NonPlanarIsaacSim

Quick notes on how to set up the environment, launch the simulator, and extend it with custom tracks.

Maps Package

• Premade tracks live in the shared archive on drive. Select all, download, and unzip the files in the maps/ folder so each bundle sits under maps/ (e.g., maps/l_track/l_track.usd).

Setup & Launch

0. Clone the repository and install uv:

   git clone [email protected]:AhmadAmine998/NonPlanarIsaacSim.git
   pip install uv

   You will need uv to install and run the simulator.
1. Install dependencies (one-time):

   bash install_env.sh

2. Load the environment for every new shell before running the sim:

   source setup_env.sh

3. Start the ROS-enabled Isaac sim:

   uv run python ros_sim.py

   The script picks the map referenced by MAP_IDX in ros_sim.py and will open the simulator GUI once the assets load.

Driving the Car

• Run keyboard teleop with ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard, which publishes geometry_msgs/Twist on cmd_vel.
• Any higher-level controller should publish AckermannDriveStamped to either ackermann_cmd or /drive to command speed/steering directly, or publish Twist on cmd_vel.
• The node republishes odometry on /fixposition/odometry and ground-truth drive states on /ground_truth/state for downstream consumers.

Adding New Maps

1. Place each new asset in its own subfolder inside maps/ (e.g., maps/new_map/new_map.usd plus any textures or dependencies) to keep things organized.
2. Supported formats are .usd, .usda, .usdz, .usdc, .obj, and .ply. Meshes are auto-converted to USD on first use and cached in .converted_maps/.
3. Add the new file path to AVAILABLE_MAPS in ros_sim.py, set MAP_IDX to point to it, and update INITIAL_POSITION_PER_MAP so the rig spawns above the correct location/scale.

That is all that is required; just remember to re-run source setup_env.sh in any new terminal before launching the simulator.