# Visual IDE for Teaching ROS 2 on Windows (Early MVP, Feedback Welcome)

**URL:** <https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604>\
**Category:** Projects\
**Created:** [January 2, 2026, 6:26am UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604 "2026-01-02T06:26:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yacin\_hamdi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/yacin_hamdi/32/31723_2.png) [@yacin\_hamdi](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/yacin_hamdi)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 6:26am UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604/1 "2026-01-02T06:26:46Z")

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I’m working on an early-stage visual IDE designed to help beginners and students learn ROS 2 concepts through simulation. The goal is to lower the entry barrier by using block-based workflows to create simple nodes like publishers and subscribers, without requiring prior ROS experience.

This is still an MVP and focused on education rather than replacing standard ROS tools. I’d really appreciate feedback from educators and the ROS community on its usefulness for teaching and what features would matter most in a learning context.

website: [https://ros-blocky.github.io/](https://ros-blocky.github.io/)

 ![Screenshot 2025-12-22 193912](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/ros/original/3X/a/e/aefac938b0f8fed57a1151f7798faf8665a12bb7.png)

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**Author:** ![KimMcG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/kimmcg/32/23853_2.png) [@KimMcG](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/KimMcG)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604/2 "2026-01-06T12:49:49Z")

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Thanks for sharing!

Is this running ROS 2 in the backend or is it just to teach the concepts?

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**Author:** ![Ghisoni\_Enzo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/ghisoni_enzo/32/21741_2.png) [@Ghisoni\_Enzo](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/Ghisoni_Enzo)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 11:00pm UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604/3 "2026-01-08T23:00:33Z")

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The project is pretty fun and could definitely help for robotics teaching (like Scratch for algorithms)!

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**Author:** ![yacin\_hamdi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/yacin_hamdi/32/31723_2.png) [@yacin\_hamdi](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/yacin_hamdi)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604/4 "2026-01-10T20:48:05Z")

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> [@KimMcG](#):
>
> Thanks for sharing!
> 
> Is this running ROS 2 in the backend or is it just to teach the concepts?

Great question! It is definitely running a real ROS 2 Jazzy backend.

When you install the IDE, it uses Pixi to automatically download and configure a contained ROS 2 Jazzy environment. The IDE then interacts directly with that backend to build packages (via `colcon`), run nodes, visualize URDFs, and launch Rviz.

It’s designed to teach the concepts while giving you the power of a full, production-ready ROS 2 installation without the usual setup headaches.

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**Author:** ![yacin\_hamdi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/discourse.openrobotics.org/yacin_hamdi/32/31723_2.png) [@yacin\_hamdi](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/u/yacin_hamdi)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/visual-ide-for-teaching-ros-2-on-windows-early-mvp-feedback-welcome/51604/5 "2026-01-10T20:50:24Z")

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Thank you! That is exactly the goal of the project. We wanted to bring that Scratch-like simplicity to the complex world of ROS 2. By using block-based logic, students can focus on learning robotics algorithms and system architecture without getting stuck on C++ or Python syntax errors in the beginning.