need some help from @GiulioRomualdi to rebase my branch on main and understand which is the best way to call the refresh, if via a button the user presses when he knows new data should be available (like it is now) or in polling with a certain time period.

[S-Dafarra]

understand which is the best way to call the refresh, if via a button the user presses when he knows new data should be available (like it is now) or in polling with a certain time period.

My two cents here are that the acquisition of the new signals might be time consuming due to the RPC interaction (not that much anyway). With the refresh button you let the user decide when to do it. An alternative is to do it automatically in background as soon as you detect a change in the version. Maybe a middle ground could be to still use the button, but make it active only when there is new data available (and this check is is not time consuming). So when there is no need data, it is simply greyed out, giving also feedback to the user