More verbose output when failing to plot with a given config

[skohlbr]

I made multiple configs for plotting and mainly want to use those with the "Import from bag file" functionality. This works well most of the time, but sometimes it just doesn't work and "nothing happens". The same happens to a lesser extend when playing back bag files. Some plotting configs work, some do not and it is completely unclear what the reasons could be. The existing verbose output option does not provide any useful information.

I'm currently using rqt_multiplot cloned from source (master) in my indigo setup.

Here is an example bag file.

If I clear my config, then select argo_tracker_joint_trajectory_controller_state.xml and import the bag file I get a plot and the following on the terminal:

[ INFO] [1484693965.379257674, 1484649926.288922911]: Loaded configuration from [file:///home/kohlbrecher/argo2/src/hector_rqt_multiplot_config/config/argo_tracker_joint_trajectory_controller_state.xml]
[ INFO] [1484693976.333224726, 1484649926.288922911]: Read bag from [file:///media/kohlbrecher/data/argo_log/driving_test_paul/2017-01-17-23-48-52.bag]

If I clear my config, then select pdout.xml and import the bag file I get no plot and the following on the terminal:

[ INFO] [1484693997.489607086, 1484649926.288922911]: Loaded configuration from [file:///home/kohlbrecher/argo2/src/hector_rqt_multiplot_config/config/pdout.xml]
[ INFO] [1484694009.362378172, 1484649926.288922911]: Read bag from [file:///media/kohlbrecher/data/argo_log/driving_test_paul/2017-01-17-23-48-52.bag]

Any hints and improvements indicating to the user what is going wrong are appreciated :)

[skohlbr]

Ok I found the problem: For some reason, the <field> tag for my x axes were empty. After fixing that up by copying the name as for the y axis, all my configs I fixed this way started working again.

See for instance these two changesets:

• tu-darmstadt-ros-pkg/hector_rqt_multiplot_config@b9dffe5
• tu-darmstadt-ros-pkg/hector_rqt_multiplot_config@64c54d7

I only found this by accident, so the original point still stands: There should be more verbose output to make things like this much easier to find.