It is possible to make a robot follow curves in the 3D space with RoboDK. Curves in RoboDK can be selected from object edges or imported as a list of points in CSV files. This option is useful for robot welding applications for example.

Note: Most RoboDK plugins for CAD software automatically create the curves and select them in a curve follow project. In that case, you can to configure your robot toolpath as shown in the robot machining section.

Tip: Curves can have a normal vector that will be matched with the tool Z axis (usually normal to the surface).

Select Utilities➔Curve Follow Project to open the curve follow settings. These settings are the same as a Robot Machining Project, the only difference is that the Path input is preset to Select curve.

Select Select curve to select the curve(s) on the screen.

Robot Machining - Image 22

Select the curves with a mouse left click. Selecting the same curve twice will switch the direction of motion. Also, right clicking a previously selected curve allows switching the sense or deselect a previously selected curve.

Robot Machining - Image 23

Note: The order of motion is displayed in green numbers.

Tip: Select Tools➔Options➔Display and reduce the curve pick sensibility if the curves are too close to each other. You can also reduce the size of the green arrows by pressing the minus (-) key.

Right click the screen and select Done or press the Esc key to go back to the settings menu. The green path will display the robot motion with respect to the object.

Some additional options are available at the top right of the settings, such as the tool speed and if the approach/retract moves must be applied for each curve. The default settings are shown in the following image:

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Note: Among other things, the Program Events settings allow changing the motion speed during the approach and retract movements.

Import Curves

Curves can be imported in RoboDK from a CSV file or a text file by selecting Utilities➔Import Curve. A new item will appear in the station showing the curve as an object.

Robot Machining - Image 25

Tip: Drag and drop a CSV file (.csv format) to the main window of RoboDK to automatically import the file as a curve.

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The file can be a text file with the 3D coordinates of each point of the curve. Optionally, the orientation of the Z axis of the tool can be provided as an i,j,k vector. All coordinates must be relative to the coordinate system of the part.

Note: Object edges can be automatically extracted when a STEP or an IGES file is loaded in RoboDK (more information available in the STEP/IGES import section).

Optionally, existing curves of an object can be exported as a CSV file (right click a curve, then, select Export curve), modified and reimported back in RoboDK.

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More information and examples on how to customize import of CSV or TXT files as curves or points is available in the examples section of the RoboDK API.