pipeline

The pipeline

Seven steps from a Rhino 3D part to a clay print on the robot. Each step links to a dedicated page with screenshots and detail.

Pipeline overview

flowchart TD
    Pick[1. Pick geometry] --> Settings
    Settings[2. Open Settings] --> Slice
    Slice[3. Slice] --> Analyze
    Analyze[4. Analyze heatmap] --> Send
    Send[5. Send to RoboDK] --> Post
    Post[6. Post-process to KUKA] --> Run
    Run[7. Run on the robot] --> Done([Print done])

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In the panel

The CCL_Clay3DP dockable panel exposes five buttons that gate this pipeline:

Button	Step covered	Notes
Settings	2	Must be opened + OK'd at least once per session before the rest unlock
1. Slice	3	Picks geometry (step 1) inline if none yet selected
2. Analyze	4	Requires a previous slice
3. Send to RoboDK	5	Requires a previous slice; blocked if part overflows the build volume
Run All	3 + 4 + 5	Convenience shortcut; respects the same gates
Preview Clay Model	(sidebar to 4)	Pipes the toolpath as mesh-bead tubes for visualization

Steps 6 and 7 happen outside the plugin — in RoboDK and on the KUKA controller respectively.

📷 The CCL_Clay3DP panel docked in Rhino with all buttons visible — used as a label key for the rest of the pipeline pages.

Pipeline gates

Three guards block bad inputs before they reach the robot:

1. Settings reviewed. Slice / Analyze / Send / RunAll / Preview Clay Model are disabled until the user opens Settings and clicks OK once per session.
2. Layer height ≤ bead diameter. Layer height larger than the bead is physically impossible (clay can't span a vertical gap larger than itself). Rejected with a popup before any state changes.
3. Build volume. A part's bbox or its sliced toolpath is checked against the configured cell envelope. Pre-slice overflow shows a cancellable popup; post-slice overflow hard-blocks Send to RoboDK until the issue is resolved.

For the implementation of all gates plus cached panel state, see ARCHITECTURE.md.

Step pages

1. Pick geometry
2. Open Settings
3. Slice
4. Analyze
5. Send to RoboDK
6. Post-process to KUKA
7. Run on the robot