Parameter Editor
PRORead and write ROS 2 node parameters in real time
When to reach for it
Parameter Editor reads and writes ROS 2 node parameters via get_parameters/set_parameters, the mobile equivalent of rqt_reconfigure. Point it at nodes that actually declare parameters (nav2 servers, ros2_control controller managers, perception nodes with tunable thresholds); a bare publisher usually has none. For changes that live on a topic rather than a parameter, use Topic Publisher (Pro) instead.
Worked example: Nav2 controller tuning
Node Name /controller_server. Turn on Auto-refresh and set Refresh every (seconds) to 2, so edits from elsewhere show up without a manual pull. Tap a parameter: booleans toggle in place, everything else opens an edit sheet where you change the value and tap Save. It's a live set_parameters call: no node restart.
Watch out for
- The editor only checks that the
set_parameterscall completed, not whether the node's result reported success. A write to a read-only parameter still shows your typed value until the next refresh quietly puts back the real one. - On
/controller_manager,get_parametersis chunked 3 names at a time. If one name in a chunk belongs to an unspawned ros2_control sub-controller, the whole chunk comes back empty and every value in it renders as an em dash. - A separate warning banner flags
get_parametersproblems that aren't your node's fault: raw bytes, an unexpected shape, or every parameter coming back empty. All three point at the bridge, not your parameters.
Configuration fields
The ROS 2 node whose parameters you want to read and edit, for example /controller_manager. Nodes that expose parameters appear in the dropdown once connected.
Re-fetch the parameter list periodically. Useful when another node mutates params live (dynamic_reconfigure, runtime tuning).