Sim Time Management

Source: ros2-copilot-skills sim time management skill

Why This Matters

Simulated time only works when the whole relevant graph agrees to use it. Partial use of sim time is a common source of confusing behavior in playback, visualization, and test automation.

Distilled Takeaways

• Sim time is a graph-wide coordination concern, not a local node detail.
• Mixed time sources create hard-to-diagnose failures.
• Bags, RViz, and time-aware algorithms all depend on consistent clock use.
• Time configuration should be part of launch design and testing.

Practical Guidance

• Make use_sim_time configuration explicit in launch files.
• Verify clock behavior when moving between live, simulated, and replayed workflows.
• Treat timestamp anomalies as a likely time-source problem early.
• Keep time assumptions documented for contributors and operators.

Corroborating References

• ROS 2 clock and time docs
• Gazebo Sim documentation

When to Read the Original Source

Go to the original skill when you want the practical sim-time failure modes and the reminders for keeping the graph on one clock.