Convert LiDAR Packets

Automated pipeline to convert raw MCAP bagfiles containing Ouster LiDAR packets into processed point cloud bagfiles. Replays raw data through the Ouster driver to decode packets into point clouds and records the output.

Package

Package	Description
convert_lidar_packets_launch	Launch files and configuration for the conversion pipeline

How It Works

1. Replays a recorded bagfile containing raw lidar_packets at configurable speed (default 0.5×)
2. The Ouster driver decodes raw packets into point cloud messages
3. A data_recording node captures the decoded output (excluding raw packets) into a new bagfile
4. Metadata files (ouster_metadata.txt, metadata.yaml) are copied to the output directory

Usage

Convert a specific bagfile:

ros2 launch convert_lidar_packets_launch convert.launch.py bagfile_path:=/path/to/bagfile

If bagfile_path is not specified, the most recent bagfile in the default directory is used.

Configuration

File	Description
config/convert.param.yaml	Output directory, replay rate, storage format, topics to exclude
config/lidar.param.yaml	Ouster driver settings for replay (sensor frames, timestamp mode, QoS)
config/qos_profile_override.yaml	QoS profile overrides for rosbag2 replay compatibility

Key Parameters (convert.param.yaml)

Parameter	Default	Description
use_custom_output_directory	false	Output to input bagfile directory by default
output_directory	$HOME/MOSEP/bagfiles/	Custom output path
storage_format	mcap	Bag storage format
rate	0.5	Replay speed (lower = more processing time)
recording_mode	exclude	Exclude raw packets, keep processed data

License

Apache 2.0