Digital Elevation Model (DEM) tutorial #2985

jennuine · 2025-07-19T03:34:40Z

🎉 New feature

Summary

Tutorial on preparing DEMs and using them in Gazebo.

Test it

Checklist

Generated-by: Remove this if GenAI was not used.

Note to maintainers: Remember to use Squash-Merge and edit the commit message to match the pull request summary while retaining Signed-off-by and Generated-by messages.

Signed-off-by: Jenn Nguyen <[email protected]>

iche033

nice! I did a first pass review and added some comments

The Ubuntu github CI also picked up some minor lint issues.

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:14:29Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+
+Meshes were the format used for the [Darpa Subterranean Challenge (SubT) simulation](https://github.com/osrf/subt/wiki)
+and most were created from point cloud converted data (check out this [tutorial on how to convert point cloud data to a 3D mesh model for Gazebo](http://gazebosim.org/api/sim/10/pointcloud.html)). 
+These heightmap meshes can be found [here on fuel](https://app.gazebosim.org/OpenRobotics/fuel/collections/SubT%20Tech%20Repo).


Suggested change

These heightmap meshes can be found [here on fuel](https://app.gazebosim.org/OpenRobotics/fuel/collections/SubT%20Tech%20Repo).

These heightmap meshes can be found [here on Fuel](https://app.gazebosim.org/OpenRobotics/fuel/collections/SubT%20Tech%20Repo).

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:15:27Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+### Meshes
+
+Another format used for realistic topography are meshes, which are 3D polygonal models.
+The supported file formats for meshes in Gazebo are DAE, FBX, GLTF, OBJ, and STL.


I removed FBX because it's not very well tested in Gazebo

Suggested change

The supported file formats for meshes in Gazebo are DAE, FBX, GLTF, OBJ, and STL.

The supported file formats for meshes in Gazebo include DAE, GLTF, OBJ, and STL, and more.

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:17:55Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+### Image heightmaps
+
+Image heightmaps use a 2D grayscale image, where each pixel coresponds to the elevation at that point. Black (or `0`) represents the lowest point and while (or `255`) represents the highest.
+This is a simple and efficient way to store elevation data because less memory compared to meshes and DEMs.


Suggested change

This is a simple and efficient way to store elevation data because less memory compared to meshes and DEMs.

This is a simple and efficient way to store elevation data because it can use less memory compared to meshes and DEMs.

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:21:01Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+For fields like robotics, accurate topography can be beneficial for develop algorithms and/or models for autonomous navigation, motion planning, task planning, and control because they can provide cost effective, rapid development cycles.
+Engineers can develop and test algorithms in these environments before physical deployment.
+
+In this tutorial we'll dive deeper into what makes heightmaps, where to get them, and how to process them to use for simulation in modern Gazebo.


Suggested change

In this tutorial we'll dive deeper into what makes heightmaps, where to get them, and how to process them to use for simulation in modern Gazebo.

In this tutorial we'll dive deeper into what makes heightmaps, where to get them, and how to process them to use for simulation in Gazebo.

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:21:09Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+
+## Gazebo's supported heightmap types
+
+Modern Gazebo supports image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).


Suggested change

Modern Gazebo supports image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).

Gazebo supports creating a terrain from image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:36:51Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+* If the Processing Toolbox panel isn't open, click the gear icon in the top toolbar
+
+  * Search for "Clip raster by extent" and double click to open the dialog
+  * Input layer: should be the imported geotif


capitalized for consistency

Suggested change

* Input layer: should be the imported geotif

* Input layer: should be the imported GeoTiff

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:39:35Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+      <visual name="visual">
+          <geometry>
+              <heightmap>
+                  <use_terrain_paging>false</use_terrain_paging>


we can remove this line as it's no longer used

Suggested change

<use_terrain_paging>false</use_terrain_paging>

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:45:06Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+</model>
+```
+
+Launch Gazebo and it should look something like this:


Add some instructions?

I think the users will need to be in the half_dome_example for the textures to load

cd tutorials/files/digital_elevation_models/half_dome_example gz sim -v 4 half_dome.sdf

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:46:11Z

tutorials/files/digital_elevation_models/half_dome_example/half_dome.sdf

+          <visual name="visual">
+              <geometry>
+                  <heightmap>
+                      <use_terrain_paging>false</use_terrain_paging>


no longer necessary

Suggested change

<use_terrain_paging>false</use_terrain_paging>

iche033 · 2025-10-21T17:50:04Z

tutorials/digital_elevation_models.md

+                      <diffuse>materials/textures/rocks_diffuse.png</diffuse>
+                      <normal>materials/textures/rocks_normal.png</normal>


looks like these are placed in the textures directory (no parent materials dir) inside half_dome_example. So we probably needs to either:

update these to textures/rocks_diffuse.png, or

add a parent materials directory

init commit

c1e01e0

Signed-off-by: Jenn Nguyen <[email protected]>

github-actions bot added the 🪵 jetty Gazebo Jetty label Jul 19, 2025

azeey added this to Core development Jul 19, 2025

github-project-automation bot moved this to Inbox in Core development Jul 19, 2025

azeey added this to the Jetty Release milestone Jul 28, 2025

azeey removed this from the Jetty Release milestone Aug 26, 2025

jennuine added 2 commits October 21, 2025 08:20

finished tutorial

bba42e2

Signed-off-by: Jenn Nguyen <[email protected]>

Merge branch 'gz-sim10' into jennuine/dem_tutorial

4319b89

Signed-off-by: Jenn Nguyen <[email protected]>

jennuine changed the title ~~[WIP] Digital Elevation Model (DEM) tutorial~~ Digital Elevation Model (DEM) tutorial Oct 21, 2025

jennuine requested a review from iche033 October 21, 2025 08:22

jennuine changed the base branch from main to gz-sim10 October 21, 2025 08:23

jennuine marked this pull request as ready for review October 21, 2025 08:23

jennuine requested a review from arjo129 as a code owner October 21, 2025 08:24

iche033 reviewed Oct 21, 2025

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Digital Elevation Model (DEM) tutorial #2985

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	These heightmap meshes can be found [here on fuel](https://app.gazebosim.org/OpenRobotics/fuel/collections/SubT%20Tech%20Repo).
	These heightmap meshes can be found [here on Fuel](https://app.gazebosim.org/OpenRobotics/fuel/collections/SubT%20Tech%20Repo).

	The supported file formats for meshes in Gazebo are DAE, FBX, GLTF, OBJ, and STL.
	The supported file formats for meshes in Gazebo include DAE, GLTF, OBJ, and STL, and more.

	This is a simple and efficient way to store elevation data because less memory compared to meshes and DEMs.
	This is a simple and efficient way to store elevation data because it can use less memory compared to meshes and DEMs.

	In this tutorial we'll dive deeper into what makes heightmaps, where to get them, and how to process them to use for simulation in modern Gazebo.
	In this tutorial we'll dive deeper into what makes heightmaps, where to get them, and how to process them to use for simulation in Gazebo.


		## Gazebo's supported heightmap types

		Modern Gazebo supports image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).

	Modern Gazebo supports image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).
	Gazebo supports creating a terrain from image heightmaps, meshes, and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).

	* Input layer: should be the imported geotif
	* Input layer: should be the imported GeoTiff

		<diffuse>materials/textures/rocks_diffuse.png</diffuse>
		<normal>materials/textures/rocks_normal.png</normal>

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jennuine commented Jul 19, 2025

🎉 New feature

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