3. Getting Started

This section contains all the information necessary to get the RoboCup Soccer Simulator source files and to install the software. Since you are reading this manual, you probably already know where to find the RoboCup Soccer Simulator related software and documentation. But we will tell you just in case. :-)

3.1. The Homepage

The official homepage of the RoboCup Soccer Simulator can be found at https://rcsoccersim.github.io/ . This page contains (links to) useful information about RoboCup in general and the RoboCup Soccer Simulator.

3.2. Getting and installing the server

The procedure shown was performed on a computer running Linux. We recommend using a stable Linux environment for running the simulation server and monitor. Get tar.gz files for the version you are after from the Simulator’s code repository:

• rcssserver performs the actual simulation.

• rcssmonitor allows you to watch game in progress.

• rcsslogplayer allows you to replay logs (*.rcg files) created by rcssserver.

Unless there is a particular reason, we recommend using the latest released version. If you have downloaded rcssserver-x.x.x.tar.gz, then first extract the source files by running:

$ tar zxvf rcssserver-x.x.x.tar.gz

directory to rcssserver-x.x.x. This directory contains the following files:

$ cd rcssserver-x.x.x
$ ls
AUTHORS         Makefile.in   compile         configure     m4
CMakeLists.txt  NEWS          config.guess    configure.ac  missing
COPYING.LESSER  README.md     config.h.cmake  depcomp       rcss
ChangeLog       acinclude.m4  config.h.in     install-sh    src
Makefile.am     aclocal.m4    config.sub      ltmain.sh     ylwrap

Always read the README.md file first:

$ more README.md

3.3. Quick Start

From the rcssserver-* directory execute:

$ ./configure
$ make

This will build the necessary binaries to get you up and running. The monitor and logplayer can be built with same procedure.

rcssserver-*/src/rcssserver is the binary for the simulator server. The simulator server manages the actual simulation and communicates with client programs that control the simulated robots. A sample client can be found at rcssserver-*/src/rcssclient.

To see what is actually happening in the simulator, you will need to start a simulator monitor, which can be found at rcssmonitor-*/src/rcssmonitor.

To playback games that you have recorded or downloaded, you will need to start the log player, rcsslogplayer-*/src/rcsslogplayer. The log player will control what part of the game you see, but you will need to start a monitor (like rcssmonitor) to see the actual playback.

3.4. Full installation

3.4.1. Configuring

Before you can build the RoboCup Soccer Simulator you will need to run the configure script located in the root of the distribution directory.

The default configuration will set up to install the simulator components in the following locations:

• /usr/local/bin

  for the executables

• /usr/local/include

  for the headers

• /usr/local/lib

  for the libraries

You may need administrator privileges to install the simulator into the default location. This location can be modified by using configure’s --prefix=DIR and related options. See configure –help for an overview over the available options.

There are a number of features specific to the package. Some of them are enabled by default. If you want to enable a feature, use the option --enable-FEATURE[=yes].

Disabling a feature can be done by using either --disable-FEATURE or --enable-FEATURE=no.

3.4.2. Building

Once you have successfully configured the simulator, simply run make to build the sources.

3.4.3. Installing

When you have completed building the simulator, its components can be installed into their default locations or the locations specified during configuration by running make install. Depending on where you are installing the simulator, you may need special permissions.

3.4.4. Uninstalling

The simulator can also be easily removed by entering the distribution directory and running make uninstall. This will remove all the files that where installed, but not any directories that were created during the installation process.

3.5. Using the Simulator

To start the server either type:

./rcssserver

from the directory containing the executable or:

rcssserver

if you installed the executables in your PATH.

rcssserver will look in your home directory for the configuration files:

• .rcssserver/server.conf

• .rcssserver/player.conf

• .rcssserver/CSVSaver.conf

• .rcssserver-landmark.xml

If .conf files do not exist, they will be created and populated with default values.

You can include additional configuration files by using the include=FILE option to Com{rcssserver}.

You can then see what’s happening in the simulator by using ./rcssmonitor or rcssmonitor as above.

If you installed the executables in your PATH, you can start both the server and the monitor by using the rcsoccersim script which would have also been installed in your PATH. This script will start the server and the monitor and automatically stop the server when you close the monitor.

In order to actually start a match on the simulation server, the user must connect some clients to the server (maximum of 11 per side plus coaches). When these clients are ready, the user can click the Kick Off button on the monitor to start the game. It is likely that you have not yet programmed your own clients, in which case, you can read section ??? for instructions how to set up a whole match with the available teams that other RoboCuppers have contributed.

Also, there is a sample client rcssclient included with every distribution of the server. .. It has either an ncurses interface or a .. command line interface (CLI) if ncurses is not available, or it it’s .. started with the Com{-nogui} option.

Running rcssclient attempts to connect to the server using default parameters (host=localhost, port=6000). Of course, these server parameters can be changed using the arguments that the server accepts when it is started. When the client is started, you need to initialise its connection to the server. This is done by manually typing in an init command and hitting enter. So, to initialise the connection:

(init MyTeam (version 15))

You will notice that one of the two teams is now named “MyTeam” and one of the players that are standing by the side-line is active. This player corresponds to the client you’ve just initialised. Also, notice the information that the client writes on the terminal. This is what the client receives from the server.

In the following text (which has line breaks added for clarity), the first eleven lines correspond to the initialisation [1] and the other data is the sensor information that the server sends to this client:

(init MyTeam (version 15))
(init l 2 before_kick_off)
(server_param (catch_ban_cycle 5)(clang_advice_win 1)
  (clang_define_win 1)(clang_del_win 1)(clang_info_win 1)
  (clang_mess_delay 50)(clang_mess_per_cycle 1)
  (clang_meta_win 1)(clang_rule_win 1)(clang_win_size 300)
  (coach_port 6001)(connect_wait 300)(drop_ball_time 0)
  (freeform_send_period 20)(freeform_wait_period 600)
  (game_log_compression 0)(game_log_version 3)
  (game_over_wait 100)(goalie_max_moves 2)(half_time -10)
  (hear_decay 1)(hear_inc 1)(hear_max 1)(keepaway_start -1)
  (kick_off_wait 100)(max_goal_kicks 3)(olcoach_port 6002)
  (point_to_ban 5)(point_to_duration 20)(port 6000)
  (recv_step 10)(say_coach_cnt_max 128)
  (say_coach_msg_size 128)(say_msg_size 10)
  (send_step 150)(send_vi_step 100)(sense_body_step 100)
  (simulator_step 100)(slow_down_factor 1)(start_goal_l 0)
  (start_goal_r 0)(synch_micro_sleep 1)(synch_offset 60)
  (tackle_cycles 10)(text_log_compression 0)
  (game_log_dir "/home/thoward/data")
  (game_log_fixed_name "rcssserver")keepaway_log_dir "./")
  (keepaway_log_fixed_name "rcssserver")
  (landmark_file "~/.rcssserver-landmark.xml")
  (log_date_format "%Y%m%d%H%M-")(team_l_start "")
  (team_r_start "")(text_log_dir "/home/thoward/data")
  (text_log_fixed_name "rcssserver")(coach 0)
  (coach_w_referee 1)(old_coach_hear 0)(wind_none 0)
  (wind_random 0)(auto_mode 0)(back_passes 1)
  (forbid_kick_off_offside 1)(free_kick_faults 1)
  (fullstate_l 0)(fullstate_r 0)(game_log_dated 1)
  (game_log_fixed 1)(game_logging 1)(keepaway 0)
  (keepaway_log_dated 1)(keepaway_log_fixed 0)
  (keepaway_logging 1)(log_times 0)(profile 0)
  (proper_goal_kicks 0)(record_messages 0)(send_comms 0)
  (synch_mode 0)(team_actuator_noise 0)(text_log_dated 1)
  (text_log_fixed 1)(text_logging 1)(use_offside 1)
  (verbose 0)(audio_cut_dist 50)(ball_accel_max 2.7)
  (ball_decay 0.94)(ball_rand 0.05)(ball_size 0.085)
  (ball_speed_max 2.7)(ball_weight 0.2)(catch_probability 1)
  (catchable_area_l 2)(catchable_area_w 1)(ckick_margin 1)
  (control_radius 2)(dash_power_rate 0.006)(effort_dec 0.005)
  (effort_dec_thr 0.3)(effort_inc 0.01)(effort_inc_thr 0.6)
  (effort_init 0)(effort_min 0.6)(goal_width 14.02)
  (inertia_moment 5)(keepaway_length 20)(keepaway_width 20)
  (kick_power_rate 0.027)(kick_rand 0)(kick_rand_factor_l 1)
  (kick_rand_factor_r 1)(kickable_margin 0.7)(maxmoment 180)
  (maxneckang 90)(maxneckmoment 180)(maxpower 100)
  (minmoment -180)(minneckang -90)(minneckmoment -180)
  (minpower -100)(offside_active_area_size 2.5)
  (offside_kick_margin 9.15)(player_accel_max 1)
  (player_decay 0.4)(player_rand 0.1)(player_size 0.3)
  (player_speed_max 1)(player_weight 60)(prand_factor_l 1)
  (prand_factor_r 1)(quantize_step 0.1)(quantize_step_l 0.01)
  (recover_dec 0.002)(recover_dec_thr 0.3)(recover_min 0.5)
  (slowness_on_top_for_left_team 1)
  (slowness_on_top_for_right_team 1)(stamina_inc_max 45)
  (stamina_max 4000)(stopped_ball_vel 0.01)
  (tackle_back_dist 0.5)(tackle_dist 2.5)(tackle_exponent 6)
  (tackle_power_rate 0.027)(tackle_width 1.25)
  (visible_angle 90)(visible_distance 3)(wind_ang 0)
  (wind_dir 0)(wind_force 0)(wind_rand 0))
(player_param (player_types 7)(pt_max 3)(random_seed -1)
  (subs_max 3)(dash_power_rate_delta_max 0)
  (dash_power_rate_delta_min 0)
  (effort_max_delta_factor -0.002)
  (effort_min_delta_factor -0.002)
  (extra_stamina_delta_max 100)
  (extra_stamina_delta_min 0)
  (inertia_moment_delta_factor 25)
  (kick_rand_delta_factor 0.5)
  (kickable_margin_delta_max 0.2)
  (kickable_margin_delta_min 0)
  (new_dash_power_rate_delta_max 0.002)
  (new_dash_power_rate_delta_min 0)
  (new_stamina_inc_max_delta_factor -10000)
  (player_decay_delta_max 0.2)
  (player_decay_delta_min 0)
  (player_size_delta_factor -100)
  (player_speed_max_delta_max 0.2)
  (player_speed_max_delta_min 0)
  (stamina_inc_max_delta_factor 0))
(player_type (id 0)(player_speed_max 1)(stamina_inc_max 45)
  (player_decay 0.4)(inertia_moment 5)(dash_power_rate 0.006)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.7)(kick_rand 0)
  (extra_stamina 0)(effort_max 1)(effort_min 0.6))
(player_type (id 1)(player_speed_max 1.1956)(stamina_inc_max 30.06)
  (player_decay 0.4554)(inertia_moment 6.385)(dash_power_rate 0.007494)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.829)(kick_rand 0.0645)
  (extra_stamina 9.4)(effort_max 0.9812)(effort_min 0.5812))
(player_type (id 2)(player_speed_max 1.135)(stamina_inc_max 33.4)
  (player_decay 0.4292)(inertia_moment 5.73)(dash_power_rate 0.00716)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.8198)(kick_rand 0.0599)
  (extra_stamina 31.3)(effort_max 0.9374)(effort_min 0.5374))
(player_type (id 3)(player_speed_max 1.1964)(stamina_inc_max 31.24)
  (player_decay 0.4664)(inertia_moment 6.66)(dash_power_rate 0.007376)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.88)(kick_rand 0.09)
  (extra_stamina 47.1)(effort_max 0.9058)(effort_min 0.5058))
(player_type (id 4)(player_speed_max 1.151)(stamina_inc_max 37.8)
  (player_decay 0.45)(inertia_moment 6.25)(dash_power_rate 0.00672)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.8838)(kick_rand 0.0919)
  (extra_stamina 44.1)(effort_max 0.9118)(effort_min 0.5118))
(player_type (id 5)(player_speed_max 1.1544)(stamina_inc_max 34.68)
  (player_decay 0.4352)(inertia_moment 5.88)(dash_power_rate 0.007032)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.8052)(kick_rand 0.0526)
  (extra_stamina 47.1)(effort_max 0.9058)(effort_min 0.5058))
(player_type (id 6)(player_speed_max 1.193)(stamina_inc_max 36.7)
  (player_decay 0.4738)(inertia_moment 6.845)(dash_power_rate 0.00683)
  (player_size 0.3)(kickable_margin 0.885)(kick_rand 0.0925)
  (extra_stamina 92)(effort_max 0.816)(effort_min 0.416))
(sense_body 0 (view_mode high normal) (stamina 4000 1) (speed 0 0)
  (head_angle 0) (kick 0) (dash 0) (turn 0) (say 0) (turn_neck 0)
  (catch 0) (move 0) (change_view 0) (arm (movable 0) (expires 0)
  (target 0 0) (count 0)) (focus (target none) (count 0)) (tackle
  (expires 0) (count 0)))
(see 0 ((f c t) 6.7 27 0 0) ((f r t) 58.6 3) ((f g r b) 73 37)
  ((g r) 69.4 32) ((f g r t) 66 27) ((f p r c) 55.7 41)
  ((f p r t) 45.2 22) ((f t 0) 6.3 -18 0 0)
  ((f t r 10) 16.1 -7 0 0) ((f t r 20) 26 -4 0 0)
  ((f t r 30) 36.2 -3) ((f t r 40) 46.1 -2)
  ((f t r 50) 56.3 -2) ((f r 0) 73.7 30) ((f r t 10) 68.7 23)
  ((f r t 20) 66 15) ((f r t 30) 64.1 6) ((f r b 10) 79 37)
  ((f r b 20) 85.6 42))
(sense_body 0 (view_mode high normal) (stamina 4000 1) (speed 0 0)
  (head_angle 0) (kick 0) (dash 0) (turn 0) (say 0) (turn_neck 0)
  (catch 0) (move 0) (change_view 0) (arm (movable 0) (expires 0)
  (target 0 0) (count 0)) (focus (target none) (count 0)) (tackle
  (expires 0) (count 0)))
(see 0 ((f c t) 6.7 27 0 0) ((f r t) 58.6 3) ((f g r b) 73 37)
  ((g r) 69.4 32) ((f g r t) 66 27) ((f p r c) 55.7 41)
  ((f p r t) 45.2 22) ((f t 0) 6.3 -18 0 0)
  ((f t r 10) 16.1 -7 0 0) ((f t r 20) 26 -4 0 0)
  ((f t r 30) 36.2 -3) ((f t r 40) 46.1 -2)
  ((f t r 50) 56.3 -2) ((f r 0) 73.7 30) ((f r t 10) 68.7 23)
  ((f r t 20) 66 15) ((f r t 30) 64.1 6) ((f r b 10) 79 37)
  ((f r b 20) 85.6 42))
...

You can still type commands (such as (move 0 0) or (turn 45)) that the player will then send to the server. You should be able to see the result of these commands on the monitor window.

3.6. How to stop the server

The correct procedure for stopping the server is:

1. Stop all clients (players)

2. Stop all monitors by clicking on the quit button

3. ctrl-c at the terminal window where you started the server in order to terminate it

If you follow this procedure, you will not only stop all visible running processes but also make sure that all those processes that may be running in the background (such as the server) are also stopped. The problem that arises when you don’t properly shut down the server is that you may not be able to start another process unless you start it with different parameters.

Also, if you don’t stop the simulator with a ctrl-c, then the logfiles will no be closed properly (only important if you are using compressed logging) and they will not be renamed correctly.

NOTE: It is sometimes useful and convenient to terminate processes using their name. Using the kill operating system command involves finding the process number of the process you want to stop using the ps command. A simpler way to eradicate all processes that have a specific name is by means of the killall command, for example: killall rcssserver is sufficient to kill all processes with the name rcssserver.

3.7. Troubleshooting

In this section we list known problems and try to give some solutions or at least point you in the right direction.

If you run into any errors in configuring, building or running the simulator, which are not reported here please submit a bug report via the RoboCup Soccer Simulator website, https://rcsoccersim.github.io/, especially if you can provide a patch or hint to the solution of the problem.

---

[1]

The response from the server means that the client plays for the left side, has the number one and the play mode is before_kick_off. The other lines correspond the the current server parameters and player types.

[2]

The names listed are the names of the people who have verified the platform.