Building Editor

Overview The Building Editor allows users to create models of multi-level buildings without coding a single line. Buildings can contain doorways, windows and stairs. At the end of the construction process, the Building Creator creates an SDF file so that the model can be used in Gazebo.

Accessing and Exiting the Building Editor To access the Building Editor, go to the Edit menu and select Building Editor. Any objects that are currently in the world will be visible and manipulable in the Building Editor.

To exit the Building Editor, go to the File menu and select Exit Building Editor. You will be prompted to save or discard your progress.

User Interface The Building Editor is divided into three parts: the Palette, the 2D View, and the 3D View. You can resize each section.



Palette The Palette is used to draw the building floorplan, and add windows, doors, and stairs. When you are ready to save your work, use the Save As and Done buttons in the Palette.

2D View The 2D View is the canvas for creating your building. It is a top-down view.

The Level Indicator at the top of the 2D View tells you which level you are currently editing, and allows you to add additional levels. Right-clicking in the 2D View lets you add a level, delete the current level, and open the Level Inspector for the current level.

Use your mouse’s scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the 2D View. Use the left mouse button to pan.



3D View As you draw in the 2D View, the building will appear in the 3D View. If you added objects to the world before launching the Building Editor, or added simple shapes within the Editor, those objects will appear and be manipulable in the 3D View. However, the actual building model is view-only.

Use the standard Gazebo mouse controls to change the viewing angle in the 3D View.



Creating a Building Drawing walls: Select Draw Walls in the Palette, and click and release once in the 2D View to start your building. Click again to start a new wall, and double-click to stop drawing.

Moving/resizing walls: Select a wall to translate it. Click on its end markers to resize the wall. Walls that are part of the same segment will be “attached” to one another and will move together when one wall is moved.



When moving a wall, the motion will be constrained to 7.5º increments. To override this, hold Shift.

Adding windows/doorways/stairs: Make your selection in the Palette. When you move your cursor to the 2D View, the object will be attached to your cursor. Click in the 2D View to release the object.

Moving/resizing doorways, windows, stairs: Same as with walls. Windows and doorways snap to the walls to make placement easier.

At the time of writing, doorways and windows are simple holes in the wall, and do not have hinges.

Adding a level: Click the "+" button at the top of the 2D View to add a level. Inspectors: To fine-tune the wall, window, doorway, and stair parameters, double-click or right-click the object of interest to open the corresponding Inspector.



Finishing a Building Be sure to save your progress along the way. When you are done creating your building, select Done in the Palette. The Building Editor will close and your new building will be placed into the world.

If you do not select Done, and only Save your progress, you will be able to make edits to your building during the current Gazebo session only. You can exit the Editor and return to the building within the same session, but your progress will be lost if Gazebo is closed.