Troubleshooting Common V-REP Player Issues

V-REP Player: Quick Start Guide for BeginnersV-REP Player (now commonly associated with CoppeliaSim legacy names) is a lightweight runtime application designed to run robot simulations created with V-REP/CoppeliaSim. It lets you load scenes, run simulations, observe robot behavior, and interact with prebuilt models without the full development environment. This guide walks you through what V-REP Player is, how to install and run it, common use cases, basic workflows, and troubleshooting tips to get a smooth start.

What is V-REP Player?

V-REP Player is a runtime-only viewer for simulations created in V-REP/CoppeliaSim. Unlike the full V-REP/CoppeliaSim editor, the Player does not let you create or edit scenes; it’s intended for executing and demonstrating existing simulations, running control scripts, and testing runtime behavior. It can be useful for showing demos, running headless tests, or deploying simulations to machines where editing capabilities aren’t needed.

When to use V-REP Player

Demonstrating prebuilt simulations to stakeholders without giving editing access.
Running repeatable simulation scenarios on lab or classroom machines.
Deploying simulations for testing controllers or external programs that connect via remote APIs.
Running batch or headless simulations (depending on Player features and packaging).

System requirements & obtaining V-REP Player

V-REP Player versions correspond to specific V-REP/CoppeliaSim releases. Check the release notes for compatibility between scenes and Player builds.

Typical requirements:

A modern Windows, macOS, or Linux distribution supported by the release.
Graphics driver with OpenGL support (if running a GUI).
Optional: matching remote API libraries (for external controllers in C/C++, Python, Java, etc.).

How to obtain:

Download the Player from the same source where the V-REP/CoppeliaSim release is distributed (official website or project repository). Make sure the Player version matches the scene file’s version to avoid incompatibilities.

Installation and first launch

Download the appropriate Player package for your OS.
Extract or install following the package instructions. On Linux/macOS, make the Player binary executable if needed (chmod +x).
Place any required scene (.ttt/.ttm) files and associated model folders in an accessible directory.
Launch the Player by double-clicking the executable or running it from a terminal:
- Windows: run the .exe
- macOS/Linux: run ./vrepplayer (or the provided binary name)

On first launch, open File → Open Scene (or use command-line argument) and load a scene file.

Example command-line (general form):

./vrepplayer /path/to/your_scene.ttt

Basic interface and controls

Although Player’s UI is simplified relative to the full editor, common controls remain:

Play/Stop simulation buttons — start and stop the physics and scripts.
Simulation time display — shows current simulation time and speed.
Console/log area — displays script prints, warnings, and errors.
Viewport controls — pan, rotate, and zoom the 3D scene to inspect robots and environment.
Toolbar shortcuts — for camera presets or toggling overlays, depending on build.

Keyboard & mouse:

Left-drag: rotate camera (or select, depending on mode).
Middle/Right-drag or scroll: pan/zoom (platform-dependent).
Space or toolbar button: start/stop simulation.

Running simulations and scripts

Scenes usually include embedded child scripts (Lua), customization scripts, and plugin-based behaviors. In Player:

Embedded scripts run automatically when the simulation starts (if not disabled).
Remote API connections can be made from external programs if the remote API server is enabled in the scene. Ensure the correct port and API compatibility.
Some scenes rely on specific plugins; if the Player build lacks a required plugin, functionality may be reduced.

If a scene uses ROS, remote API, or third-party plugins, confirm that the Player package includes those plugins or that the scene is adapted for Player-only execution.

Connecting external controllers

To control a simulation from outside (Python, C++, MATLAB, etc.):

Enable the remote API server in the scene (often via a child script or scene settings).
Use the matching remote API client library and version. For Python, that typically means installing the vrep/remoteApi bindings or the CoppeliaSim Python package provided for the release.
Connect to the right IP/port and handle connection retries and timeouts.

Simple Python-style pseudocode:

from sim import simxStart, simxFinish, simxSynchronous clientID = simxStart('127.0.0.1', 19997, True, True, 5000, 5) if clientID != -1:     simxSynchronous(clientID, True)     # send commands, read sensors...     simxFinish(clientID)

(Adapt to the exact API version shipped with your Player release.)

Common beginner tasks

Inspect a robot model: open the scene, rotate the camera, and watch actuators and joints animate when the simulation runs.
Change simulation speed: use the GUI slider or set a simulation step in scripts.
Log outputs: monitor the console for printouts from Lua scripts to debug behaviors.
Record data: some scenes include data logging; otherwise use remote API calls to sample sensor values and write them to files externally.