UR SVG Planner

A simple Processing tool to import SVG files and export URscript code to control Universal Robots.

How-To

• Create an SVG file with artboard top-left origin at 0x0m, with width/height 1x1m. Check the file smiley.svg for example.
• On the robot, properly setup the TCP translation/orientation offsets. If using the graphics convention of the origin top-left of drawing, with positive X axis going right, and positive Y axis going down, you must have the Z axis of the TCP pointing away of the tool flange.
• Measure a Plane feature in the Installation tab, so that your workspace has its origin top-right, positive X axis to the right and positive Y axis to the bottom. The positive Z axis will point towards the work surface, with negative Z going up in the air. This is just to follow SVG/graphics convention with positive Y axis going down. If you prefer a more conventional orientation with your origin bottom-left of your work surface, with positive X axis going right and positive Y axis going up, with positive Z axis going away of the work surface, you must mirror and offset your SVG file to match the inverted coordinate systems, and invert your TCP Z axis to point towards the robot tool flange.
• Configure the various settings, default works well for simple path tracing with a pen.
• Place your SVG file in the /data folder, adjust filename_in and filename_out variables.
• Run the sketch, you will have a file with .script extension in the /data folder.
• Place this file on a USB key, insert it in the robot Teach Pendant.
• Create an empty program, add a Code Script block, select File instead of Line, navigate and open your file on the USB drive.
• Set the Speed Slider to a low value like 10% for testing
• Press Play to run your program, pay attention to check that everything matches, offsets and orientation are correct.

This is not safety advice!

Even if cobots like Universal Robots are sort-of-safe, be extremely wary when adding sharp, pointy tools, running at high speeds, etc. Stay out of reach of the robot, wear eye protection if necessary, etc. Always run the robot in Most Restricted safety mode if possible, use the speed slider to test programs and verify that everything is correct.

Configurable options

Bounds limit

For safety, no coordinates will be exported out of this bounding volume, configure it to be as small as possible. It is relative to the chosen installation feature configured.

minX minimum X coordinate, meters (default: 0.0)
maxX maximum X coordinate, meters (default: 1.0)
minY minimum Y coordinate, meters (default: 0.0)
maxY maximum Y coordinate, meters (default: 1.0)
minZ minimum Z coordinate, meters (default: 0.0)
maxZ maximum Z coordinate, meters (default: 1.0)

Homing

The robot can move to a Home position at various moments, for example if you have a mark at known coordinates on your work surface, you can use it to align a tool or verify that it is properly aligned and at the correct height, when using a magic arm to hold a tool for example.

homeOnStart go home on program start (default true)
homeOnEnd go home on program end (default true)
homeAfterEveryPath go home after every path processed (default false)
homeX home X coordinate, meter (default: 0.0)
homeY home Y coordinate, meter (default: 0.0)
homeZ home Z coordinate, meter (default: -0.1)

Tool dipping

If using paint or inks with a tool, the program can allow the robot to go dip the tool before processing every path. Configure the dip coordinate here to match your ink/paint container location, relative to the chosen installation feature.

dipBeforeEveryPath enable tool dipping (default false)
dipX dip X coordinate, meter (default 0.0)
dipY dip Y coordinate, meter (default 0.0)
dipZ dip Z coordinate, meter (default 0.0)
dipApproach dip approach Z coordinate, meter (default -0.1)

Popups to pause program

You can set optional popups that will pause the program at the start, or before processing each path, in case you need to pause the program automatically before continuing. Use popUpBeforeEveryPath in conjunction with homeAfterEveryPath if you desire the robot to move away of the work surface if you need to do anything between paths.

popUpBeforeStart display a popup before starting the program (default true)
popUpBeforeEveryPath display a popup before processing every path (default false)
loopProgram loop program when finished (default false)

Path following or straight Up/Down move per path

If using tools such as needles or only making dots, enable useOnlyCentroid to only go down and up without any horizontal movement, otherwise disable it to follow path contours.

displayOrder display path order, if order is important, it is the reversed order of the SVG path elements (default true)
useOnlyCentroid disable path following, enable pure vertical move, for example when punching holes with needles or making dots with a pen. Will use the XY centroid coordinate of each path (default false)
followPathVector TODO follow path's vector to orient tool in direction of motion, can cause trouble if exceeding axis max rotation (2 turns on axis 6 of a UR5/10, unlimited rotation on axis 6 of UR3)

Digital Output

If using external devices that should be controlled by the robot, enable this option to turn on/off your tool during path processing.

useDigitalOutput enable digital output toggling to turn on/off powered tools (default false)
digitalOutputId digital output id (default 0)

Feeds and Speeds

Set tool velocities and acceleration here.

rapid_ms velocity during movement in air, meter/sec (default 0.25)
feed_ms velocity during process movement, meter/sec (default 0.01)
accel_mss global acceleration, meter/sec2 (default 0.2)
blend_radius_m blending radius to smooth out corners, meter (default 0.001)

Process heights

approach process approach Z coordinate, meter (default -0.05)
processZ process Z coordinate, meter (default 0.0)

Feature

Calibrate a Plane feature in the Installation tab of the robot, you can then reference it here so that your file is processed with its coordinates relative to this feature. If using screen conventions with X positive to the right and Y positive going down, Z axis will be negative when moving away of the work surface and positive to go into the work surface.

feature installation feature name to move relative to (default plane_1)

Filenames

filename_in SVG input filename in /data folder (default smiley.svg)
filename_out URScript output filename in /data (default smiley.script)

OLD TODO

• add CP5 to build GUI
  • File select
  • Feature text
  • Approach height
  • Rapid speed input
  • Feed speed input
  • Accel input
  • Export filename
  • Export button
• Build standalone App into /dist folder
• turn the UR export syntax post-processor into a standalone library

Develop & Contribute

Clone this repository and edit/modify the UR_SVG_Planner Processing sketch in the /src folder.

License

see LICENSE.md