Robotics StackExchange | Archived questions

Height scale when using png image as heightmap

I have been analysing how gazebo (v7.0) renders a png image when included as heightmap in a world file.

Assuming we have a 513x513 8bit png where its maximum value is 127 and its minimum 0. When I indicate the size of the collision/geometry element as 10 10 0.5:

   <collision name="collision">
      <geometry>
        <heightmap>
          <uri>model://worlds/steps.png</uri>
          <size>10 10 0.5</size>
          <pos>0 0 0</pos>
        </heightmap>
      </geometry>
    </collision>

(Note: I indicate the same size in the visual/geometry/heightmap element of the world file)

I expect the image to be rendered as a 10 x10m map with a maximum height value of 0.5 meters. However it maximum height is around 0.25m. Documentation mentions that the size either for collision or visual elements for a heightmap indicates the scale the heightmap to which it will be rendered in gazebo. It properly renders width and length but height seems unreliable. Am I missing something regarding how Z element in size is treated?

I have analysed other maps (same png size but different max/min values) and some times I get the height properly rendered, specially when the max value in the png is 255 and I want to render it to 1.0m.

This is the full world file:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<sdf version="1.4">
  <world name="default">

    <include>
      <uri>model://sun</uri>
    </include>

    <model name="heightmap">
      <static>true</static>
      <link name="link">

        <collision name="collision">
          <geometry>
            <heightmap>
              <uri>model://worlds/steps.png</uri>
              <size>10 10 0.5</size>
              <pos>0 0 0</pos>
            </heightmap>
          </geometry>
        </collision>

        <visual name="visual_abcedf">
          <geometry>
            <heightmap>
              <use_terrain_paging>false</use_terrain_paging>
              <texture>
                <diffuse>file://media/materials/textures/dirt_diffusespecular.png</diffuse>
                <normal>file://media/materials/textures/flat_normal.png</normal>
                <size>1</size>
              </texture>
              <uri>model://worlds/steps.png</uri>
              <size>10 10 0.5</size>
              <pos>0 0 0</pos>
            </heightmap>
          </geometry>
          <material script='Gazebo/White'>
            <emissive rgba='1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0'/>
          </material>
        </visual>
      </link>
    </model>
  </world>
</sdf>

Asked by romarcg on 2019-02-26 07:41:12 UTC

Comments

Answers