Publishing Custom Data

Beyond simulation control, you can publish any arbitrary data on any topic name.
This can be completely independent of the VRobot simulator and is useful for custom messaging, debugging, or integrating with other apps.

Example: Custom Node

from ubicoders_vrobots_ipc.node_zenoh import ZenohNode
from ubicoders_vrobots_ipc.vrobot_node import vrobot_client_runner

class MyOwnVRNode():
    def __init__(self):
        self.setup()

    # Following the convention of VRobotNodeBase: setup + update
    def setup(self):
        # Use a negative sysId to avoid conflicts with real vrobot nodes
        self.zenoh_node = ZenohNode(-123)
        
        # Create a publisher for a custom topic
        self.zenoh_node.create_publisher("my/own/topic")

    def update(self):
        # Publish arbitrary payload (raw bytes)
        self.zenoh_node.publish("my/own/topic", b"hello from my own node")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    vrobot_client_runner([MyOwnVRNode()])

Verifying with Topic Listing

Run list-topics in another terminal:

Listing topics...
...
  - [z] my/own/topic

Key Points

• Unique sysId: Use a negative (or otherwise unused) sysId for standalone publishers to avoid conflicts with simulation nodes.
• Custom topics: You can name topics however you like (e.g., "my/own/topic").
• Independent publishing: This mechanism works outside the VRobot simulator, making it suitable for general data pipelines or external monitoring.