OpenSCENARIO editor — visual, browser-based scenario authoring
drawtonomy is, first and foremost, a free browser-based
whiteboard for driving scenarios. Because vehicles, paths, and
trigger zones are first-class shapes alongside lanes, the same
canvas also works as a free, browser-based OpenSCENARIO editor:
draw the scene visually, then export ASAM OpenSCENARIO 1.3 .xosc
together with the OpenDRIVE .xodr it runs on, bundled as an
esmini-ready zip you can play immediately.
How it compares to other scenario authoring tools
Section titled “How it compares to other scenario authoring tools”- esmini — the reference OpenSCENARIO player and runtime, with a rich command-line and library API. drawtonomy exports scenarios that esmini plays.
- MathWorks RoadRunner Scenario — a scenario-authoring add-on for RoadRunner. Commercial.
- Cognata / Foretellix Foretify — enterprise scenario platforms. Commercial.
- scenariogeneration / py-scenariogeneration — Python libraries
for generating
.xodr+.xoscprogrammatically.
drawtonomy is the browser-based, visual, free option. It is not trying to replace esmini at runtime or RoadRunner Scenario at scale — it is the whiteboard you reach for before those.
When to reach for drawtonomy
Section titled “When to reach for drawtonomy”- You want to sketch an ADAS test scenario (cut-in, lane change, unprotected left, lead-vehicle braking, pedestrian crossing, roundabout entry) and hand the result to an OpenSCENARIO runtime.
- You want to review a scenario visually with a stakeholder who doesn’t read OSC XML.
- You need to draw the figure for a paper, slide, or design review and keep it executable later.
- You want to go from sketch to esmini-ready zip in one export.
If you need parameter sweeps, fuzzing, or regression-grade test generation at scale, use scenariogeneration or a commercial scenario platform.
Sketching before OpenSCENARIO authoring
Section titled “Sketching before OpenSCENARIO authoring”Hand-writing OpenSCENARIO XML for a small scenario is fine. Sketching it visually first can save time on the layout — the lane network, the participant placement, the rough trajectories — before you sit down to write the rest of the XML.
drawtonomy is built for that sketch step. It is not a production scenario authoring tool.
What you’ll get out of the sketch step
Section titled “What you’ll get out of the sketch step”- A
.drawtonomy.svgsource you can re-edit later (good for figures and variants). - An exported
.xosc+.xodr+run.shzip you can play in esmini for a simple version of the scene. - A baseline you can hand-edit further.
What you won’t get
Section titled “What you won’t get”- A scenario with conditional triggers, parameter sweeps, custom controllers, or dense traffic flows. drawtonomy doesn’t express those.
- Full coverage of the OpenSCENARIO 1.3 spec. Only a subset is in the exporter.
- A scenario that’s ready to ship into a regression suite without further work.
Treat the export as a starting point. Layouts come out of the sketch step quickly; logic still belongs in XML or in code.
The workflow
Section titled “The workflow”- Sketch the road network. Lane Tool, Intersection Templates, Crosswalk shapes.
- Place participants. Ego on a specific lane, other entities at known longitudinal offsets.
- Indicate intent. Path arrows show what you mean each entity to do. Treat them as visual notes for yourself, not as full trigger definitions.
- Export the esmini bundle and play it. Confirm the layout looks right.
- Open the
.xoscin a text editor and add the things drawtonomy doesn’t express — triggers, parameter declarations, custom storyboards, anything beyond simple paths.
When this isn’t worth it
Section titled “When this isn’t worth it”- Tiny one-shot scenario — just write the XML directly.
- Scenario fleets — generate from a DSL, not from a canvas.
- High-fidelity HD maps — use a dedicated HD-map tool.