ROS2 Isaac Sim Custom Omnigraph Node Publish Image is slowing down simulation (20 fps)

Hello,
I am trying to publish rgb camera frames through a custom omnigraph node I am creating like so:


class ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState():
    def __init__(self):
        self.initialized = False
        self.node = rclpy.create_node('camera_frame_publisher')
        self.camera_info = CameraInfo()
        self.camera_info.header.frame_id = "front_camera_frame"


    def get_camera_frame_from_isaac_sim(self):
        if not self.camera:
            return
        try:
            rgba = self.camera.get_rgba()
        except Exception as e:
            return
        
        color_camera_frame = rgba[:,:,:3]
        return color_camera_frame

    def publish_camera_frame(self, db):     
        try:   
          image_np = self.get_camera_frame_from_isaac_sim()
        except Exception as e:
            print(e)
            return
        if image_np is not None:
            image_msg = self.bridge.cv2_to_imgmsg(image_np, encoding="rgb8")
            self.camera_frame_publisher.publish(image_msg)

    def create_publisher(self, db):
        self.bridge = CvBridge()
        self.camera = Camera(
            prim_path=db.inputs.camera_prim_path
        )
        self.camera.initialize()
        self.camera.add_motion_vectors_to_frame()

        qos_profile = QoSProfile(
            reliability=QoSReliabilityPolicy.RELIABLE,
            durability=QoSDurabilityPolicy.TRANSIENT_LOCAL,
            history=QoSHistoryPolicy.KEEP_LAST,
            depth=10
        )
        self.camera_frame_publisher = self.node.create_publisher(
            Image,
            db.inputs.camera_frame_topic_name,
            qos_profile=qos_profile)
        print('Camera frame publisher created')


class ROS2PublishColorCameraFrame:
    @staticmethod
    def internal_state():
        return ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState()
    
    @staticmethod
    def compute(db) -> bool:
        state = db.internal_state
        if not state.initialized:
            state.create_publisher(db)
        state.publish_camera_frame(db)
        rclpy.spin_once(state.node, timeout_sec=0.01)
        return True

    @staticmethod
    def release(node):
        try:
            state = ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState.per_node_internal_state(node)
        except Exception:
            state = None
            pass

        if state is not None:
            state.node.destroy_node()
            try:
                rclpy.shutdown()
            except:
                pass

When just doing that, the frame rate drops to around 15-20. I was investigating ways to optimize this, primarily imitating the ROS2CameraHelper built-in node (can’t use it directly since I need to add some extra information and change the qosprofile). I managed to get to:

# Copyright (c) 2020-2023, NVIDIA CORPORATION. All rights reserved.
#
# NVIDIA CORPORATION and its licensors retain all intellectual property
# and proprietary rights in and to this software, related documentation
# and any modifications thereto. Any use, reproduction, disclosure or
# distribution of this software and related documentation without an express
# license agreement from NVIDIA CORPORATION is strictly prohibited.
#

import traceback

import carb
import omni
import omni.replicator.core as rep
import omni.syntheticdata
import omni.syntheticdata._syntheticdata as sd
from omni.isaac.core_nodes import BaseWriterNode, WriterRequest
from omni.kit.viewport.utility import get_viewport_from_window_name
from pxr import Usd


class ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState(BaseWriterNode):
    def __init__(self):
        self.viewport = None
        self.viewport_name = ""
        self.resetSimulationTimeOnStop = False
        super().__init__(initialize=False)

    def post_attach(self, writer, render_product):
        try:
            omni.syntheticdata.SyntheticData.Get().set_node_attributes(
                "IsaacReadSimulationTime", {"inputs:resetOnStop": self.resetSimulationTimeOnStop}, render_product
            )
        except:
            pass


class ROS2PublishColorCameraFrame:
    @staticmethod
    def internal_state():
        return ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState()

    @staticmethod
    def compute(db) -> bool:
        if db.inputs.enabled is False:
            if db.internal_state.initialized is False:
                return True
            else:
                db.internal_state.custom_reset()
                return True

        sensor_type = db.inputs.type
        if db.internal_state.initialized is False:
            db.internal_state.initialized = True
            stage = omni.usd.get_context().get_stage()
            with Usd.EditContext(stage, stage.GetSessionLayer()):
                if db.inputs.viewport:
                    db.log_warn(
                        "viewport input is deprecated, please use renderProductPath and the IsaacGetViewportRenderProduct to get a viewports render product path"
                    )
                    viewport_api = get_viewport_from_window_name(db.inputs.viewport)
                    if viewport_api:
                        db.internal_state.viewport = viewport_api
                        db.internal_state.viewport_name = db.inputs.viewport
                    if db.internal_state.viewport == None:
                        carb.log_warn("viewport name {db.inputs.viewport} not found")
                        db.internal_state.initialized = False
                        return False

                    viewport = db.internal_state.viewport
                    render_product_path = viewport.get_render_product_path()
                else:
                    render_product_path = db.inputs.renderProductPath
                    if not render_product_path:
                        carb.log_warn("Render product not valid")
                        db.internal_state.initialized = False
                        return False
                    if stage.GetPrimAtPath(render_product_path) is None:
                        carb.log_warn("Render product no created yet, retrying on next call")
                        db.internal_state.initialized = False
                        return False
                db.internal_state.resetSimulationTimeOnStop = db.inputs.resetSimulationTimeOnStop
                writer = None
                try:
                    if sensor_type == "rgb":
                        rv = omni.syntheticdata.SyntheticData.convert_sensor_type_to_rendervar(sd.SensorType.Rgb.name)
                        writer = rep.writers.get(rv + "ROS2PublishImage")
                        writer.initialize(
                            frameId=db.inputs.frameId,
                            nodeNamespace=db.inputs.nodeNamespace,
                            queueSize=db.inputs.queueSize,
                            topicName=db.inputs.topicName,
                            context=db.inputs.context,
                        )
                    else:
                        carb.log_error("type is not supported")
                        db.internal_state.initialized = False
                        return False
                    if writer is not None:
                        db.internal_state.append_writer(writer)
                    db.internal_state.attach_writers(render_product_path)
                except Exception as e:
                    print(traceback.format_exc())
                    pass
        else:
            return True

    @staticmethod
    def release(node):
        try:
            state = ROS2PublishColorCameraFrameInternalState.per_node_internal_state(node)
        except Exception:
            state = None
            pass

        if state is not None:
            state.reset()

This publishes the images correctly with fps around 50, however I’m having a hard time understanding the writer utility here. What is it? How can i update the header of the message sent?
Is there a better solution to what I’m doing?

@Ayush_G I apologize for tagging you, but this is hindering the development. I am also looking for ways to decouple physics and rendering time steps. I have noticed the time step per second parameter, changing that isn’t affecting anything since the drawback is happening within the omnigraph node (running on playback tick), and I was wondering if there is anyway that we can set that rate for the omnigraph nodes to run on.

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Facing a similar issue! I think it has something to do with the bridge itself and how it is called inside the black box.

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