CREO2URDF – Add the possibility to run URDF generation from the terminal

[FabioBergonti]

It would be nice to have the possibility to generate the URDF from the terminal to automate their generation.

[Nicogene]

I found this interesting link:

• https://community.ptc.com/t5/Customization/How-to-start-a-batch-with-toolkit/td-p/499638

In particular we should call something like

call "%CREO_INSTALL_PATH%\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe" -g:no_graphics -batch_mode -i:rpc_input -RUN_MY_DESIRED_APPLICATION

I have to understand how to handle -RUN_MY_DESIRED_APPLICATION, how to pass to it the arguments(yml, csv) and how to open a specific assembly.

[Nicogene]

The lack of an automatic generation from Github Action is becoming an issue since the number of maintained urdf is exploding:

• Add ergoCub SN002 + ergoCubGazeboV1_2 (?) urdf ergocub-software#228

[Nicogene]

First super draft PR, just the code backbone:

• Add the support for running the creo2urdf headless #86

[Nicogene]

Habemus creo2urdf working from terminal! It is a first draft, the parsing is quite primitive, also because the Toolkit does not provide anything for parsing the parameters but today I managed to generate the urdf running this command line:

call "C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 9.0.2.0\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe" -g:no_graphics -batch_mode -i:rpc_input creo2urdf +C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-mechanics\projects\simulation_model\ergocub_1-1\sim_ergocub_1-1.asm +C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_all_options.yaml +C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_joint_all_parameters.csv +C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf

As you can see the - are used for passing the parameters to creo, the + are used for passing the parameters to the plugin, but then they are just plain C argc, argv, right now it is not very user friendly.

Moreover, I am using ProTKPrintf but nothing is diplayed on the windows command prompt, and it is not clear when the generation of the urdf finishes.

For debugging I used to open the GUI and write in the message window, but it is not an ideal solution

cc @pattacini @traversaro @FabioBergonti @mfussi66

[traversaro]

Great!

[pattacini]

Awesome!

[mfussi66]

Moreover, I am using ProTKPrintf but nothing is diplayed on the windows command prompt, and it is not clear when the generation of the urdf finishes.

Maybe you can check in the .bat if the file model.urdf exists to check for success?

[Nicogene]

Moreover, I am using ProTKPrintf but nothing is diplayed on the windows command prompt, and it is not clear when the generation of the urdf finishes.

Maybe you can check in the .bat if the file model.urdf exists to check for success?

Good idea, I will chatgpt-it :D

[Nicogene]

Following @pattacini advice:

• Add the support for running the creo2urdf headless #86 (comment)

I converted it into ps script, and this allowed me to improve it a lot:

• I added a help section
• I added the await of the finish of the urdf generation
• I added names to the parameters
• I added a final check about the existence of model.urdf after the command exits

Here is the help printed:

NAME
    C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\run_creo2urdf.ps1

SYNOPSIS
    Converter for Creo assembly to URDF format.


SYNTAX
    C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\run_creo2urdf.ps1 [[-asmPath] <String>] [[-yamlPath] <String>] [[-csvPath] <String>] [[-outputPath] <String>] [<CommonParameters>]


DESCRIPTION
    This script converts  Creo assembly to URDF format using the creo2urdf plugin.


RELATED LINKS

REMARKS
    To see the examples, type: "get-help C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\run_creo2urdf.ps1 -examples".
    For more information, type: "get-help C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\run_creo2urdf.ps1 -detailed".
    For technical information, type: "get-help C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\run_creo2urdf.ps1 -full".

Here is how it is launched now:

.\run_creo2urdf.ps1 -asmPath "C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-mechanics\projects\simulation_model\ergocub_1-1\sim_ergocub_1-1.asm" -yamlPath "C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_all_options.yaml" -csvPath "C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_joint_all_parameters.csv" -outputPath "C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf"

Here is the output:

Using asm path: C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-mechanics\projects\simulation_model\ergocub_1-1\sim_ergocub_1-1.asm C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_all_options.yaml
Using yaml path: C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_all_options.yaml
Using csv path: C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\ERGOCUB_joint_all_parameters.csv
Using output path: C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf
Conversion completed successfully. The URDF file is located at: C:\Users\ngenesio\icub-tech-iit\cad-libraries\output_urdf\model.urdf

Warning

This script has to be run in the cad-libraries folder to load the protk.dat

Until this will not become stable, this post will be the only documentation for using the plugin (ccing some people may use it cc @FabioBergonti @pillai-s @traversaro @xela-95 @mfussi66)