Introduction
Download Foxglove as a desktop app (available on Linux, Windows, or macOS), or navigate to the web app in a Chrome browser window.
Desktop-only features
Some features are only available via the desktop app.
Connecting to data
- Opening a native ROS 1 connection
- Connecting to your Velodyne LIDAR hardware
- Loading local URDF and mesh resources in the 3D panel using URLs prefixed with
package://
Extensions
- Installing extensions via the marketplace
- Installing extensions locally
Other
- Creating shareable links prefixed with
foxglove://
Interface
Connect to a data source to explore it with Foxglove's visualization and debugging tools.
| component | description |
|---|---|
| App menu | Connect to a data source, toggle the sidebars, or view resources |
| Add panel | Add a panel to the current layout |
| Layout menu | Save your workspace view as a layout and share it with teammates |
| Left sidebar | Edit panel settings (Panel), view data source's topics (Topics), and troubleshoot issues with your connection (Problems) |
| Right sidebar | Set variables for your current layout |
| User menu | Sign in to your Foxglove account, configure preferences, manage extensions, and more |
Settings
Configure Foxglove app settings, privacy preferences, and experimental features.
Click into the Preferences tab in the app sidebar to configure the following settings.
General
| field | description |
|---|---|
| Color scheme | Choose between light or dark mode, or follow your OS settings |
| Display timestamps in | Timezone used to display timestamps |
| Timestamp format | Formatting used to display timestamps |
| Message rate (Hz) | Message pipeline's frame rate; lowering frame rate will reduce CPU usage and redraw frequency for certain panels; rendering will continue at the usual 60fps for smooth playback |
| Language | App language (contribute translations) |
| Updates | Toggle ability to automatically update the desktop app |
| ROS_PACKAGE_PATH | Paths to search for ROS packages (local file paths or package:// URLs); separate paths with standard OS path separator (e.g. ':' on Unix) |
Privacy
Decide whether you want to send anonymized usage data or crash reports to the Foxglove team. All data will be used to improve the app.
These settings require an app relaunch to take effect.
Extensions
Select the Foxglove extensions you want to install.
Experimental features
These features are not recommended for regular use – they are either deprecated or in active development or testing.
Reach out in the Slack community, if you have any questions about any of these features.