How to Simulate 2D Robots in Gazebo for Use with Open-RMF? Alternatives?

Gazebo
1

Hello Open-RMF and Gazebo community,

I am currently working with Open-RMF for multi-robot coordination and want to keep the simulation environment as lightweight and 2D-focused as possible.

My key questions:

  1. Is it possible to use Gazebo (Classic or Ignition/GZ) to simulate robots in 2D only, for use in an Open-RMF scenario?
    For example: restricting movement to the XY plane only (no Z-axis physics, gravity, or 3D models)?
    I want to simplify the simulation while still testing navigation and coordination in Open-RMF.
  2. If not directly possible, what are the recommended alternatives or workarounds?
    Can I fix the Z-position and lock roll/pitch/yaw in Gazebo to create a “flat world”?
    Is there a way to decouple Gazebo’s 3D physics but still use it with Open-RMF?
  3. Are there any other recommended lightweight 2D simulation tools (e.g., Stage, Flatland, or custom RViz integrations) that:
    Integrate well with Open-RMF and ROS2
    Are easier to use for simple multi-robot simulations without full 3D overhead
    Allow use with RViz for visualization

Any advice or example setups would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks