Sweeping Geometry

A robot can send an output signal in its program that triggers the sweeping of geometry. By default, signal 81 in a robot is mapped to perform this action.

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  1. Swept Volume
  2. Configure Action
  3. Simulate Action

Swept Volume

Sweeping is a process that encases geometry in a convex hull to create a profile. That profile or volume of geometry can then be generated repeatedly from the beginning and end of its motion path to visual its displacement.

If a profile does not move, you would create its geometry at each iteration in the same space. If the profile moves, you would create its geometry at each iteration along its motion path in a different space.

Methods

The method for generating swept volume determines its precision.

  • Lofting is good for movements requiring small changes.
  • Hull from Hulls supports all types of movements but yields a higher data count.
  • Hull from Silhouettes is a balance of the other two methods and supports simple and complex movements.

Storage

In all cases, you should contain swept volume in a node that does not move during a simulation. Otherwise, the movement of that node would affect the swept volume. The node can be in either:

  • The signaling robot.
  • Another component detected by the signaling robot using a tool frame.
  • A new component that is generated the first time you simulate the action.

Swept volume can be stored permanently in a component or removed from the 3D world when you reset a simulation.

Configure Action

  1. In the 3D world, select a robot.
  2. In the Properties panel, expand the Actions Configuration section.
  3. Under Signal Actions, do one of the following:
    • To configure a new action, set Output to be any signal greater than 81, and then set OnTrue to Swept Volume On.
    • To configure an existing action, set Output to 81 or a signal you have already configured to perform a sweep.
  4. Under Swept Volume On, do all of the following:
    • To define the method to use for generating swept volume, set SweptMethod to the desired option.
    • To define the geometry and profile of the sweep, set SweptGeometry to include nodes containing the desired geometry. You can include any node in the 3D world, but you will first need to expand SweptGeometry, and then use either the Pick button to directly select a node in the 3D world or the Add button to select a node from a list. The order of nodes listed in SweptGeometry has no effect on the action.
    • To define the material of swept volume, set Material to the desired option. If no material is selected, the default material is yellow. It is not possible for the action to use multiple materials given its current implementation, but you can do this using API, see vcSweptVolume for more information.
    •  To define the mode for containing swept volume, set AttachTo to the desired option.
      • If Node, set TargetNode to be the node you want to contain the swept volume.
      • If Closest, define which tool frame in the robot you want to use and what detection area you want to generate from the tool frame's coordinate system to detect a nearby node. This option will exclude all nodes of the robot.
      • If New Component, the component will be added to the 3D world the first time you simulate the action. If you are not storing swept volume, you can use the Cell Graph panel to select the added component.
  5. Under Swept Volume Off, do one of the following:
    • To store swept volume, select the StoreGeometry check box. Swept volume generated by this action will not be removed from the 3D world when you reset a simulation.
    • To not store swept volume, clear the StoreGeometry check box. Swept volume generated by this action will be removed from the 3D world when you reset a simulation.

Simulate Action