Make a slow simulation easier to run
Begin with the default settings. Change one setting at a time.
Try it step by step
- Keep simulation rate at 1× for your first test.
- Close sensor images you do not need. Reduce camera resolution or update rate before increasing simulation speed.
- Watch the achieved rate and sensor sample age. A lower camera rate gives fewer pictures each second.
- Repeat the same short route and compare the result. Use the advanced settings only after this baseline works.
Advanced: details and reference
Autopilot parameters
- Stop the mission and disarm.
- Read FCU values in Advanced parameters.
- Search and edit values, or upload a parameter file.
- Apply changes and read values back from the FCU.
Use parameters for the selected robot and firmware. Protected values have restrictions. Configure mass, inertia, collision and propulsion in the SDF model.
Underwater waypoints acquire the target before holding position. Leaving the hold band resets the timer and requires reacquisition.
- Underwater arrival: within 0.4 m horizontal, 0.2 m depth
- Underwater hold: within 0.4 m horizontal, 0.5 m depth
- Surface arrival: within 0.75 m horizontal
- Surface height: follows the physical water surface
- Mission checks: seabed clearance and route deviation
Simulation time
Real-time factor (RTF) measures simulated seconds per wall second. Requested rate is a target. An RTF below 1 means execution is slower than real time under the current load.
- Physics step: affects contact, waves, sensor timing and control stability
- Network delay: affects commands and display delivery
- Above 1×: live AIS hidden
- Display updates: limited by camera rate
After changing the physics step, check stationary motion, turns, clearance, diving and return with both built-in robots.
Camera and graphics
Reduce unnecessary camera rates and resolution first.
| View | Renderer |
|---|---|
| Sensor images | Gazebo on the engine host |
| Personal Vehicle / World | Browser GPU |
| Public LIVE Vehicle / World | Gazebo observation cameras |
Browser lighting controls sky, reflection, tone mapping and water normals. Wave geometry uses samples from the physical solver.
Compare Graphics diagnostics in the same scene.
- FPS and frame-time p95
- Draw calls and triangles
- Texture and geometry use
Hardware sizing
Compare equipment with the same world, robot, sensor rates and target speed. Start with one session and increase session count. Include terrain-preparation spikes.
- RTF median and lower 5%
- Physics step time
- Camera reception rate and sample age
- CPU and memory
- GPU utilization and VRAM
Gazebo physics depends on per-core performance; terrain and sensors also use multiple cores. Camera count and resolution increase GPU load. Public voyage viewers share one world.
Apple Silicon uses Metal. Ubuntu and Windows/WSL Docker engines require drivers and runtimes compatible with their images.
Usage time and storage
Public LIVE uses no personal allowance. Models, uploads and caches have account storage limits. Reserve disk space for engine and model downloads. See account and usage time.