ROS2 Click RViz2

Description

This VS Code extension adds a convenient RViz2 button to your status bar. With a single click, it automatically detects if you're in a ROS2 workspace, sources the setup files if needed, and launches RViz2 in a new terminal.

Features

✅ Adds a dedicated RViz2 button to the bottom-right status bar
✅ Automatically detects ROS2 workspaces
✅ Sources install/setup.bash when in a ROS2 workspace
✅ Launches RViz2 with zero configuration
✅ Works in any directory (ROS2 workspace or not)

Why use ROS2 Click RViz2?

ROS2 developers frequently need to launch RViz2 to visualize robot data. This extension eliminates the need to:

1. Open a separate terminal
2. Navigate to your workspace
3. Source the setup files
4. Launch RViz2 manually

With just one click, you can now focus on what matters most - your robotics application.

Usage

1. Look for the telescope icon labeled "RViz2" in the bottom-right status bar.
2. Click the button to launch RViz2.
3. If in a ROS2 workspace, it automatically sources the workspace first.
4. RViz2 launches in a new terminal instance.

Requirements

• ROS2 installed (Foxy, Galactic, Humble, Iron, or Rolling)
• VS Code 1.99.0 or newer

Compatibility

Tested and verified with:

• ROS2 Foxy, Galactic, Humble, Iron, and Rolling
• Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04
• Windows 10/11 with ROS2 installed

Troubleshooting

RViz2 doesn't launch or shows errors:

• Verify that ROS2 is properly installed and that ros2 run rviz2 rviz2 works in a terminal
• Check that your workspace is built correctly if you're expecting automatic sourcing

Button doesn't appear:

• Try reloading VS Code window
• Check that the extension is installed and enabled

Future Updates

🔹 Configuration options for custom launch parameters
🔹 Support for specific RViz configuration files
🔹 Integration with ROS2 launch files
🔹 Theme-aware button styling

Repository

This extension is open source and available on GitHub

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.