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6.2.2 ROS 2 RViz2 Visualization on Windows

Last Version: 11/09/2025

Overview​

This guide explains how to set up and use RViz2 which is the official 3D visualization tool in ROS 2. It is used to display:

  • Robot models
  • Sensor data (point cloud, LiDAR, camera)
  • Path planning and navigation results

Open Source Repository: ros2/rviz2

Using RViz2 requires a ROS 2 installation. While typically installed on Linux, several options exist for running it on Windows.

MethodKey Characteristics
Virtual Machine- Near-native Linux experience, best compatibility
- Development environment matches deployment
Native Windows Install- Direct integration with Windows OS
- Requires admin rights; complex environment variable setup
WSL2- Close to native Linux performance
- Requires admin rights; complex file system interaction with Windows
Pixi- Newer ecosystem, may require custom environment setup
- No admin rights required; lightweight

The rest of this section explains how to use Pixi to install ROS 2 on Windows 10 and run the RViz2 visualizer.

Step 1: Install Pixi​

  1. Go to the Pixi releases page: Pixi
  2. Download the pixi-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip file.
  3. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
  4. Move the extracted pixi.exe file to the directory: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\.pixi\bin

Step 2: Configure Environment Variables​

  1. Right-click on This PC and select Properties.
  2. Click on Advanced system settings.
  3. In the System Properties window, click the Environment Variables... button.
  4. In the System variables section, find and select the Path variable, then click Edit....
  5. Click New and add the path: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\.pixi\bin
  6. Click OK to close all dialogs.

Verify the Installation:

  1. Open PowerShell.

  2. Run the command:

    pixi --version

Step 3: Install ROS 2​

  1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open a Command Prompt window.

  2. Run the following commands sequentially:

    pixi init pixi-ros2 -c https://prefix.dev/conda-forge -c "https://prefix.dev/robostack-humble"
    cd pixi-ros2
    pixi add ros-humble-desktop

  3. After installation, launch RViz2 with:

    pixi run rviz2

    img