Setup ROS custom messages, problems with compiling

Dear all,

I am struggling with an issue for a while now and would be really thankful for some help. I am trying to implement my cumstomized ROS messages into Matlab. As I am trying to import the ROS messages I run the following code:

mex -setup cpp

folderpath = 'C:\Users\sampleuser\Documents\MATLAB\R2021b\custom_msgs\tristan_thesis_hil';

rosgenmsg('C:\Users\sampleuser\Documents\MATLAB\R2021b\custom_msgs')

Running this code gives me the following output:

Error using ros.internal.ROSProjectBuilder (line 419)
Current compiler MinGW64 Compiler (C++) is not supported for ROS build. To choose a compiler, run 'mex -setup cpp'.

Error in ros.internal.CatkinBuilder (line 25)
            [e-mail](varargin{:});

Error in rosgenmsg (line 287)
            builder = ros.internal.CatkinBuilder(genDir, pkgInfos{iPkg});

Could anybody help me with this issue?

Thank you all!

Answer 1

[Cam Salzberger]

Hello Tristan,

ROS custom message compilation requires Visual Studio 2017 or 2019. The MinGW C++ compiler will not work for creating the libraries necessary to use ROS. Run "mex -setup cpp" and use the prompts to select Visual Studio (once installed).

See here for general information on system requirements to use various ROS Toolbox functionality.

-Cam

[Tristan Sinnecker]

Hi Cam,

Thank you very much for your quick response. I installed MinGW because the error output suggested me to do so. Anyway, if it should work with VS 2017 or 2019 I will install right now. Do I have to consider anything to implement Visual Studio into Matlab or can I just simply consider the following post?

https://de.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/443349-how-do-i-install-visual-studio-2017-or-2019-for-use-with-matlab-simulink

Thank you very much for your help!

Tristan

[Cam Salzberger]

That post should be fine. There's nothing particular that ROS Toolbox needs out of Visual Studio beyond that which MATLAB already requires for codegen.

-Cam