Johns (tool) Bar

Hi everyone I was thinking that I would have a recurring thing here on the forum. JohnsBar, as in Johns toolbar.
It is a VB project, that creates a dll that anyone can use as an add-in for RobotStudio. So anyone who has a good macro or an easy wish for a toolbar button can post here and I might add it to the toolbar.
This is the first version so it has only some simple buttons:
(Hopefully I will create more advanced later on ).
Please write what you think of this idea and what you think of the buttons. Now if this becomes a success I will continually add to it and perhaps create several toolbars for specific purposes.
I will also provide the sourcecode, so if you have MS Visual Studio you can see how I have created the toolbar.
John
Developer Center
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Here I will always post the latest version:
Johnsbar v1.5
Just the addin (for RS version 3.0+ English):
Johnsbar_dll.zipWith sourcecode as well (must have Visual Studio and RS v 2.0+ English):
Johnsbar_source.zipTo add an add-in to RS:
1. Extract the folder to ABB RoboticsAddins
2. Open RS
3. Tools>Add-ins
4. Add, browse to the dll (you need to have dll visible in MS Windows)
5. OK
=Right now these are the buttons:
Floor
Visible on/offMultiRename
First, select any number of objects you wish to rename (like a whole list of targets), then click the MultiRename button. It will rename them in the order selected so you can ctrl+click in any order you wish.
There are three fields:
Name: Fill in the Name that all targets should get
Start: Fill in the number of the first object
Step: Fill in the number to add to each consecutive object
(example: If you select four targets and fill in "p","10", "10", they would be renamed to p10, p20, p30 and p40)
Do not click while running a simulation.SaveAsLibrary
First select a Part, Assembly or Mechanism. This opens up the SaveAsLibrary dialog. (If this one is popular I intend to add a second File toolbar with Import:Library, Import:Geometry, etc)
Do not click while running a simulation.Update rate
Here you can increase or decrease the Update rate, ie the simulation speed. It also works during Simulation so that you can "Fastforward".
(The idea for this one was stolen from Henrik)TCP View Center
Click to change the view to the TCP. (You can click this during simulation to jump to the TCP). The TCP is the one that you currently have selected in the Elements toolbar. So as long as it is in the list you can change to any tool in the station.MultiVisible
Select any number of objects and click to toggle Visible On/Off.
Right now there is no check for illegal objects, I will add that later.PartVisible
Select a part in the browser and click the button. A form will open up that lists all enteties in the part and if they are visible or not. There are three buttons in the form:
Make All Visible, that makes all enteties visible.
Make None Visible, that makes all enteties not visible.
Reverse Visible, that reverses the visible setting for all the enteties.
The form is not that beautiful but it works.
Do not click while runnning a simulation.PartReverse
Select a path in the browser and click the button. It will now create a reverse of that path. Including reversing circular motion and retaining all motion data. (Thanks to Per S, Martin L and Thomas J who all supplied code... Pers didn't copy process data, Thomas didn't copy circular and Martin's didn't copy but got the data. But the mix of them all helped me get it right.) Right now the reversing of a path doesn't reverse circular as well as intended, will fix this later.
Don't click during simulation.Save As with Controller and Program
This will make a Save As (easier for version handling), then into that station's supporting files it will put the current controller and the current program. Now since the copy of the controller is from the start of your current session, so you need to import the program to get your most recent changes.
Only works with RW4.0.
Don't click during simulation.Via Target Copier
This was done by request.
Select a target that you want Via targets to, then click the button. You will get a small form, where you can say how many targets etc. The when you click the ViaTarget button you can fill in a position relative to the target. The new targets will inherit, orientation and ext axis values from the selected target.
Don't click during simulation.Array Copy
John Wiberg38524,6980902778NEW
This was done by request.
Select a Part that you want an array of, then click the button.
You will get questions about the number of copies and the XYZ displacement between the copies.
Remember that if the part is heavy with gfx it could take a while...
Don't click during simulation.John
Developer Center -
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Hello John,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
I think that your idea "Johns toolbar" on the forum is brilliant.
These functions were really needed and they really make it easier to work with RobotStudio.
Thank You for a nice toolbar.
Thomas Andersson
Support Engineer
ABB Automation Technologies
ATMA/RO/AIS -
When I want to install Add-in, RS notify: Run-time error '13': Type mismatch. RS run on Windows XP Professional Version 2002.
Gregor
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[QUOTE=GPetak]
When I want to install Add-in, RS notify: Run-time error '13': Type mismatch. RS run on Windows XP Professional Version 2002.
Gregor
[/QUOTE]
Hi Gregor,
Hmm, that is not good.
Lets see if we can pinpoint what it is. Here are some questions.Which version of RS are you running?
The add-in was built on RS 3.0 build 2135.Do you have any programming environment installed? (like visual studio, delphi, etc)
Do you have excel/powerpoint installed? (I've noticed that VBA usually takes it for granted that the whole suite of MS office is available).
Hopefully I should be able to solve it for you.
John
Developer Center -
Hello John,
I have RS 2.1, no programming environment installed and whole suite of MS office 2002.
Gregor
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OK.
->GPetak
Finally I'm back.
Did some checking, talked to some developers, took a seperate pc and installed 2.1 etc.
So I have some good and some bad news.
The good news is that I found the problem, it is the references in VB that auto-connects to the local version of RobotStudio. This means that add-ins always will be forward compatible but not backwards compatible. Which leads us to the bad news: I usually won't have the time to use a seperate machine to create a specific version of the Johnsbar that is compatible with older versions of RS.
I created one this time though so you can at least get some benefit for your troubles
:
But for all of you out there that has a programmer environment for Visual Basic (like MS:Visual Studio) you can just open the sourcecode and recompile the project and it will autodetect your local version of RobotStudio and build the add-in accordingly.
(I will edit the former posts accordingly).
John
Developer Center -
Oh, and by the way people, I still haven't received any suggestions for more buttons...
John
Developer Center