Fully deprecated PointCloud, the original, and plan for the removal in the next release

[tfoote]

This is a follwup to the pre Foxy Message API review

After validating that there's minimal usage of the original PointCloud we should hard deprecate it and plan for removal in ROS 2 G.

https://github.com/ros2/common_interfaces/pull/86/files#r392503804

[tfoote]

Looking at both Dashing and Eloquent checkouts there do not appear to be any python usages of PointCloud and only few dozen usages in c++ where they are core tools which have been ported for compatibility such as rviz and the navigation stack.

Checkouts of the upstream-devel branches were searched for includes and imports.

$ grep -rI --exclude-dir .git 'sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp'
eloquent/navigation2/nav2_dwb_controller/dwb_core/include/dwb_core/trajectory_critic.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/src/costmap_2d_cloud.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/include/nav2_costmap_2d/voxel_layer.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
eloquent/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/include/nav2_costmap_2d/obstacle_layer.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/sick_scan2/include/sick_scan/sick_scan_common.h:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
eloquent/sick_scan2/include/sick_scan/sick_generic_radar.h:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
eloquent/gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_plugins/test/test_gazebo_ros_ray_sensor.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
eloquent/gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_ros/include/gazebo_ros/conversions/sensor_msgs.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
eloquent/rviz/rviz2/test/tools/send_lots_of_points_node.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/test/rviz_default_plugins/publishers/point_cloud_publisher.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/test/rviz_default_plugins/pointcloud_messages.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_selection_handler.hpp:# include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_to_point_cloud2.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_display.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_common.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/nonpersistent_voxel_layer/include/nonpersistent_voxel_layer/nonpersistent_voxel_layer.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/common_interfaces/sensor_msgs/test/test_pointcloud_conversion.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
eloquent/common_interfaces/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/point_cloud_conversion.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
dashing/navigation2/nav2_dwb_controller/dwb_core/include/dwb_core/trajectory_critic.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/src/costmap_2d_cloud.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/include/nav2_costmap_2d/voxel_layer.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
dashing/navigation2/nav2_costmap_2d/include/nav2_costmap_2d/obstacle_layer.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_plugins/test/test_gazebo_ros_ray_sensor.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
dashing/gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_ros/include/gazebo_ros/conversions/sensor_msgs.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
dashing/rviz/rviz2/test/tools/send_lots_of_points_node.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/test/rviz_default_plugins/publishers/point_cloud_publisher.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/test/rviz_default_plugins/pointcloud_messages.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_selection_handler.hpp:# include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_to_point_cloud2.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_display.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/rviz/rviz_default_plugins/include/rviz_default_plugins/displays/pointcloud/point_cloud_common.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/nonpersistent_voxel_layer/include/nonpersistent_voxel_layer/nonpersistent_voxel_layer.hpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/common_interfaces/sensor_msgs/test/test_pointcloud_conversion.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp"
dashing/common_interfaces/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/point_cloud_conversion.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/msg/point_cloud.hpp>
tfoote@snowman3:/media/tfoote/Data/plain_checkouts$ grep -rI import | grep point_cloud | grep -v point_cloud2

$ grep -rI import | grep point_cloud
eloquent/laser_geometry/src/laser_geometry/laser_geometry.py:import sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 as pc2
eloquent/laser_geometry/test/projection_test.py:import sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 as pc2
eloquent/geometry2/tf2_sensor_msgs/src/tf2_sensor_msgs/tf2_sensor_msgs.py:from sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 import read_points, create_cloud
eloquent/geometry2/tf2_sensor_msgs/test/test_tf2_sensor_msgs.py:from sensor_msgs import point_cloud2
dashing/laser_geometry/src/laser_geometry/laser_geometry.py:import sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 as pc2
dashing/laser_geometry/test/projection_test.py:import sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 as pc2
dashing/geometry2/tf2_sensor_msgs/src/tf2_sensor_msgs/tf2_sensor_msgs.py:from sensor_msgs.point_cloud2 import read_points, create_cloud
dashing/geometry2/tf2_sensor_msgs/test/test_tf2_sensor_msgs.py:from sensor_msgs import point_cloud2

There are also only 60 includes of "PointCloud.h" in melodic:

laser_geometry/test/projection_test.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_geometry/include/laser_geometry/laser_geometry.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_geometry/include/laser_geometry/laser_geometry.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
navigation_tutorials/point_cloud_publisher_tutorial/src/point_cloud_publisher.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
librealsense2/third-party/realsense-file/rosbag/msgs/sensor_msgs/point_cloud_conversion.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
mrpt_slam/mrpt_icp_slam_2d/include/mrpt_icp_slam_2d/mrpt_icp_slam_2d_wrapper.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
neonavigation/costmap_cspace/src/costmap_3d.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
neonavigation/safety_limiter/src/safety_limiter.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
neonavigation/planner_cspace/src/planner_3d.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/jsk_pcl_ros_utils/include/jsk_pcl_ros_utils/delay_pointcloud.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/jsk_pcl_ros/include/jsk_pcl_ros/incremental_model_registration.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/cr_capture/src/CRLib.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/cr_capture/src/SRCalibratedLib.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/cr_capture/src/cr_node.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
jsk_recognition/cr_capture/src/cr_node_sync.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
laser_filters/src/pointcloud_filters.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_filters/include/laser_filters/footprint_filter.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_filters/include/laser_filters/point_cloud_footprint_filter.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
image_pipeline/stereo_image_proc/include/stereo_image_proc/processor.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
ibeo_lux/include/ibeo_lux/ibeo_lux_common.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/leg_detector/include/leg_detector/laser_processor.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/face_detector/src/face_detection.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
people/people_tracking_filter/include/people_tracking_filter/mcpdf_vector.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/people_tracking_filter/include/people_tracking_filter/mcpdf_pos_vel.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/people_tracking_filter/include/people_tracking_filter/people_tracking_node.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/people_tracking_filter/include/people_tracking_filter/detector_particle.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
people/people_tracking_filter/include/people_tracking_filter/tracker_particle.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
cob_driver/cob_camera_sensors/ros/src/tof_camera.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
cob_driver/cob_scan_unifier/include/cob_scan_unifier/scan_unifier_node.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
mrpt_navigation/mrpt_local_obstacles/src/mrpt_local_obstacles_node.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
mrpt_navigation/mrpt_reactivenav2d/src/mrpt_reactivenav2d_node.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
mongodb_store/mongodb_log/src/mongodb_log_pcl.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
robot_navigation/dwb_local_planner/include/dwb_local_planner/trajectory_critic.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
uuv_simulator/uuv_sensor_plugins/uuv_sensor_ros_plugins/include/uuv_sensor_ros_plugins/CPCROSPlugin.hh:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
sick_scan/include/sick_scan/sick_scan_common.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
sick_scan/include/sick_scan/sick_generic_radar.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
sick_scan/include/sick_scan/sick_generic_imu.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_block_laser.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
gazebo_ros_pkgs/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_camera_utils.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
common_msgs/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/point_cloud_conversion.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
navigation/costmap_2d/src/costmap_2d_cloud.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
navigation/costmap_2d/include/costmap_2d/voxel_layer.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
navigation/costmap_2d/include/costmap_2d/obstacle_layer.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
navigation/base_local_planner/include/base_local_planner/planar_laser_scan.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
mcl_3dl/src/mcl_3dl.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
ira_laser_tools/src/laserscan_multi_merger.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
laser_assembler/src/merge_clouds.cpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
laser_assembler/test/test_assembler.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_assembler/include/laser_assembler/base_assembler.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_assembler/include/laser_assembler/base_assembler_srv.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
laser_assembler/examples/periodic_snapshotter.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
mrpt_bridge/include/mrpt_bridge/point_cloud.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
rviz/src/test/cloud_test.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
rviz/src/test/send_lots_of_points_node.cpp:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
rviz/src/rviz/default_plugin/point_cloud_display.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
rviz/src/rviz/default_plugin/point_cloud_common.h:# include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
navigation_2d/nav2d_operator/include/nav2d_operator/RobotOperator.h:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
nonpersistent_voxel_layer/include/nonpersistent_voxel_layer/nonpersistent_voxel_layer.hpp:#include <sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h>
geometry/tf/include/tf/transform_listener.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"
fetch_open_auto_dock/include/fetch_auto_dock/laser_processor.h:#include "sensor_msgs/PointCloud.h"