Panel Types

The multi-sensor viewer assigns each topic to one of 8 panel types based on the message schema and topic name. This page describes each panel type, what triggers it, and what it displays.

​

Image Panel

Renders camera feeds from image topics. This is the most common panel for autonomous vehicle and robotics recordings. Triggered by: sensor_msgs/Image, sensor_msgs/CompressedImage, foxglove.CompressedImage, foxglove.RawImage, or topics with image / camera in the name. Capabilities:

• Displays uncompressed and compressed (JPEG, PNG) images
• Multi-camera grid layout when a recording contains multiple image topics
• Frame-by-frame navigation synchronized with the timeline
• Supports annotation overlays (bounding boxes, polygons, keypoints)
• LiDAR-to-camera projection when transform data is available

​

3D / Point Cloud Panel

Renders point cloud data in an interactive 3D viewport. Supports LiDAR, radar, and any data that produces 3D points. Triggered by: sensor_msgs/PointCloud2, foxglove.PointCloud, or topics with lidar / pointcloud / velodyne / points / pose / odom / tf in the topic name. Also matches schemas containing pose / transform / odometry. sensor_msgs/LaserScan and radar_msgs/RadarScan are routed here when the topic name contains a matching keyword. Capabilities:

• Six visualization modes for coloring and filtering points
• Bird’s-eye view, perspective view, and side views
• Orbit, pan, and zoom camera controls
• 3D cuboid annotation with full position, dimension, and rotation control
• Point cloud intensity, ring, and custom field coloring

​

Plot Panel

Displays time-series charts for numeric data. Useful for IMU readings, velocities, temperatures, and any scalar or vector measurement. Triggered by: sensor_msgs/Imu, schemas containing twist / vector3 / float / int, or topics with imu / cmd_vel / battery / temperature / sensor in the name. The imu keyword is matched in both schema and topic names. Capabilities:

• Line charts showing values over time
• Multiple fields plotted simultaneously (e.g., x, y, z components of angular velocity)
• Cursor linked to the global timeline — scrubbing updates the chart position
• Zoom and pan within the time range

​

Raw Messages Panel

Displays any message as a JSON tree view. This is the fallback panel for topics that do not match a recognized schema. Triggered by: Available for all topics. Used automatically when no other panel type matches. Capabilities:

• Expandable JSON tree showing every field in the message
• Updated in real time as the timeline advances
• Useful for debugging, inspecting unknown schemas, and verifying message contents
• Supports search within message fields

​

Log Panel

Displays text log output in a scrollable, filterable list. Commonly used for ROS node logs and diagnostic messages. Triggered by: Schemas or topics containing log / rosout. Capabilities:

• Scrollable log output with timestamps
• Filterable by severity level (debug, info, warning, error, fatal)
• Color-coded severity indicators
• Synchronized with the global timeline

​

Map Panel

Displays geographic data on an interactive map. Shows vehicle or robot trajectories and localization data. Triggered by: sensor_msgs/NavSatFix, schemas or topics containing navsat / gps, or topics with fix in the name. Capabilities:

• Interactive map with satellite and street views
• Vehicle/robot path traced from GPS data
• Current position indicator synchronized with the timeline
• Zoom and pan controls

​

Gauge Panel

Displays a single numeric value with an optional range. Designed for scalar sensor readings that are best understood as a current value rather than a time series. Triggered by: Manual panel type assignment. The Gauge panel is not auto-assigned by topic detection — topics with battery, temperature, or sensor keywords are routed to the Plot panel by default. You can switch any numeric topic to Gauge mode using the panel type selector. Capabilities:

• Large, readable current-value display
• Optional minimum and maximum range indicators
• Updated in real time as the timeline advances
• Suitable for battery level, temperature, signal strength, and similar readings

​

State Transitions Panel

Visualizes discrete state changes over time. Shows when a system transitioned between states and how long it remained in each state. Triggered by: Schemas or topics containing state. Capabilities:

• Horizontal timeline showing state durations as colored segments
• State labels displayed within each segment
• Synchronized with the global timeline cursor
• Useful for visualizing operating modes, error states, and system lifecycle events

​

Detection Priority

Panel type assignment follows a strict priority order:

1. Schema name — If the message schema matches a known type (e.g., sensor_msgs/PointCloud2), the corresponding panel is used. This is the most reliable method.
2. Topic name keywords — If the schema is not recognized, the topic name is scanned for keywords (e.g., a topic named /front_camera/raw matches the camera keyword and gets an Image panel).
3. Raw Messages fallback — If neither the schema nor the topic name produces a match, the topic is assigned to the Raw Messages panel.

See the auto-detection keyword table for the full list of keyword-to-panel mappings.

​

Manual Override

You are not locked into the auto-detected panel type. In the multi-sensor viewer, you can change the panel type for any topic:

1. Open the panel settings for the topic you want to change.
2. Select a different panel type from the dropdown.
3. The topic is re-rendered in the new panel immediately.

This is useful when auto-detection assigns a topic to a generic panel (like Raw Messages) and you know it should be displayed differently.

​

Next Steps