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catkin package cannot find own message type (python)

asked 2013-12-29 03:51:44 -0500

Pi Robot gravatar image

updated 2013-12-29 14:23:49 -0500

Hello,

I have a package called skeleton_markers that I am in the process of converting from rosbuild to catkin. The package builds fine and I remembered to do a 'source devel/setup.bash' after compiling. But when I try to run a Python node (in the same package) that imports a message type defined in my package, I get the error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/patrick/catkin_ws/src/skeleton_markers/nodes/skeleton_markers.py", line 24, in <module>
    from skeleton_markers.msg import Skeleton
  File "/home/patrick/Dropbox/Robotics/catkin_ws/src/skeleton_markers/nodes/skeleton_markers.py", line 24, in <module>
    from skeleton_markers.msg import Skeleton
ImportError: No module named msg

When I run rosmsg on the message type, I get back the correct response:

$ rosmsg show skeleton_markers/Skeleton std_msgs/Header header
  uint32 seq
  time stamp
  string frame_id
int32 user_id
string[] name
float32[] confidence
geometry_msgs/Vector3[] position
  float64 x
  float64 y
  float64 z
geometry_msgs/Quaternion[] orientation
  float64 x
  float64 y
  float64 z
  float64 w

So I'm guessing I'm missing a key ingredient that allows a Python node to import my message type. Here are my package.xml and CMakeLists.txt files. The Python node I am trying to run is skeleton_markers.py.

My package.xml file:

<package>
  <name>skeleton_markers</name>
  <version>0.4.0</version>
  <description>
   Skeleton Markers: Publish a list of joint markers 
   for viewing in RViz.
  </description>

  <maintainer <a href="mailto:email="patrick@pirobot.org">Patrick">email="patrick@pirobot.org">Patrick</a> Goebel</maintainer>
  <license>BSD</license>
  <url type="website">http://ros.org/wiki/skeleton_markers</url>
  <url type="https://github.com/pirobot/skeleton_markers/issues"></url>
  <author <a href="mailto:email="patrick@pirobot.org">Patrick">email="patrick@pirobot.org">Patrick</a> Goebel</author>

  <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>

  <build_depend>libopenni-dev</build_depend>
  <build_depend>libopenni-nite-dev</build_depend>
  <build_depend>libopenni-sensor-primesense-dev</build_depend>
  <build_depend>geometry_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_depend>tf</build_depend>
  <build_depend>orocos_kdl</build_depend>
  <build_depend>message_generation</build_depend>
  <build_depend>visualization_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_depend>std_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_depend>geometry_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_depend>openni_camera</build_depend>
  <build_depend>openni_tracker</build_depend>
  <build_depend>rospy</build_depend>
  <build_depend>roscpp</build_depend>

  <run_depend>libopenni-dev</run_depend>
  <run_depend>libopenni-nite-dev</run_depend>
  <run_depend>libopenni-sensor-primesense-dev</run_depend>
  <run_depend>geometry_msgs</run_depend>
  <run_depend>orocos_kdl</run_depend>
  <run_depend>message_runtime</run_depend>
  <run_depend>visualization_msgs</run_depend>
  <run_depend>std_msgs</run_depend>
  <run_depend>geometry_msgs</run_depend>
  <run_depend>tf</run_depend>
  <run_depend>openni_camera</run_depend>
  <run_depend>openni_tracker</run_depend>
  <run_depend>rospy</run_depend>
  <run_depend>roscpp</run_depend>

</package>

My CMakeLists.txt file:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3)
project(skeleton_markers)

find_package(orocos_kdl REQUIRED)
find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
  roscpp
  rospy
  tf
  geometry_msgs
  message_generation)

# Find OpenNI
find_package(PkgConfig)
pkg_check_modules(OpenNI REQUIRED libopenni)

# Find Nite
find_path(Nite_INCLUDEDIR
          NAMES XnVNite.h
          HINTS /usr/include/nite /usr/local/include/nite)
find_library(Nite_LIBRARY
             NAMES XnVNite_1_3_1
             HINTS /usr/lib /usr/local/lib
             PATH_SUFFIXES lib) 

link_directories(
  ${catkin_LIBRARY_DIRS}
  ${Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS}
  ${orocos_kdl_LIBRARY_DIRS}
  ${OpenNI_LIBRARIES}
  ${Nite_LIBRARY}
)

include_directories(${catkin_INCLUDEDIR}
                    ${OpenNI_INCLUDEDIR}
                    ${Nite_INCLUDEDIR}
                    ${orocos_kdl_INCLUDE_DIRS})

set(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/bin)

set(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)

add_message_files (
  FILES
  Skeleton.msg
)

generate_messages(
  DEPENDENCIES geometry_msgs std_msgs
)

catkin_package(
    DEPENDS rospy roscpp visualization_msgs std_msgs geometry_msgs
    openni_camera openni_tracker tf
    CATKIN-DEPENDS message_runtime
    INCLUDE_DIRS # TODO
    LIBRARIES # TODO
)

add_executable(skeleton_tracker
  src/skeleton_tracker.cpp
  src/KinectController.cpp
  src/KinectDisplay.cpp)

target_link_libraries(skeleton_tracker
  glut
  ${catkin_LIBRARIES}
  ${OpenNI_LIBRARIES}
  ${Nite_LIBRARY}
  ${orocos_kdl_LIBRARIES})

install(TARGETS skeleton_tracker RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_BIN_DESTINATION})

Thanks!
patrick

UPDATE ... (more)

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Comments

Was it built successfully? Your Python message file should be in your workspace at: devel/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/skeleton_markers/msg/_Skeleton.py

joq gravatar image joq  ( 2013-12-29 05:05:53 -0500 )edit

Yes, the package builds successfully and the msg file you refer to does exist in the correct location.

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 05:24:06 -0500 )edit

3 Answers

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15

answered 2013-12-29 14:31:53 -0500

lindzey gravatar image

I think your problem is that your python script is called skeleton_markers.py, and python is looking for the msg module in that script. If you rename it such that it doesn't have the same name as your package, does it work?

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Comments

Awesome! That was it exactly. Never would have thought of that...Many thanks!

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 14:41:55 -0500 )edit
5

Had a similar issue, also solved my problem. Note that you will need clear out the old .pyc file as well, if it exists.

jpaulos gravatar image jpaulos  ( 2014-02-28 03:48:55 -0500 )edit

This solved my problem _

antonio gravatar image antonio  ( 2016-06-22 17:50:53 -0500 )edit
1

In my case there was another - currently unused - file with the same name within that directory. Never thought of it until reading this post.

Falko gravatar image Falko  ( 2016-12-15 08:35:59 -0500 )edit
1

answered 2013-12-29 08:25:30 -0500

Dirk Thomas gravatar image

You should not modify the output directories for libraries and executables - remove the following lines from your CMakeLists.txt:

set(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/bin)
set(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)

When invoking catkin_package() the optional keyword argument is CATKIN_DEPENDS (not CATKIN-DEPENDS). Please consider reading http://docs.ros.org/api/catkin/html/howto/index.html for more information when to use DEPENDS and when to use CATKIN_DEPENDS.

You should also consider filling in the other optional arguments of catkin_package(). While it will not affect your package directly it does affect packages which would depend on your package.

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Comments

You should update your version of `catkinize` if it generated the `CATKIN-DEPENDS` for you. This typo has been fixed 9 months ago.

Dirk Thomas gravatar image Dirk Thomas  ( 2013-12-29 08:28:54 -0500 )edit

Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, removing those two lines and recompiling did not solve the import problem. Also, you are correct that I was using an older version of the catkinize script because the newest version crashes as reported here: https://github.com/ros-infrastructure/catkinize/issues/38#issuecomment-31316935

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 12:52:44 -0500 )edit

My above comments will not address your import problem but only point out additional problems in the posted code. Please follow the previously given advice to create a "setup.py" file and use "catkin_python_setup()" for that.

Dirk Thomas gravatar image Dirk Thomas  ( 2013-12-29 13:58:47 -0500 )edit

OK, I added a setup.py file as explained in the link in @joq's Update and I added the catkin_python_setup() line to my CMakeLists.txt file. Then I did a 'rm -rf devel build', 'catkin_make' and 'source devel/setup.bash' but the import error remains.

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 14:19:08 -0500 )edit

@Dirk Thomas - just an FYI that I updated my question with my setup.py file. Not sure if I have to add something to that file specific to message files.

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 14:27:02 -0500 )edit
0

answered 2013-12-29 05:08:46 -0500

joq gravatar image

updated 2013-12-29 06:00:11 -0500

I think you probably need to move your ROS package dependencies to the CATKIN-DEPENDS part of catkin_package(), like this:

catkin_package(
    CATKIN-DEPENDS message_runtime rospy roscpp tf openni_camera 
        openni_tracker visualization_msgs std_msgs geometry_msgs
)

See this catkin doc for details.

UPDATE: You are right about needing a setup.py for your Python modules. Adding one might make a difference for messages, too. Give it a try.

See: http://docs.ros.org/api/catkin/html/howto/installing_python.html

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Comments

Unfortunately, that actually breaks the build since it appears I need 'DEPENDS openni_camera openni_tracker' in there as well. If I put that back in and try your suggestion, the package now builds but I get the same import error, even after doing a 'rm -rf devel build; catkin_make; source devel/setup.bash'.

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 05:27:06 -0500 )edit

I am somewhat confused about what is a catkin dependency and what is a system dependency. You probably need a DEPENDS for the libopenni and Nite stuff. But, I doubt that has anything to do with the Python message import problem.

joq gravatar image joq  ( 2013-12-29 05:51:54 -0500 )edit
1

Agreed. I don't know why it is so hard for a package to import its own message type(s). I wonder if I need a setup.py file with some magic incantation?

Pi Robot gravatar image Pi Robot  ( 2013-12-29 05:54:49 -0500 )edit

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Asked: 2013-12-29 03:51:44 -0500

Seen: 21,114 times

Last updated: Dec 29 '13