After you have modeled your work cell in Model Mode, you can create a set of pre-planned robotic motions, specifically the robot’s configurations and the paths connecting them, in Roadmap Mode. The robotic motions are checked for possible collisions during runtime.

Open

Roadmap Mode

Toolbar Overview

Open

Target

Used to add a target, which is a node in a roadmap with a position and orientation that a robot end-effector should be able to reach.

Note:

• A target is a fixed point in space, not a robot joint configuration.

• Targets should stay away from the axis limits of the robot by a minimum 2 degrees.

Update a Target

You can move the location of an existing target to that of the current TCP.

With a robot’s Jog Dialog open and the TCP in the desired new location, select the target to be moved, then click the Update button (which changes from Add when you select the target to be moved).

Sequence

A sequence, or a target sequence, is a list of targets, listed in an order that the robot can follow. Target sequences are specific to a particular robot and its preset.

Click on Sequence in the toolbar to display the Target Sequence dialog.

Note that the property tree displays in black only those targets that have been assigned to the selected robot/preset while targets assigned to Robot2 are grayed out. In the figure above,

Robot1 - The currently selected robot.

default - The current preset.

Name - The automatically-generated name for the new target sequence. The name is customizable.

Select from the Property Tree or Canvas the targets that will be included in the sequence. And you can select a target multiple times if you want the robot to return to the same target, for example a staging position, between different targets.

The targets are numbered in the canvas according to their current order in the Target Sequence dialog.

If you select a target in the dialog, the robot teleports to that target.

Up/Down arrows - Moves the selected target up or down in the listed order.

X button - Deletes the associated target.

Apply - Creates the sequence as currently ordered. RapidPlan Create adds a new target sequence to the Property Tree:

You can double-click on the target sequence name in the Property Tree to display its Target Sequence dialog to add or delete targets, change the order or, in general, make edits to the target sequence.

Yellow text - Target Sequence text that displays in yellow alerts you to potential issues. Hover your cursor over the text to display more information.

Inspecting a Target Sequence

You can inspect and play the robot motions of the end-to-end path created by a target sequence in the same way you inspect and play robot motions for edges. See the Roadmap Inspector section below.

Auto-Connect for a Target Sequence

The Auto-Connect feature, described in the Connect section below, creates connections for all selected targets indiscriminately, meaning that each target in a group is connected to all the other targets in the group. This is not the desired behavior when creating a target sequence where, for example, target1 should only be connected to target2, target2 should only be connected to target3, and so on.

When used for a target sequence, Auto-Connect can automatically create collision-free connections between adjacent pairs of targets in the target sequence all at once. Note, however, that Auto-Connect for target sequences will only generate collision-free paths between target pairs that do not already have connections.

The targets in the target sequence in the image below are not yet connected, as indicated by the yellow text alerts.

Right-click on the sequence in the Property Tree tree and select Create Auto-Connect.

The auto-connect dialog displays the target pairs in the target sequence.

Clicking OK (and then validating the targets) creates the target sequence with the connections in the desired order. The new auto-connects are also displayed in the Property Tree.

Assign

Displays the Target Assignment dialog, where you can identify which robot and which preset to assign the target to, and then choose among the Inverse Kinematic solutions to use to reach that target.

The first IK solution from the IK solution list is always the assigned solution. To select a certain IK solution as the assigned IK solution for a given target, first use the slider to select the IK solution to be assigned. Then press OK button to finalize the selection. The assigned IK solution is now becoming the first IK solution from the IK solution list.

The assigned IK solution for the first target from the target assignment list, is also the seeded IK solution for the target assignments after the first assigned target.

Connect

You can choose to make connections manually, with the Connections Editor, or have RapidPlan Create make them automatically, with Auto-Connect.

Connections Editor

The Connections Editor displays the Edit Connections dialog, where you can manually configure connections between targets. You can specify whether connections should be Joint or Cartesian for each target.

After the connections have been created, Joint connections display as green lines. Cartesian connections display as purple lines.

Joint Connections and Cartesian Connections

When a robot moves between points in space it uses one of two kinds of interpolation: Joint or Cartesian. In the picture below, the green areas represent the joint space and the TCP represents the cartesian space.

Joint connection motion is calculated by linearly interpolating in the robot's joint space between the endpoint joint configurations (j1,j2,j3,j4,j5,j6). Joint space is the “natural” space of the robot: motions created in this space are the optimal to reach the goal.

Cartesian motion is calculated by interpolating in 3D space between the two endpoint frames at a discrete set of intermediate poses (x,y,z,r,p,y of the TCP). Motions in this space are more intuitive to the user, since the TCP will follow a straight line between points, but it has some restrictions like singularities and acceleration/jerk limits when performing certain movements.

No connect radio button – Disconnects all the connections within the current group.

Within Target Group tab - For connections within the current group of targets.

Between Target Groups tab - For connections between groups of targets. Targets within the group are not connected to each other.

Existing Connections tab - Used to select individual connections, instead of targets. Selections are made in the 3D View.

Clear button - Clears the selected items.

Connection Density Sparse/Dense slider - Determines how many connections are to be created between and among targets based upon their distance from each other. Sparse means only the targets closest together are connected to each other. The most dense setting means all targets are connected to all other targets.

Apply button - Must be clicked for any operation to take effect, i.e., the creation of a roadmap, without closing the dialog.

OK button - After the Apply button is pressed to create a roadmap, click the OK button to confirm and close the dialog.

Auto-Connect

Auto-connect is a feature that automatically generates collision-free paths around obstacles without the need to set up a lot of specific targets. Auto-connects may generate additional way-points to avoid collisions between target pairs.

The Auto-Connect dialog displays the robot presets for the currently active robot, in the above example, the tabs: Preset1 and Preset2_Torch.

Name - Automatically generated name for the Auto-Connect. It can be customized.

Joint Limits - Used to set the joint configuration limits when Auto-Connect is generating the roadmap. Initially displays the default robot joint limits. While joint limits are usually hardware-specific, a user might want to specify them manually to avoid certain positions (for example if cables are blocking some rotations of the base). Auto-Connect will take those new joint limits into account when planning.

TCP Constraints - Since most planners are using randomized sampling, the TCP can move arbitrarily through space along a path. A user can avoid this behavior by restricting the TCP motion to an imaginary box in 3D. Users can either restrict TCP motion about an axis (Orientation Constraint) or restrict TCP motion to an imaginaru box in 3D (Translation Constraint). Users can select the reference frame/target for either option. For translation constraint option, user can also clip the limits such that the box either includes all target or includes the reference frame/target.

Object States - Displays the object mates and their potential states. It’s used by Auto-Connect to create a path selectively, based on the states. The options are Present, Suppressed, or All states.

If “All states” is selected for a mate, Auto-connect will try to find a motion path that would avoid obstacles in all object states for the mate.

Advanced Settings

• Maximum planner iterations - One iteration is a single execution step of the Auto-Connect path planner. A larger number of iterations gives the planner more opportunity to find a solution.

• Fast or Optimal mode - Optimization algorithms used to generate the roadmap.

Fast mode - Auto-Connect will return the first feasible solution it finds. Fast mode will fail if no solution has been found in the given number of planner iterations.

Optimal mode - Auto-Connect tries to optimize the solution as best it can given the maximum planner iterations. Optimal mode will fail if no solution has been found in the given number of planner iterations.

Apply - Create the specified connections.

OK - Close the dialog with the settings saved.

Auto-Connect Validity

After defining the parameters of an auto-connect as outlined above, you must validate all or validate remaining to generate a path between the selected targets which meets the criteria. (see details below in section on Validate). Until validated, there is no solution and the auto-connect will appear grey in the property tree. and there will be no edges in the canvas.

Validating an auto-connect will create a new solution if there is no solution that currently exists for an auto-connect.

If a solution has already been generated for an auto-connect, validating will only check for validity. A valid auto-connect edge is indicated as green in the canvas. If an entire auto-connect is valid it will be indicated as black in the property tree. If an auto-connect has any invalid edges it will be red in the property tree and the invalid edges are indicated as red in the canvas.

Making changes which may impact auto-connect validity -

• When transitioning from model back to roadmap mode or adding/removing global collision rules, auto-connects are set to unknown validity however the previously generated solutions are maintained.

• When updating a target position or assignment or adding/removing a collision/clearance rule affecting only part of a roadmap, only the edges of an auto-connect which are affected are set to unknown validity. The previously generated solutions are maintained for all edges.

Auto-connects with a solution that is not yet validated or has some edges which are not yet validated it will appear grey in the property tree and will have edges in the canvas that are yellow to indicate those with unknown validity. If a solution has already been generated for an auto-connect, validating will only check for validity.

Making changes to an auto-connect - If a target is added to the auto-connect definition or a parameter of the auto-connect is changed, a previously generated solution will be removed, so validating will generate a new solution. If a target is removed from an auto-connect or unassigned from a robot+preset, only the affected edges will be removed from the auto-connect and the remaining solution will stay valid.

Regenerating an auto-connect - To remove a solution, right click on the auto-connect and select “Remove Auto-Connect Solution”. Validating an auto-connect without a solution will generate a solution.

Routes

A route is a named, predefined path to navigate between a pair of targets, which includes the smoothing applied at each way-points between the targets.

 To create a route, use the route dialogue to select a start and end target. Waypoints between these will automatically be included in the route. Specify the smoothing at each waypoint or select optimal smoothing. Once a route is created, it will not be updated unless specified by the user. To update a route, a user can choose from the property tree context menu to “get optimal smoothing” which will recalculate the waypoint smoothing for the shortest possible path or to “update path” which will recalculate the entire path to find the shortest possible path.

Route validity in the inspect tool and property tree are the same as auto-connects. To isolate only routes in the canvas view while inspecting, select “routes” and “deselct” edges in visibility settings.

Measure Tool

You can measure the distance between any two items in the 3D View by clicking on them. The Measure dialog box can display minimum (straight-line) distance and dimension-wise (Dx, Dy, and Dz) distance between the two items. In addition, the Measure dialog box can display the Rotational Offset (Rx, Ry, and Rz), if applicable. The user can select between different modes for measuring said distance:

• Face/Edge/Vertex - Allows selection of any face or edge or vertex for any objects or links in the project

• Subassembly - Allows selection of a sub-assembly (part of an assembly or a complex object with multiple parts)

• Object - Allows selection of an entire assembly (or an object)

The Measure tool can display other measurement information such as distance between parallel surfaces, relative plane angles, and total area. 

Jog

You can open RapidPlan Create 2.9 Layout | Robot Jog Dialog.

Preset

The Robot preset dialog exposes the same dialog box for Preset as it is in Model mode. In Roadmap mode, the dialog will allow users to perform only operations restricted to:

• renaming preset

• modifying robot dynamics

To learn more robot dynamics under the preset dialog, please refer to the Robot Dynamics section in the Model Mode documentation of RapidPlan Create.

Inspect

For QA and debugging purposes it is necessary to have some way to validate generated edges. You should be able to see if a robot collides with obstacles while moving through a given edge.

The Roadmap Inspector tool will allow you to:

• Visualize robots in collision

• Visualize robot voxelization

• Visualize connections by validity state (invalid, in progress/unknown, valid) and by connection type (Cartesian or Joint)

• Display edge paths as connections or according to the motion of the TCP

• Play and pause robots motion with adjustable speeds along edges

• Visualize intersecting voxels between multiple robots

• Play complete target sequence motions

Roadmap Inspector - Typical sequence of operation

1. Click on the Inspect button in the toolbar to display the Roadmap Inspector.

2. Click on a robot in the list or on the canvas. (If you click directly on an edge in the canvas, the robot will be automatically selected for you.)

3. Select a path to inspect using one of these methods:

• Click directly on an edge in the canvas.

• Select a target sequence in the Property Tree.

• Select a pair of targets in the Property Tree (using the Shift key to select the second target).

You can select the edges of multiple robots to play their motions at the same time.

If the Auto-play motions check box is checked (default setting), the robot will move along the edge back and forth.

For a target sequence, the robot will move along the targets in the defined order end to end, forward and backward.

Visualizing Robot Paths

There are a number of ways in which you can display the edges, paths, voxels, robot motion speed, etc. based on your settings in the Roadmap Inspector dialog. Below are descriptions of the dialog elements and examples of setting options.

Path selection window - The selected motion paths to be visualized are displayed for each robot.

Reset button - Teleport the robot to its starting position.

Play/Pause buttons - Plays/pauses the robot motion.

Manual control slider - Click and drag the white square slider along the timeline to move the robot along its path manually, (similar to “scrubbing” through an online video timeline).

Path speed - Adjust the speed of the motion from 0% to 100%. Click and hold on the % box, then drag the small square slider.

Total Time - The total time in path is shown for the selected path of that robot. The slider is correlated with the time elapsed shown next to the total time.

Add Robots/Remove Selected/Remove All Robots buttons - Add or remove robots from the current Roadmap Inspector dialog.

Edge Color - Validity State - Display edges according to the validity of their connections:

Legend - Invalid: Red connections.

Legend - In progress/Unknown: Yellow connections.

Legend - Valid: Green connections.

Edge Color - Connection Type - Display edges colored by their type: purple for Cartesian; green for Joint.

Edge Path - Display paths solely by their connected state (straight lines) or by the actual motion the TCP will follow. Examples:

Visibility - The visibility options determine which elements in the canvas are seen or hidden. This feature can be useful for decluttering the canvas. You can, for example, zoom in to inspect an area of invalid edges while filtering out the other valid and in-progress edges. Check or uncheck boxes to display/hide these voxel and edge types:

• Motion Voxels - Gray voxels showing the swept volume and robot dilation along the motion path.

• Intersecting Voxels - Red voxels indicate where the motions of two or more robots would collide following the planned paths.

• Edges - Color coordinated: Invalid, In progress/Unknown, Valid

Auto-play motions - Check to start playing motions immediately after edges, targets, or target sequences are selected for each robot.

Play/Pause Selected - Play or pause the motion of the currently selected robot.

Reset Selected - Teleport the robot to the path’s starting position.

Speed Factor - Drag the slider to adjust the speed of robots. This affects all the robots in the list. Use the numeric spin box for more granular control.

Collision

The Collision drop-down menu allows user to:

Disable Collision Checking for Objects - Same functionality as is the case in Model Mode. To learn more robot dynamics under the preset dialog, please refer to the Collision section in the Model Mode documentation of RapidPlan Create.

Disable Collision Checking Rule - Also known as Collision Rules in the Property Tree, disable collision checking option allows to specify what parts of a robot/preset’s roadmap should be ignored for collision checking. These sets of rules, which are user-defined, are taken into consideration during path planning.

As the selections are made, you can view the rule description at the bottom of the dialog. To view full text, you can copy and paste in a text editor.

Disable Collision Checking for link/object pair - Analyze the entire project for pairs of objects/links which (a) never collide, (b) are always equidistant, and (c) almost always collide. The analysis produces a list of all pairs, accessible from the Collision Analysis menu or from the property tree, that fit the condition aforementioned. As a result, the Collision Analysis dialog provides an option to disable collision checking for all or part of the detected link/object pair.

Both the options above can be accessed from the property tree in roadmap mode.

Clearance

Also known as Clearance Rules in the Property Tree, Clearance option in the tool bar allows to specify a minimum clearance rule when path planning. The rule applies to a robot/preset’s roadmap (or part of the roadmap). These sets of rules, which are user-defined, are taken into consideration during path planning.

As the selections are made, you can view the rule description at the bottom of the dialog. To view full text, you can copy and paste in a text editor.

Validate

Validate checks the roadmap’s targets, configurations, and connections are valid, in preparation for exporting the project file. It is a two-step process.

1. Validating the motion of the robot with a particular TCP to determine if there are any collisions, and whether it is a valid path.

2. For valid paths, it turns robot swept volumes into voxels.

Validate remaining - Validates edges that have not yet been validated, that is, since the last time the Validation button was pressed.

Revalidate All - Validates all edges.

Export

The Export button generates the different CAD files needed for the current project. The project is compressed to a .zip file and saved under the same project folder.