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 node whose parameters to read and edit, like /controller_manager. Connect to pick from a list.
Re-fetch the parameter list periodically. Useful when another node mutates params live (dynamic_reconfigure, runtime tuning).