INSPECT THE RESULT
Automatic conversion does not have to be invisible.
01URDF→
02libsdformat conversion→
03SDF model→
04Gazebo Sim
SDFormat documents gz sdf -p model.urdf as a way to inspect generated SDF and conversion diagnostics.
TARGET SEMANTICS
SDF owns simulation concepts that URDF does not.
World context
SDF can represent worlds, lights, actors and multiple models.
Pose frames
Relative-frame and nested-scope semantics can exceed a simple URDF tree.
Joint types
SDF has simulation-oriented joint constructs beyond portable URDF usage.
Sensors + plugins
Simulation sensors and dynamically loaded plugins are native Gazebo/SDF concerns.
Fixed-joint processing
Conversion can transform rigid structure based on target rules and extensions.
Versioning
The SDFormat spec version is distinct from the libsdformat library release.