Recording & Playback

After configuring the sensor settings and learning how to consume live streams, we can capture lidar data for reproducible testing, shareable datasets, or long-term logging.

The Ouster SDK bundles recorders, converters, and playback utilities that operate on the same abstractions used in previous sections.

Key Capabilities

  • One-Command Capture: Record live sensors to OSF or PCAP while simultaneously saving metadata.

  • Deterministic Playback: Replay archived frames for regression tests and reproducibility.

  • Format Conversion: Translate captures into interchange formats (PLY, LAS, ROS bag, CSV) for downstream processing.

  • Granular Control: Trim, filter, or downsample datasets without touching the original raw files.

Best Practices

  • Capture Metadata Together: Always save sensor metadata alongside PCAP files for accurate replay.

  • Record OSF for Rich Workflows: OSF is recommended for advanced workflows, indexing, and multi-stream support.

  • Log Environment State: Note calibration, firmware, and network setup at record time to simplify debugging later.

  • Verify Replay Early: Immediately replay a short segment to confirm the capture is usable before leaving the site.

  • Segment Large Jobs: Split recordings by duration or disk size so processing and transfer stay manageable.

  • Use Filters at Replay Time: Keep the raw dataset intact; apply clip, filter, or mask during playback to generate derivatives.