CARLA Documentation

Welcome to the CARLA documentation.

This home page contains an index with a brief description of the different sections in the documentation. Feel free to read in whatever order preferred. In any case, here are a few suggestions for newcomers.

• Install CARLA. Either follow the Quick start installation to get a CARLA release or make the build for a desired platform.
• Start using CARLA. The section titled First steps is an introduction to the most important concepts.
• Check the API. there is a handy Python API reference to look up the classes and methods available.

The CARLA forum is available to post any doubts or suggestions that may arise during the reading.

---

Getting started

Introduction — What to expect from CARLA.
Quick start — Get the CARLA releases.

Building CARLA

Linux build — Make the build on Linux.
Windows build — Make the build on Windows.
Update CARLA — Get up to date with the latest content.
Build system — Learn about the build and how it is made.
Running in a Docker — Run CARLA using a container solution.
F.A.Q. — Some of the most frequent installation issues.

First steps

Core concepts — Overview of the basic concepts in CARLA.
1st. World and client — Manage and access the simulation.
2nd. Actors and blueprints — Learn about actors and how to handle them.
3rd. Maps and navigation — Discover the different maps and how do vehicles move around.
4th. Sensors and data — Retrieve simulation data using sensors.

Advanced steps

OpenDRIVE standalone mode — Use any OpenDRIVE file as a CARLA map.
PTV-Vissim co-simulation — Run a synchronous simulation between CARLA and PTV-Vissim.
Recorder — Register the events in a simulation and play it again.
Rendering options — From quality settings to no-render or off-screen modes.
RSS — An implementation of RSS in the CARLA client library.
SUMO co-simulation — Run a synchronous simulation between CARLA and SUMO.
Synchrony and time-step — Client-server communication and simulation time.
Traffic Manager — Simulate urban traffic by setting vehicles to autopilot mode.

References

Python API reference — Classes and methods in the Python API.
Code recipes — Some code fragments commonly used.
Blueprint library — Blueprints provided to spawn actors.
C++ reference — Classes and methods in CARLA C++.
Recorder binary file format — Detailed explanation of the recorder file format.
Sensors reference — Everything about sensors and the data they retrieve.

Plugins

carlaviz — web visualizer — Plugin that listens the simulation and shows the scene and some simulation data in a web browser.

ROS bridge

ROS bridge installation — The different ways to install the ROS bridge.
CARLA messages reference — Contains explanations and fields for every type of CARLA message available in ROS.
Launchfiles reference — Lists the launchfiles and nodes provided, and the topics being consumed and published.

Tutorials — General

Add friction triggers — Define dynamic box triggers for wheels.
Control vehicle physics — Set runtime changes on a vehicle physics.
Control walker skeletons — Animate walkers using skeletons.
Retrieve simulation data — A step by step guide to properly gather data using the recorder.

Tutorials — Assets

Add a new map — Create and ingest a new map.
Add a new vehicle — Prepare a vehicle to be used in CARLA.
Add new props — Import additional props into CARLA.
Create standalone packages — Generate and handle standalone packages for assets.
Map customization — Edit an existing map.
Material customization — Edit vehicle and building materials.
Vehicle modelling — Create a new vehicle for CARLA.

Tutorials — Developers

Contribute with new assets — Add new content to CARLA.
Create a sensor — Develop a new sensor to be used in CARLA.
Customize vehicle suspension — Modify the suspension system of a vehicle.
Make a release — For developers who want to publish a release.
Generate detailed colliders — Create detailed colliders for vehicles.
Generate pedestrian navigation — Obtain the information needed for walkers to move around.

Contributing

Contribution guidelines — The different ways to contribute to CARLA.
Code of conduct — Standard rights and duties for contributors.
Coding standard — Guidelines to write proper code.
Documentation standard — Guidelines to write proper documentation.