Kinematiq SAS RhinoRobot3 User manual

RhinoRobot3
User Manual

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Table of contents
Getting started................................................................................................................................................................4
What is RhinoRobot?..................................................................................................................................................4
System requirements .................................................................................................................................................4
Installation..................................................................................................................................................................4
First start.....................................................................................................................................................................4
License ........................................................................................................................................................................4
User Interface.................................................................................................................................................................5
Displaying RhinoRobot ...............................................................................................................................................5
The Movements tab ...................................................................................................................................................6
The Configuration tab.................................................................................................................................................7
The Export tab ............................................................................................................................................................8
Starting a project ............................................................................................................................................................9
Load a robot................................................................................................................................................................9
Setting up a tool .......................................................................................................................................................11
Setting up multiple tools and bases .........................................................................................................................13
Setting up external axis ............................................................................................................................................14
Linear axis .............................................................................................................................................................14
Rotary axis ............................................................................................................................................................15
Setting up a remote TCP...........................................................................................................................................16
Moving the Robot.........................................................................................................................................................17
Cartesian movement ................................................................................................................................................17
Articular movement..................................................................................................................................................17
Programmed movement ..........................................................................................................................................18
Programming a toolpath...............................................................................................................................................18
Selections..................................................................................................................................................................19
Selecting curves....................................................................................................................................................19
Selecting a mesh...................................................................................................................................................19
Selecting points.....................................................................................................................................................20
Frame options...........................................................................................................................................................21
Frames type ..........................................................................................................................................................21
Distance between frames.....................................................................................................................................21
Frames at kinks.....................................................................................................................................................21
Rotation offset......................................................................................................................................................21
Recording positions ..................................................................................................................................................22
Editing recorded positions........................................................................................................................................23
Customizing your RhinoRobot......................................................................................................................................24
Anatomy of your Grasshopper project file...............................................................................................................24
Directly feeding geometry to the Grasshopper part of RhinoRobot........................................................................26
Customizing your toolpath .......................................................................................................................................26

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Customizing the RhinoRobot interface.....................................................................................................................27
Customizing the Post-processor...............................................................................................................................28
Project naming and Post-Processor matching..........................................................................................................28
Simulating the toolpath................................................................................................................................................29
Testing different axes configurations.......................................................................................................................30
Running a collision check..........................................................................................................................................31
Exporting the program .................................................................................................................................................32

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Getting started
What is RhinoRobot?
RhinoRobot is a simple, easy to use and affordable robotic simulation and programming plugin for Rhinoceros 3D
that enables you to:
-Import a custom environment and a custom tool collection
-Manipulate the robot by its TCP
-Record frame positions
-Define custom frames along a curve or points with orientation options
-Simulate the toolpath with different axes configurations
-Run the simulation of a third-party points file
-Perform singularity, accessibility and collision checks
-Fully customize the post-processor
-Export the simulated program to your robot
System requirements
Hardware:
-Intel Processor i5 or better
-8 GB or more RAM
-1 GB disk space, SSD disk drive is recommended
-OpenGL 2 capable video card recommended
-Internet connection for installation and activation
-Multiple-button mouse with scroll wheel is recommended
Operating systems:
-Windows 10 64 bits, with licensed Rhinoceros 6
Installation
If you don’t already have it, download the latest version of Rhinoceros 3D V6 (90-day trial period)
here: https://www.rhino3d.com/download/rhino-for-windows/6/evaluation
RhinoRobot is not compatible with older versions than the V6.
You are ready to install the latest version of RhinoRobot. You will find it here :
https://www.kinematiq.net/rhinorobot/telechargement/
After downloading the .rhi file just launch it with Rhinoceros 3D closed.
First start
At the end of the installation process, Rhinoceros 3D will start automatically.
If you cannot see the RhinoRobot panel, type "RhinoRobot" in the command line and the panel will appear.
Feel free to contact us if you have any trouble or question.
For a quick start up, go to page 9, "Starting a project".
License
RhinoRobot comes with a 30-day trial license, activation is automatic at first start, after accepting the EULA.

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User Interface
Displaying RhinoRobot
The RhinoRobot installation file will install the user interface inside Rhinoceros 3D.
To display the user interface panel, you can either right click in the panels area and check RhinoRobot, or type
“RhinoRobot” in the command line.

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The Movements tab
Open: Open a RhinoRobot project or model
Save: Save a RhinoRobot project
Save As: Save the RhinoRobot project with a different name
Cartesian
X, Y, Z: fields to enter Cartesian coordinates of the TCP
Rx, Ry, Rz: fields to enter Roll, Pitch and Yaw rotations of the TCP (in degrees)
Reset position: reset the position of the robot
Save position: save the position of the robot as a CPlane, it will be stored in the ‘Named CPlanes’ panel of
Rhinoceros, (see the Record Position Section page 22) and can be used to build a toolpath.
Joint
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6: fields to enter articular positions
E1, E2: fields to enter external axis positions
Programmed
Select curves: Select curves to program targets on
Select mesh: Select a mesh to program targets orientation on
Select points: Select points to program targets on
Frames type: Select the type of frame to use
Distance between frames: Distance between frames along the curve (in mm)
Frames at kinks: Flag to force targets at kinks positions
Rx, Ry, Rz offset: fields to enter a rotation offset of the frames (in degrees)
Play/Pause: Play and pause the simulation at the theoretical speed set in the Export tab

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The Configuration tab
Frames
Base N°: field to select and display the preset base you want to work with
Tool N°: field to select and display the preset tool you want to work with
Axis configuration
Axis configuration: Choose the robot axis configuration
Configuration E1, E2: Select if you want a linear or rotary configuration and if the target axis must be continuously
aligned with the CPlane axis.
External TCP: Flag to set the robot motions as referring to an external TCP
Limits
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, E1, E2: fields to enter the limits of your axis (in degrees)
Display
Frame Axis length: field to enter the length of the displayed axis frames
Simulation steps: distance between each step displayed between two programmed targets
License check: field to check the state of your license

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The Export tab
Acc: field to set the acceleration (mm/s)
Vel: field to set the velocity (mm/s)
Sm: field to set the smoothing (mm/s)
Export: Export the robot program
Export File path: Set the file path for the robot program export
Run Collision check: performs a collision check
Error field: Displays a list of errors (singularities, axis limits, distance limits, collisions…)

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Starting a project
Load a robot
When Rhinoceros is launched, first click on the RhinoRobot panel or type “RhinoRobot” in the command line.
In RhinoRobot, Open the ready-made .3dm file of your robot.
Robot files are available here https://www.kinematiq.net/rhinorobot/telechargement/
If your robot is not there, please contact us, we will make it available as soon as possible.

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Click the Save As button in the RhinoRobot panel and choose a name for your project.
Be sure to always open and interact with a project through the “Open” and “Save” buttons of the RhinoRobot
Panel.
Now if you enter Cartesian values or modify the Joint values in the Movement tab of RhinoRobot, the robot will
move accordingly.
When you save your first project, two files are created, a Rhinoceros .3dm file that contains the geometries and a
Grasshopper .gh file that contains the programming part. Those two files are connected through their name.
You should always open and save the Rhinoceros .3dm file via the RhinoRobot Panel so that its Grasshopper
counterpart can be opened at the same time and be linked with it. If you click on the Grasshopper icon or type
“grasshopper” in the command line, the already opened .gh file will be displayed.
Any robot environment can be added to build a full robot cell. Simply import any supported file format into
Rhinoceros:
.3dm .3dmbak .rws .3mf .3ds .amf .sat .ai .dwg .dxf .dae .cd .x .e57 .dst, .exp .emf .eps .off .gf, .gft .pm .kmz .gts .igs,
.iges .lwo .dgn .udo .fbx .scn .obj .csv .x_t .pdf .ply .asc, .csv, .xyz, .cgo_ascii,.cgo_asci, .pts .txt .raw .m .rib .svg .skp
.slc .sldprt, .sldasm .stp, .step .stl .vda .wrl, .vrml, .vi .gdf .wmf .x3dv .xaml .xgl .zpr

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Setting up a tool
To set up a tool, first import in Rhino the geometry you want to use as a tool. You can either open two sessions of
Rhino and copy and paste geometries or import as a block and then explode it.
Make sure the robot is at his default angle by clicking on the reset position in the RhinoRobot panel, then place the
tool on the robot flange using the Rhino “orient” command.
Once it is in place, select the tool geometries and type “block” in the command line, type 0 and press Enter to set
(Rhino World 0) as the base point and name your block “RR_Tool”, replacing the default existing block.

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Now you have to set up the TCP plane, right click on the RhinoRobot panel tab and make sure “Named CPlanes” is
checked, then click on that tab and select the already existing RR_TCP plane.
Type “CPlane” in the command line and place the plane where you want it to be on your TCP.
Orient it the way you want with the rotate CPlane command in the CPlane tab. Lastly save the new TCP CPlane by
right clicking the RR_TCP in the list of the Named CPlanes and select “Save current CPlane as named CPlane”.
Save the project, the tool is now attached and moves as you move the robot.

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Setting up multiple tools and bases
You may repeat the above process (setting up a tool) to add multiple tools, just increment the name of the new
tool: RR_Tool_1, RR_Tool_2, … And then add the corresponding named TCP CPlanes: RR_TCP_1, RR_TCP_2, …
A base is already set up in the robot file you downloaded from us, to change it or add multiple bases, follow the
same process as for the tools, just name your blocks RR_Base, and then RR_Base_1, RR_Base_2,… and define their
corresponding named CPlanes RR_Base, RR_Base_1, RR_Base_2, …
You will be able to specify the tool and the base you want to work with inside the “Frames” part of the
Configuration tab.
In Grasshopper, you can get the tool and base number by using two Integer variables named “RR_ToolNbr” and
“RR_BaseNbr”. They will be automatically affected when you change those numbers from the RhinoRobot
interface.

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Setting up external axes
Please repeat the general process of the previous section (setting up a tool): import your geometries, set them in
place and then create a block with (Rhino World 0) as the base point. Name it appropriately (RR_E1 or RR_E2 more
coming on this subject), set up a dedicated named CPlane RR_E1 or RR_E2.
You can configure one or two external axes, which can be linear for one and rotary for the other, or two linked
rotary axes.
Linear axis
The linear axis has to be named RR_E1 since RR_E2 is a fixed rotary axis (as in the above image).
The linear axis must move along the y axis (green) direction of the named CPlane.

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Rotary axis
The rotary axis must rotate around the Z axis (blue) of the named CPlane.
The rotary axis can be named E1 or E2, if you name it E1 you have to specify that E1 is rotary in the configuration
tab of the RhinoRobot panel.

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Setting up a remote TCP
First check the External TCP checkbox in the configuration tab of the RhinoRobot panel.
Then follow the general process of the ‘setting up a tool’ section: import your geometries, set them in place and
create a block with (Rhino World 0) as the base point. Name it accordingly (RR_Tool).
What changes is that the CPlane RR_Tool you will set is not on the RR_Tool Rhino Block but at the location of your
choosing (your remote tool).
All the frames of the kinematic are calculated by reference to the robot flange, so you have to set up the curves,
mesh or points in place on the tool with the robot in his default position.

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Moving the Robot
There are three ways to move the robot.
Cartesian movement
You can enter Cartesian coordinates as well as Roll, Pitch and Yaw.
Articular movement
You can interact with the Joint handles or enter articular values.

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Programmed movement
You can program a geometry-based toolpath in the program section. This is covered in detail in the following
‘Programming a toolpath’ section.
Programming a toolpath
RhinoRobot consists of a Grasshopper program interacting with a Rhinoceros 3D interface. You can therefore very
easily integrate any Grasshopper definition to it and generate your custom toolpath. See ‘Anatomy of your
grasshopper project file’ for more information.

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Selections
Selecting curves
RhinoRobot will generate a toolpath based on the curve(s) you select, and optionally a supporting mesh.
Selecting a mesh
Depending on the Frames type you choose, you may need to select a mesh. The selected mesh must be a single
joint mesh, and for good results it’s better to have a finely defined mesh with all its normals directions well aligned.

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Selecting points
RhinoRobot will generate a toolpath based on the selected points. The order will be the selection order, or the
historical one if you select a group of points.