[Done Wish] Add Copy to/Past from RAPID format in complex data control

DenisFR

Hello,

Is it possible to add a "Copy to RAPID format" and "Past from RAPID format" in context menu on complex data control?

Like on "Set Position" pane, now we have to copy field by field.

"Copy to RAPID format" add formatted data to clipboard like: "[[10,20,30],[1,0,0,0]]"

And if we past this clipboard, each values are pasted in X, Y, Z and quaternions fields.

With that you can copy values from one target to other directly, etc.

Niklas Skoglund

Hello @DenisFR, we are working on implementing copying target and jointtarget from a station to RAPID text. We would like to extend the existing copy/apply orientation to also include position and also make it possible to paste to RAPID text. You will find that function on the target context menu in the RobotStudio tree view.
If you can do that, is it still important for you to be able to copy pos/orient from and to the Set Position pane as well?

If yes, would you always like to copy the pos/orient values as they are seen in the Set Position pane and thus take the reference coordinate system into account, or would you like to copy the values in world coordinates? And vice a versa while pasting, would you like to convert the values while pasting into a SetPosition pane so that the coordinates are converted to the current reference?

Which are the main use cases for copying the pos/orient from a target and paste it as a partial robtarget (i.e pos/orient but not external axes and config) in a RAPID module, and the other way around from RAPID to the station? 

cc: @Maxim Riabichev

Niklas Skoglund

@EricH and @DavidR I saw in another post that you have been interested in this topic so I invite you to share your opinion as well if you like. 

Newman

@Niklas Skoglund
This scenario is something I do a lot in RS:

Lets say I'm designing a machine tending cell layout with several identical buffer fixtures on different places in the cell. The robot must reach each fixture for both picking and placing between different machine tending tempos.

Each time I change a grip position (e.g. testing new gripper fingers) I need to re-check that the robot still can reach all buffer fixtures. I then  update the target for fixture 1 and then I want to copy that target and paste it into fixture 2-4. This is the feature I'm missing.

The way I solve this is to take a screen dump of the "set position pane" with reference "parent" and then manually write those values to the other targets. Maybe there is already another way to do this 🤔.

/DavidR

Niklas Skoglund

@DavidR if you update the tooldata corresponding to the fingers each time the fingers change, I think you would not have to update four targets every time.

Let's go back to how you are doing it today. 

With the screenshot and typing numbers method you copy the position of Target 1 relative its workobject, and paste it to the Set Position pane of another target to update its position relative workobject. 

If we provided you with a drop down in the Set Position pane with the following options I guess that does what you want, and more.

Copy Position and Orientation

Paste Position

Paste Orientation

Paste Position and Orientation

Is it useful to being able to paste only the orientation and not the position, for example?

We are right now working on adding the same means to copy and paste position/orientation by the context menu of for example target object in the Paths and Targets browser:

Copy Position and Orientation

 - Relative world

 - Relative parent

Apply Position and Orientation

 - Apply Position

    - Relative world

    - Relative parent

 - Apply Orientation

    - Relative world

    - Relative parent

 - Apply Position and Orientation

   - Relative world

   - Relative parent

If you had to choose only one way to copy/paste, would it be the context menus or the drop down in the Set Position pane?  Or do you really want it all?

Newman

@Niklas Skoglund
Q: Is it useful to being able to paste only the orientation and not the position, for example?
A: Yes I sometimes find it useful to just apply the orientation and not the position. I guess you mean like copy/apply orientation is today? 

Q: If you had to choose only one way to copy/paste, would it be the context menus or the drop down in the Set Position pane?  Or do you really want it all?
A: For me personally the context menu is the more intuitive of the two, and the only one needed.

/David

Maxim Riabichev

Just a heads-up that functionality similar to what was requested in this thread will be available in RS 2024.2 (check release notes for details, when the release is out).