Hi Mike,
As far as required transforms goes, you really ought to be publishing
transforms for the different frames. You could use the
static_transform_publisher node to publish a static transform, but the
transform from base_link to odom is not static, so you will need to
broadcast that transform yourself.Another option is to use one of the
existing simulators (stage and gazebo) that hook into ROS, which
broadcast all the transforms you should need.The documentation I've been following for this process is at navigation/Tutorials/RobotSetup/TF, which just speaks about setting up a transform between base_link and a sub-part (laser scanner). Is there somewhere else I need to be looking for information about the base_link -> odom and base_link -> map transforms? What do these transforms represent, and what's the relationship between them and the information that's already in my odom topic?
If I make the base_link not be on-board the robot, are there ways that it's going to bite me later if/when I do end up adding a map, or if I'm trying to set up a multi-robot system?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I really appreciate your assistance. I'm trying to do my best document things as I discover them, to help out future newbies.Mike