User interface (editor + runtime control) for the FlexBE behavior engine.
The FlexBE App in this repository replaces the previous flexbe_chrome_app. Please refer to the following announcement for an overview of the most important changes: Future of the FlexBE Chrome App
FlexBE App branch: feature/flexbe_app
Changes to FlexBE required for running this version of the FlexBE App are not yet merged into master. Please checkout the above branch on all repos if available.
Clone the following repos into your ROS workspace:
git clone https://github.com/team-vigir/flexbe_behavior_engine.git # if not already present
git clone https://github.com/FlexBE/flexbe_app.git
As mentioned above, switch to the correct branch:
cd flexbe_behavior_engine
git fetch
git checkout feature/flexbe_app
cd ..
Build you workspace:
cd ..
catkin_make # or catkin build
During the build process, the required nwjs binaries are automatically downloaded and extracted.
In order to create and prepare a new repository for behavior development, run the following script in your ROS workspace and pass it the name of your project or identifier:
rosrun flexbe_widget create_repo [your_project_name]
This will initialize a new local git repository with the correct workspace structure which you can then push to a desired remote location. Make sure that you build the workspace afterwards.
If you have been using FlexBE already, you can convert the content of your repository according to the structure defined below. Besides adding the export statement to your state packages, you can automate this conversion by running the FlexBE App. If no behavior package is detected, it will suggest you to initialize one.
If desired, run the following command to create a shortcut in the application menu:
rosrun flexbe_app shortcut create
rosrun flexbe_app shortcut remove # if you want to remove it
Use the shortcut or the following command to run the FlexBE App alone, i.e., for only developing behaviors, but not executing them:
rosrun flexbe_app run_app --offline
Omitting the --offline arg will let the App try to connect to ROS. You can manually connect/disconnect the App in the Configuration view.
Use the following launch file to run FlexBE's operator control station, i.e., everything FlexBE requires on the operator machine for controlling behavior execution:
roslaunch flexbe_app flexbe_ocs.launch
roslaunch flexbe_onboard behavior_onboard.launch # counterpart expected to run on the robot
Use the following launch file to run both of the above for local behavior execution:
roslaunch flexbe_app flexbe_full.launch
A package is a state package for FlexBE if its package.xml declares the export of flexbe_states:
<package>
...
<export>
<flexbe_states />
</export>
...
</package>
It is then expected to provide Python class definitions as described in Developing Basic States. Example: flexbe_states. Adding the above export statement is the only change to previous versions.
A behavior package contains the code and manifest files generated by the FlexBE App. Usually, you do not need to modify it manually. Again, a behavior package is identified by an export statement in its package.xml:
<package>
...
<export>
<flexbe_behaviors />
</export>
...
</package>
If no package in the ROS_PACKAGE_PATH contains such an export statement, the FlexBE App will suggest to initialize one of the existing packages as behavior package. Doing so will add the export statement and create the correct structure. If the chosen package already contains behavior manifests, the referenced behaviors can be automatically imported. The old behavior packages and manifests (all manifests outside the manifest folder, e.g., those inside the behaviors folder) can be removed afterwards.
In order to create a completely new behavior package, create an empty ROS package and then use the FlexBE App to initialize it.
A behavior package is expected to provide a manifest folder which contains the manifests for all provided behaviors. The behaviors are located in a Python module named like the package and contained in the src folder.