The teach pendant includes a 3D graphics processing engine. This enables the teach pendant to display the robot, tooling, parts and other cell components in 3D desktop quality graphics. When coupled with the robot controller internal data, the teach pendant displays otherwise invisible data in the robot as the 4th dimension of information.
When moving the robot with the pendant enabled, be sure to watch the robot instead of watching the teach pendant screen. After the robot is in a safe state, you can examine the pendant graphics. Otherwise, you could injure personnel or damage equipment.
R764 4D Graphics is required for most of the functionality defined in this chapter.
4D graphics might not be an accurate representation of the real world, so actual program verification with the robot arm is still required. Otherwise, you could injure personnel or damage equipment.
Since the graphics processing occurs on the teach pendant, there is no impact to the performance of the robot operating system. In the case of displaying the position screen, the text for the position of the robot is sent to the teach pendant. In the case of 3D display of the robot arm, similar text is sent to the robot. The conversion of the text into a 3D waving robot model is all done on the pendant itself.
The robot controller operates in three-dimensional space. Robot positions, frames of reference, etc., within three-dimensional space are represented to the user by the letters X, Y, Z (location) and W, P, and R (Orientation). While these letter designations accurately convey positional information, using 3D graphics to display this significant data makes things much clearer.
The invisible data that can be displayed are:
The points (nodes) in a TP program and their logical connections.
DCS safety zones.
Robot jog settings.
Exact path that the robot followed.
Logical tool center point (does it match the physical TCP).
Frame settings.
Position register settings.
Interference zones.
Line tracking boundaries.
Vision camera setups.
In addition to displaying this internal data, the pendant can also display traditional graphics files provided by ROBOGUIDE. This allows the robot’s surroundings (fences, conveyers, and so forth) to be displayed. This context allows the operator to see the relationship between the real world and the graphical world displayed on the pendant.
Screen modes allow the user to view up to three viewing panes on the Teach Pendant screen at any given time. The 4D menus can be used in any screen mode. In full screen mode, the entire screen is devoted to displaying 4D data. This has the advantage of showing the maximum amount of 4D context. In addition to the 4D world data, text can be displayed to label elements. This text provides a good reference back to the traditional text representation of the data.
Dual screen mode allows related text information to be displayed in the left pane and graphics in the right pane. For example, the text TP program can be displayed in the left in text form and that same program can be displayed graphically in a 4D node map on the right.
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When the system is operating in dual pane mode, the graphical pane and the test pane are linked. The linked information will stay synchronized between the two panes. This is indicated by the color of the title bar of the unfocussed pane. In linked mode, when you cursor in the text window the selected item is also selected in the 4D world. If you select an item in the graphics screen with the touch panel, that item is selected in the text menu as well.
Transitions between full screen mode and dual screen mode are quick and easy requiring a single touch or a single keystroke. The context of the operation is maintained through this transition as is the center of the screen view and the magnification.
Multiple 4D windows can be displayed at the same time. Different windows are independent and have no restrictions on what can be displayed or how it can be displayed. Up to eight windows can be displayed between the teach pendant and external connections.
The 4D menus use scenes (Refer to Section 2.1, "VIEWING 4D SCENES" ) to allow you to select what information you want to see. If all of the invisible information were shown at the same time, the display would become cluttered making it difficult to see the specific information of interest. Scenes allow you to filter that information and look at a subset. You can select a specific scene like DCS, or you can show multiple scenes like DCS and node map at the same time.
The system provides controls to manipulate what information is displayed on the screen. These controls allow you to adjust magnification, position, and orientation of the 4D view. Each scene has its own viewpoint.
The 4D display can be accessed from a remote PC. In addition to Monitor iPendant (ECHO) and Navigate iPendant (CGTP), a full screen Internet Explorer graphical window can display any data which is shown on the pane of the teach pendant. A link to this Full Screen 4D Display is found on the robot home page.
4D navigation is done using the i key (
). It works
like a shift key in that it is pressed along with another key to provide
a special function. This special function is not always related to
4D, but it often is.
Refer to the application-specific Setup and Operations Manual for a complete
description of the
options.
There are several ways to get to the 4D screen:
+ POSITION displays the full screen view
The TOP menu has many 4D related ICONS
+ EDIT displays the TP Editor and Node map
+ DATA displays the Position register screen and 4D map
Touching the i symbol on the focus bar may bring up a menu with graphical entries
“4D Graphics” is under the standard menus on the second page item five.
“4D Graphics” in the same group as position so is accessible form the position type menu
If R764 4D Graphics is not loaded the only thing displayed will be the robot. There will not be any 4D shortcuts in the TOP menu.
The top menu has a full page of 4D shortcuts accessed by pressing the 4D soft key.
After you are in the 4D display, navigation allows you to adjust the view point in order to see what you need to see. The soft keys determine the “mode” of operation of this sort of navigation. These keys allow you to:
Zoom the image in and out to narrow in on an item of interest
Pan around in the image to see different items from the same angle
Rotate the image in order to see the information from a different angle
All of these movements can be accomplished with the touch screen or the arrow keys.
After the view is set, the hard keys above can be used to transition quickly between full screen mode and dual pane mode. In the case where hard keys are not available maximize and minimize can be used to transition quickly between these modes without loosing context.
Refer to the application-specific Setup and Operations Manual for a discussion on window setting.
Each scene has its own viewpoint. This means that once the system is adjusted for a particular operation, coming back to that operation shows the same information. The following example illustrates:
A viewpoint is set up which shows DCS controls from a wide angle so that all zones are visible in on the screen,
The node map (TP program display) is selected for operation. The viewpoint is set for optimal viewing of that program.
DCS setup is selected and the same information is shown that was shown the last time this sceen was displayed.
The node map is selected for operation. The viewpoint is still set for optimal viewing of that program.
Displaying the robot is basic for 4D Display. The robot is always displayed and always moves as the real robot moves. Even when the 4D Graphics option is not available, the robots and the floor are displayed.
The black triad is the tool center point (TCP). A triad is a symbolic representation of a robot position and orientation. It shows the XYZ coordinate of a point in space and its orientation. Triads are used extensively to represent positions such as program positions and position registers. Triads are used to show coordinate frames such as visual jogging and frame setup.
The black triad is exactly 500mm from the faceplate of the robot. As the robot moves the black triad moves. As the robot executes a program in single step mode the black triad will exactly line up with the triads representing the taught points. If the tool center point is changed, the black triad will move. Generally the system will include a graphical representation of the tool as well as this triad.
All groups are shown. When the teach pendant is enabled, a particular group is always selected for teach pendant operations.On the status line G2 is displayed which also corresponds to the selected group. When a robot is selected for operation, the Tool Center Point (TCP) indicator is bright green. Other displayed robot TCPs are black.
The floor is always shown with a 1 meter grid. This provides a good reference point for being “square.” The group one robot is positioned, by default, on the floor in the center with the X and Y coordinates of the robot lined up with the grid. Note that certain robots, such as the M-3iA, are top mounted so hung by default two meters above the floor hanging down. Robots can be repositioned in the cell by setting the $CELL_GRP[x].$CELL_FRAME system variable. This variable can also be used for robot calibration depending on the application. .
One of the main purposes of the 4D system is to provide views of TP programs. This can be used in many contexts including the SELECT menu, the editor, and various utilities.
In both full screen mode and dual screen mode, the program that is used in the “4D Edit Node Map” scene is the default program. This is the program which is selected in the left window of in the full screen SELECT screen. This is also the program which will execute if you press the SHIFT+FWD buttons.
If you want to view a specific program, select it from the SELECT menu. Any operations that you perform in whole mode of dual screen mode with the “4D Edit Node Map” scene will follow that program.
A second program can be viewed which is not the default program. This is the program the cursor is on in the SELECT menu. Any operations that you perform in whole mode or dual screen mode with the “4D Select Node Map” scene will follow that program. Certain utilities will also set this program when they are used with a graphics screen.
Any change to frames is always immediately reflected in the 4D views. There is no user action required to make this happen. For example a TP program has positions recorded in a vision frame. The points will move in the node map view as the vision offset frame on the controller change. Points which are not in the vision frame will not move.
Any programs which are taught in a line tracking frame or in a coordinated frame will be displayed in that frame. When you look at the taught program in the node map editor, you will see the points with respect to the part in a particular position. As the line moves or the coordinated frame moves, the points will move as a whole with the connected frame.
By definition, position registers are in the “current” frame. This might depend on context so position registers might not be displayed in a frame that they are not associated with. Set the correct frame to see the registers in the correct frame.
Each group is separately identified in the 4D system. The robots associated with those groups are always graphically displayed. The currently selected group displayed in the status window will be highlighted when the teach pendant is enabled.
This makes it obvious which group is selected for a teach pendant operation. If that operation is jogging, then addition information on jog type, frame and direction will be displayed associated with that group.
This provides the means to display information that moves with the group and is associated with that group easily. The tool for group 1 is a different entity than the tool for group 2. The jog information moves as the group moves. Other information like this can be displayed with the group such as line tracking boundaries.
The 4D world is divided into a number of different scenes. Each scene displays different information. If all of the invisible data on the robot were shown at the same time it would be difficult to find what you are looking for. Scenes filter that information so that you can look in a particular area for an issue without being distracted by information that is not of interest for the current operation.
Some 4D world information is always shown. This information serves as a “background” for the scene that you want to view. The background consists of:
The floor to serve as a reference.
The robot arm(s) and other mechanisms.
End of arm tooling.
Cell components that have been configured with ROBOGUIDE for use on the 4D pendant. See Section 13, "4D CUSTOMIZATION" for details on how this works.
Scenes are changed in a similar fashion as menus are changed for the text menus. In any 4D menu, F1 is the [ TYPE ] key. This key allows you to select what data to display in addition to the background. Available scenes depend on options.
Each scene has a view associated with it. As the scene is changed, the viewpoint is changed to correspond to the viewpoint which was set the last time that scene was viewed. Typically you want to look at DCS setting from a wide view and programs from a narrower view.
The standard scene is “4D Display”- by default this scene only shows the background. Other scenes can be made visible on a scene by scene basis. This is the only scene you can composite together multiple scenes to be viewed together. For example, this scene can display DCS and node map in the same screen.
The standard scenes are:
4D Display —shows the background plus any selected scene(s).
4D Edit Node Map –shows the current default program graphical view or node map.
4D Select Node Map —shows the node map of the program that corresponds to the where the cursor is in the SELECT menu.
4D Position Reg —shows the current position registers in the currently selected frame.
4D TCP Trace —will show the path the robot takes when this screen is active while the robot is moving.
4D Frame Display —shows the last frame shown in the frame setup menu.
Position display shows the standard text position display.
Optional scenes include:
4D DCS Display —shows the DCS setup or the last scene shown in the DCS setup menu.
4D iRVision —shows camera locations and view areas.
4D IIC Display —shows interference information.
4D Pick Boundaries —shows boundaries for PickTOOL.
4D Pick Frames —shows frames for PickTOOL
4D Pick Registers —shows registers for PickTOOL
The touch screen makes the 4D menus much more convenient to use. The key to using these menus effectively is the ability to change the position, angle and magnification of the 4D screen. This process provides the means to get the information critical for the current operation optimally displayed on the 4D screen.
Arrow keys may also be used to adjust the view incrementally. Pressing SHIFT-ARROW will use a larger increment. Holding the arrow will cause the view to change as long as the arrow is pressed.
An optional USB mouse can also be used to manipulate the 4D display.
For the following sections any action initiated by touch can be initiated by clicking the left mouse button. The right mouse button always makes the selection regardless of the mode setting.
Zooming the view consists of changing the magnification. Increasing the magnification makes the objects larger but the field of view is narrow. Decreasing the magnification widens the field of view but the objects in the view become smaller.
To zoom the view:
Press F3 to set the system to zoom mode as shown above.
Touch and release near the top of the screen to increase the magnification.
Touch and release near the bottom of the screen to decrease magnification.
Firmly touch and hold the screen and zoom the image by dragging your finger up and down on the screen. Be sure to maintain contact by pressing firmly or using the fingernail side of your finger. Beeping means that you are not maintaining contact.
Use the up arrow to increase the magnification.
Use the down arrow decrease the magnification.
Holding the arrow will cause the magnification to continue changing as long as the arrow is pressed.
Panning the view consists of moving the view left, right, up and down.
To pan the view:
Press F4 to set the system to PAN mode as shown above.
Firmly touch and release a point on the screen to make it the center of the view. When you release the image will jump so that the touch point is the center.
Firmly touch and hold the screen and drag the image around the screen. The image will follow your finger. Be sure to maintain contact by pressing firmly or using fingernail side of your finger. Beeping means that you are not maintaining contact. Releasing the touch leaves the view where it was dragged.
Use the arrow keys to move the image up, down left and right. SHIFT-ARROW moves further.
Holding the arrow will cause the views to continue moving as long as the arrow is pressed.
Rotating the view consists of rotating the view left, right, up and down. The center of rotation is the selected item. By default, the selected item is the tool center point. Rotating left and right is like walking around the cell. Rotating up down is like climbing up and down a ladder to see the cell from an elevated position.
To rotate the view:
Press F5 to set the system to ROTATE mode as shown above.
Touch and release the view to “push” that part of the screen away from you. This will cause the view to tilt in response to a touch in a specific area.
Firmly touch and hold the screen and rotate the image by dragging your finger on the screen. The image will rotate with the action of your finger. Be sure to maintain contact by pressing firmly or using the fingernail side of your finger. Beeping means that you are not maintaining contact.
Use the arrow keys to rotate the image up, down left and right.
Holding the arrow will cause the views to continue rotating as long as the arrow is pressed.
Selecting an item consists of touching it on the touch screen or cursoring in a related text view.
To select an item:
Press F2 to set the system to SELECT mode as shown in above.
Firmly touch the item that you want to select.
With an optional USB mouse right click to select an item.
The selected item will be highlighted in the graphical view and the linked text if the view is linked. In come cases, additional information will be displayed about the selected item.
The 4D Display system provides seven preset views. The default view provides a view from 45 degrees. This view is often a good starting point for setting the view. It will also put information back on the screen in the case where it has inadvertently been lost. All preset views will center the floor in the middle of the view.
The other six views are orthogonal views. These views are from the top, bottom, left, right, front and back.
Procedure 1. Selecting a View
Press NEXT to view the second page of soft keys.
Press the [VIEW] key to display the selection of preset and user views.
Select the type view you want to display with the softkey.
PRESET- Fixed views from specific viewpoints.
USER-Views recorded and named by user.
Select the view that you want to use.
Touch the view that you want to be displayed.
Use the arrow keys to cursor to the view to be selected.
Use the number keys to select a specific view and then hit enter.
In addition to selecting a preset view you can also select a “picture in picture” or PIP view. This allows you to view a small version of one scene within another. The PIP window remembers its content so when you swap a scene and viewpoint into the PIP window it will remember what was there the next time you bring up PIP.
To manipulate picture in picture (PIP) views:
Select F4 from the preset view menu to show the PIP view.
Touch the PIP sub-window view to swap the main windows and the PIP window.
Use the ITEM key to swap the main windows and the PIP window.
Use the PREV key to dismiss the PIP window.
Use any menu key to dismiss the PIP window.
The 4D system provides eight user definable views. These views can be recorded and then retrieved by selecting them.
By default these views are not initialized (indicated by the ***) and named User View 1–8. These views can be recorded and named to suit the needs of a specific installation.
Procedure 2. Selecting a View
Press NEXT to view the second page of soft keys.
Press the [VIEW] key to display the selection of preset and user views.
Select the type view you want to display with the softkey.
PRESET- Fixed views from specific viewpoints.
USER-Views recorded and named by user.
Select the view that you want to use.
Touch the view that you want to be displayed.
Use the arrow keys to cursor to the view to be selected.
Use the number keys to select a specific view and then hit enter.
Set up the screen to display what you want to record using the PAN, ROTATE and ZOOM functions.
Press NEXT to view the second page of soft keys.
Press the [VIEW] key to display the selection of preset and user views.
Select F2 USER to display the list of user views.
Cursor to the view to be recorded.
Select F4 RECORD to record the current view into the user view.
You can also select F5 RENAME and name the view without exiting the menu.
Press NEXT to view the second page of soft keys.
Press the [VIEW] key to display the selection of preset and user views.
Select F2 USER to display the list of user views.
Cursor to the view to be named.
Select F5 RENAME and enter the new name in the input box.
You can also select F4 RECORD and record the current view without exiting the menu.
The elements which are visible in each screen are typically controlled by the visibility softkey on page two of the soft keys. In other cases, the visibility is based on what operation last took place in the linked screen.
For the “4D Display,” the visibility key controls which scene(s) are displayed. The visibility key displays the menu of scenes which can be toggled on and off. This allows you to display multiple scenes at the same time.
For all of the other scenes, the visibility key controls visibility of aspects of that scene such as text labels. For the register and node map scenes, you can control the visibility of the text labels. In the node map screen you can control the visibility of called programs.
The other scenes are controlled by the menu with which they are linked. In the frame setup menu the frame that the cursor is on is visible. When a DETAIL menu is displayed the frame and setup points associated with that frame are displayed. The other frames are not visible.
For DCS, the Cartesian limits and robot restrictions are visible by default. After you link the DCS setup screen to the graphical pane, the last selected setup item is visible in the DCS graphics screen.
For the main graphics display screen which is the first entry in the [TYPE] menu visibility is special. This visibility allows you to display any combination of information from the other scenes. For example you can display the “4D Edit Node Map” and the “4D TCP Trace” at the same time in this screen. Visibility is where you select what 4D information is visible.
The menu highlights which of the 4D elements are currently selected. From this menu you can “HIDE” or “SHOW” different elements.
Select next from the function key menu.
Select [VISIBLE] from F2 or [RIPE] from F3. Any elements which are currently visible will be displayed in BLUE.
Select the element that you wish to hide or show.
Touch the item of interest and the visibility will be toggled.
Enter the number of the element you want to change and F5 to HIDE or SHOW it.
Use the arrow keys to cursor to the element you want to change and F5 to HIDE or SHOW it.
Exit the [VISIBLE] menu by hitting PREV, ENTER, F1, F2, F3 or any other menu key.
Visual jogging allows the coordinate system and the group selected
for jogging to be indicated on the 4D display. It also allows you
to preview the direction that the robot will move before actually
jogging the robot. The jog indicators are displayed whenever the teach
pendant is enabled and jog preview is turned on. It is not necessary
to engage the DEADMAN in order to see the indicators. To turn jog
preview on, press the
and the COORD key simultaneously. This operation
toggles the visibility of the jog indicators on and off.
When moving the robot with the pendant enabled, be sure to watch the robot instead of watching the TP screen. After the robot is in a safe state you can examine the pendant graphics.
This concept applies for all applications. The Cartesian coordinate system at the tool center point of the robot shows what coordinate system in which the robot will jog. The red, green, and blue axes correspond to the X, Y and Z jog directions.
For details on jogging in different coordinate systems, refer to the application-specific Setup and Operations Manual.
As the coordinate system is changed (COORD key by itself) the display will show the currently selected coordinate system. This will work for all coordinate systems supported by your robot system.
PATH coordinate system is not always valid. In this case visual jog will not show a coordinate system and the jog keys will be ineffective.
Each joint that can be jogged has a indicator consisting of:
A semi-transparent fan indicating the arc of joint motion and the proximity of joint limits.
A needle gauge showing the current joint position.
A blue arrow tangent to the fan showing the positive jog direction
A label naming the corresponding joint.
The fan will turn red as the robot is jogged closer to the limit. When the robot is jogged all the way to the limit the needle gauge will be at the boundary between the red and green color of the fan.
This sort of display applies to any sort of mechanism connected to the robot controller. A linear mechanism is similar but slightly different to reflect that joint jogging is a linear operation. In the case the fan is replaced by a rectangle with similar functionality.
Visual jogging will also preview the direction of movement of
the robot when a particular jog key is pressed. This feature is activated
when pressing a single jog key at the same time as the
. Note that pressing
more than one jog key will display the jog direction of the last key
pressed. It is not necessary to enable the DEADMAN or clear errors.
The preview will always be shown.
The system must be in any 4D graphical display in order to see
the jog preview information. Pressing
and a jog key
will NOT bring up the 4D display. Pressing
at the same time as the position key
is an easy way to bring up full screen 4D graphics for assistance
in jogging the robot. The jog preview indicator is a single red arrow
indicating the direction that the robot will move.
Depending on the setting of the speed override (refer to the application-specific Setup and Operations Manual) the size of the arrow will change. For low speed it will be short, for high speed it will be long.
In this case the blue arrow shows the direction that the robot will move when the SHIFT and +Z keys is pressed. The length of the arrow will depend on the jog speed. for this example the override is 50%.
These will be displayed when you press
and a positive rotation
key (+X(J4), (+Y(J5) or (+Z(J6). The robot will rotate about the tool
center point in the plane shown by the circle.
The red arrow along the fan show the direction that the robot will move if the SHIFT + (J4) is pressed.
The 4D visualization of TP programs is called a node map. This shows all the points in the program as small triads in 3D in the “4D Edit Node Map” screen.
This is true if it is shown full screen or in the right pane for dual mode. In the case of dual mode the right pane is always linked to the default program.
To get to the graphical node map screen:
Press
+EDIT.
Or from the TP edit screen press
+ FCTN and select “4D
Edit Node Map”.
Or from the TP edit screen touch the i symbol on the left side of the focus bar and select “4D Edit Node Map”.
Or press ENTER from the graphical select menu.
The main purpose of this is to see the relationship among the positions in a program. It also allows you to relate the line of the TP program to the point in space where the position is taught. For example, if you know you want to adjust the highest point in the program, you can find that point easily without moving the robot.
As the program is edited, the graphical view always reflects the current status of the edited program. As points are added, deleted, or touched up, the graphical view is updated to reflect those changes.
The points are all linked by lines. Typically the lines are black but if the point is ambiguous the lines may be red.
These lines do NOT indicate the exact path that the robot will take. Instead they illustrate the sequence in which the points will be visited in the program. To see the actual path of the program see Section 8, "TCP TRACE ".
The color of the triads varies depending on conditions. A yellow triad indicates that the position is a PR or INC option is used in the motion statement.
The color of the lines also varies on conditions. For example, a red line indicates that there is a point without position data between the two nodes. Using AR (argument register) as index in a point also gives a red line because the value of AR is not clear until a program is executed.
Points in the program which are position registers are also displayed as triads. The easy way to tell that they are registers is to enable the point labels. Visibility toggles the point labels off and on. The point labels include the position register number and comment. For the full edit line, refer to the linked edit pane.
The larger green triad indicates the selected point. This will correspond to the text cursor in linked dual pane mode. As the cursor is changed in the text pane, the green highlight will change to correspond to the selected point. Touching a point in the graphical screen in select mode will change that point triad to a larger green triad and move the text highlight to the corresponding TP line in the linked left pane. Selecting the point from either pane makes that point the center of rotation for rotational view adjustment.
The 4D scene displays the graphical content of the program which is highlighted by the cursor in the SELECT screen. In this case it may NOT be the selected program. As the cursor is moved up and down in the SELECT menu, the program display changes to correspond to the program that the text cursor is on. This allows the programs to be quickly reviewed such that the correct program is selected.
To bring up the linked select screen:
Press
+SELECT
Or when in the SELECT screen press
+FCTN and select “4D
Select Node Map”
Or touch the graphical i on the right side of the focus bar and select “4D Select Node Map ”
This program is loaded in to the “4D Select Node Map” and will be displayed when the “4D Select Node Map” is displayed. After you press ENTER to edit the program, the system will automatically go into linked edit mode. The brings up the text editor on the left and the node map in the right. Now the selected program and the default program are the same program. Pressing ENTER has selected the program into the default.
If you do not press ENTER, the program displayed in the “4D Select Node Map” in the right pane remains associated with the select scene. The next time you enter the “4D Select Node Map” in any context, that is the program that will be displayed. Any time in any context you enter the “4D Edit Node map” scene the default program is shown.
Two programs can be viewed by using the program associated with the “4D Select Node Map ” scene and the default program associated with the “4D Edit Node Map” scene. To select the default program, cursor to it in the SELECT screen and press ENTER. To load a program into the “4D Select Node Map” scene, cursor to a program n the SELECT screen and leave the cursor there.
This allows you to examine a program which is NOT the default program. In general the “4D Edit Node Map” always displays the default program. “4D Select Node Map” displays the program that the cursor is on in the SELECT screen. Going to full screen allows the program to be closely examined without impacting the default program.
Another advantage of this is that the selected program can be displayed in one pane at the same time the default program node map is displayed in the other pane. This allows two programs to be viewed at the same time in the graphical environment.
Procedure 3. Viewing two Programs
Edit the first program of interest in the left pane. This is the default program.
Bring up the linked select view:
Press
+SELECT
Or press SELECT and press
+FCTN and select “4D
Select Node Map ”
Or press SELECT and touch the i on the left side of the task bar and select “Select”
Cursor to the second program of interest. This program is displayed in the right pane graphically.
Bring up the 4D Display in the left pane:
Press the position hardkey and select “4D Display” from the type menu.
Or use MENU-0–5 and select “4D Display”
Or go to top menu and select “4D Split Screen”
Select “4D Edit Node Map” from the type menu
This will show the default program in the left pane using the “4D Edit Node Map” scene and the SELECT cursored program in the right pane using the “4D Select Node Map” scene.
This is one example of how this can be set up and used. There are many other applications for viewing different graphical scenes in the two windows or viewing the same scene from different viewpoints in the two windows.
Many of the utility programs modify programs. It is possible to view the result of these programs in dual mode. In this case the panes are not linked in any way.
Utilities can operate on programs which are the default program or the currently selected program. Either program view can be used to display the result of the utility operation. The panes are not linked because the graphics pane is showing the current status of the program associated with that scene.
Mirror can operate on any program but in order to view the result interactively it must be either the default program or the program loaded into the select scene.
Some of the utilities which can benefit from this are:
Program adjust
Program Shift
Mirror Image Shift
Tool offset
To set up this operation you must select the program of interest as the default program or cursor to it in the SELECT screen. If the program being operated on is not the same as the “4D Edit Node Map” or “4D Select Node Map” program the utility will make it the “4D Select Node Map” program so it can viewed.
Press
+FCTN and select “4D Edit Node Map” or
“4D Select Node Map”
Touch the i on the status bar and select “4D Edit Node Map” or “4D Select Node Map”
If there is not an i displayed graphically in the corner of the screen then this utility does not support bringing up the program automatically. In this case the program of interest must be selected or be the default. To make it the default edit it in the left pane. To make it the selected program (only affects graphics):
Bring up the linked select view:
Press
+SELECT
Or press SELECT and press
+FCTN and select “4D
Select Node Map”
Or press SELECT and touch the i on the left side of the task bar and select “Select”
Cursor to the program of interest. This program is displayed in the right pane graphically.
Bring up the utility in the left pane via the standard menus
The “4D TCP Trace” scene provides the capability to view the actual path that the robot took when executing a program. The key element is that you must be displaying the “4D TCP Trace” while the program is executing in order to see the trace.
TCP trace works by sampling the actual position of the robot periodically. This is displayed as a line in XYZ space. Rotational information is not displayed at this release.
Select the graphical view in whole mode or dual mode with other information of interest in the LEFT pane.
Select the TCP trace scene from the type menu.
Run the program
Examine the resultant trace for problems.
When executing a program be sure to watch the robot. Do not watch the TP screen. After the robot is in a safe state you can examine the result.
Running the program with motion DISABLED will also display the trace and movement of the graphical robot.
Refer to the application-specific Setup and Operations Manual for details on test running your program.
The Frame Setup screens offer a related 4D view. When this view is activated, you will be shown the 4D world with details about the current frame setup operation.
The text view and the graphics view are linked. A large blue triad representing the location and orientation of the frame currently being set up is shown in the 4D world. If you are on the 3, 4 or 6 point detail screen, a small triad is displayed for each recorded point. The point currently highlighted in the text pane will also be highlighted in the graphics pane as a green triad.
Changes made in the Frame Setup menu are immediately reflected in the 4D world. Any other changes to the frames such as a vision offset are immediately reflected.
The 4D display for position registers provides a graphical display for position registers which is very similar to node map described in Section 4, "EDIT NODE MAP SCREEN" .
Each recorded position register is displayed as a triad in the graphical pane. The selected register is displayed as a larger green triad.
Any register which has been set to joint representation will not be displayed. The default representations for registers is Cartesian, so unless the default representation is changed, the register will be displayed.
In dual pane mode, the text view is linked to the graphical view. The highlighted register in the text view corresponds to the highlighted register in the graphical view.
As the cursor is moved in the text pane, the green highlight will move to the selected register. Touching a register in the graphical menu in select mode will highlight the selected register in the text view.
If the value of the register is changed, the triad for that register will move in the graphical pane.
When operated in full screen mode, the selected register will be remembered and displayed the next time that the text mode is activated and vice versa.
The visibility key on the second softkey page toggles the text label display. The label includes the register number and the comment.
Registers are always considered to be in the “current” frame. The register graphical display reflects the position of the register in the current frame. This may not be how the register is used. Changing the current frame will be reflected in the position of the register triad in the graphics display.
The 4D graphics display provides a mechanism to display information from other controllers connected via Ethernet. By default it will display the robot arm and any tooling graphics associated with the remote arm. For certain options and applications other otherwise invisible data is also displayed. For example, interference zones automatically display data from any connected robots.
There are two ways to set up the display of remote robots. They can either be displayed using RIPE (refer to the Internet Options Manual) or by specifying, in a configuration file, any external robots that you want to show in your graphical scenes.
After a configuration file is supplied or RIPE is active, the “4D GRAPHICS Display” scene provides the means to enable or disable the display of robots connected to other controllers. The [RIPE] menu provides the list of configured robots and the visibility of each robot can be toggled on and off. Remote robots are considered part of the background even though this mechanism turns them off and on globally.
Select next from the function key menu.
Select [VISIBLE] from F2 or [RIPE] from F3. Any elements which are currently visible will be displayed in BLUE.
Select the element that you wish to hide or show.
Touch the item of interest and the visibility will be toggled.
Enter the number of the element you want to change and F5 to HIDE or SHOW it.
Use the arrow keys to cursor to the element you want to change and F5 to HIDE or SHOW it.
Exit the [VISIBLE] menu by hitting PREV, ENTER, F1, F2, F3 or any other menu key.
By default a maximum of three external controller can be displayed. This maximum is controlled by the system variable $TPGL_CONFIG.$CONTROLMAX. The visibility of each robot can be controlled from a TPP program by setting $TPGL_CONFIG.$CONTROLMASK[idx] where index is indicated by the order in the TPCLCG.XML file or ROSIPCFG.XML file.
In this menu you can select as many robots as you wish but the number of robots displayed will be limited by $TPGL_CONFIG.$CONTROLMAX. The maximum value of $TPGL_CONFIG.$CONTROLMAX is 16 but, for performance reasons, it is not recommended to increase this from the default 3 robots.
The syntax is very simple and provides just the names and IP addresses of the remote controller from which you want to display information. This file can be provided on a USB stick or memory card and copied to MD:.
At this release there is no menu to set this up. There is a menu to set up RIPE which is documented in the Ethernet Operations Manual. However, RIPE has the additional constraint that all connected robots must have the same version number. Graphical remote display does not have this restriction.
In order to display information on a remote PC for Monitor iPendant (ECHO), Navigate iPendant (CGTP), or Full Screen 4D Display, the IP addresses in this file must be accessible to the remote PC.
Dual Check Safety (DCS) Visualization enables you to view a 4D graphical representation of the DCS settings. J657 DCS Pos./Speed Pkg. is required for this functionality. The view that is presented relates to the feature currently selected in the DCS Setup menu. The following features provide a graphical view:
DCS Robot setup.
DCS User model setup.
DCS Cartesian position check.
DCS Joint position check.
The DCS settings that are displayed come from the setup pages so you can view the effects of your changes before they have been applied. As soon as you change the position or size of a DCS zone that change is graphically displayed in the graphics pane.
The views are also “live”. That is – they update to follow the robot as it moves and reflect the current state of position check zones.
Refer to the Dual Check Safety Function Operator's Manual for details.
The parts of the graphical display which are NOT the robot and not process data (programs, registers, DCS etc) are part of the 4D customization.
The customization is accomplished by using a “4D Editor” PC tool. This tool allows the shapes that make up the cell to reflect the actual physical elements of the cell.
These physical elements include things like tooling, fences, parts, conveyers and other cell elements.
Use Loading ROBOGUIDE Customization to customize the information displayed in the physical cell.
Procedure 4. Loading ROBOGUIDE Customization
Get a backup of your robot controller.
Generate a ROBOGUIDE cell from that backup.
Use the ROBOGUIDE tool to position and create cell components.
Load the ROBOGUIDE generated components onto your machine.
This can be done by:
Copying the files onto a USB stick or memory stick and hitting enter on LOADTPGL.CM and responding YES to load the files.
Connecting the robot into the same network as the PC and selecting that robot as the destination from ROBOGUIDE.
Leave the files on the USB stick or memory card and leave that device plugged in when operating 4D menus
Graphical files can get quite large. The robot controller has limited FROM storage space to hold graphics files. ROBOGUIDE will help in reducing the size of the graphics files and using primitives wherever possible.
ROBOGUIDE will generate two description files —TOOLING4D.XML and WORKCELL4D.XML. TOOLING4D.XML contains information which is considered part of the robot such as end of arm tooling. WORKCELL4D.XML tells the graphics system on the robot where to display the other shapes defined in the ROBOGUIDE setup.
This file will contain the size and position of basic elements like boxes and cylinders. It will also contain the size and position of graphics files.
The graphics files used on the pendant have the extension .POD. These are the files that can get very large. They are typically derived from traditional graphics format files like IGES files.
The XML file and the associated POD files are all copied to FR: by default. In this case they are backed up and restored with the full controller backup.
Optionally these files can be left on the memory card or USB stick. This means that if the memory card or USB stick is not plugged in, the custom graphics will not be displayed. This approach reduces the limitation on how big the graphics files can be.
The amount of graphics that can be efficiently displayed on the pendant is limited. As more and more graphics are added, the frame refresh rate on the pendant will decrease. This will not impact execution of programs on the robot controller, but will result in a sluggish display.
If you notice that the display is updating slowly, remove some of the graphics or reduce the size of some of the display to reduce a slowdown on the display. The performance will vary depending on the application.
There are several ways to access 4D data from a remote PC:
Select “Monitor iPendant (ECHO)” from the home page to display on your PC an exact copy of what you see on the teach pendant.
Select “Navigate iPendant (CGTP)” from the home page to navigate 4D menus from your PC. This requires the R558 Internet Conn/Custo option
Select “Full Screen 4D Display” from the home page to show the “4D Display” scene on your PC. This requires the R558 Internet Conn/Custo and R7644D Graphics options.
For early releases, display of 4D information requires that the PC have a advanced graphics card capable of displaying OpenGL. If your PC does not work, updating your PC graphics drivers might fix it.
Select “Full Screen 4D Display” from the home page to provide a similar functionality as the 4D window on the teach pendant. The left mouse is used to adjust the view setting based on the current mode of operation. It also provides the ability to show any combination of 4D display scenes.
A context menu is provided for selecting operation modes and scene visibility. This menu is displayed by right clicking the mouse anywhere in the active 4D display.
The view of the 4D scene can be adjusted with the mouse. The mouse can PAN, ROTATE or ZOOM the view. The mouse can also SELECT an item in the view as the rotation center. The function of the primary mouse button is determined by selecting the view adjustment mode.
Procedure 5. Selecting View Adjustment Mode
Click with the right (alternate) mouse button.
Use either mouse button to select the view adjustment mode you want:
Select - To select a 4D element.
Pan - To move the view up and down and side to side.
Rotate - To rotate the view.
Zoom - To zoom the view in and out.
Click anywhere outside the menu to dismiss the menu.
Use the left (primary) mouse button to adjust the view according to the selection.
Scene visibility allows selection of any combination of 4D display entities. The highlighted (white on blue) elements in the menu are the ones which are currently being displayed. Selecting an element will toggle the visibility on or off.
Procedure 6. Selecting Scene Visibility
Click with the right (alternate) mouse button.
Use the left or right mouse button to select the scene you want to toggle.
If the scene information is not showing the scene information will appear when selected.
If the scene information is already visible (white on blue) the scene information will become invisible when selected.
The information in the selected scenes will appear in 4D, but the menu will still be active
Click anywhere outside the menu to dismiss the menu.