Robot description format (RDF) contains information about robot model which is required by simulation, visualization, planning etc. In this project, we provide a Fusion360 Add-In for generating robot description files automatically from robot design.
Currently, this Add-In supports exporting URDF and SDFormat. URDF (Unified Robotics Description Format) has been the most widely used robot description format, but has several limitations and lack of update. SDFormat (Simulation Description Format) has more features than URDF, such as supporting closed loop chain mechanism. Other robot description formats might be supported in the future.
Also, we provide a Fusion 360 robot model library that can be used out-of-box for design, simulation, and learning. 👉🤖Fusion 360 Robot Library
Export robot descriptions files from Fusion360 design file directly with GUI panel.
- Support 3 Fusion360 joint motion types:
- Fixed joint type
- Revolute joint type with limitation
- Slider joint type with limitation
- Supported robot description formats:
You can install this Add-In manually or by shell command.
Download and copy /Add-IN/Fusion2Robot folder into Fusion360's Add-in directory which should be:
Windows:
%appdata%\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\AddIns
Mac:
$HOME/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/AddIns
or it can be found at Preferences -> General -> API -> Default Path for Scripts and Add-Ins.
Windows (PowerShell):
cd <path to /Add-In/Fusion2Robot>
Copy-Item ".\Fusion2Robot\" -Destination "${env:APPDATA}\Autodesk\Autodesk Fusion 360\API\AddIns\" -RecursemacOS (Terminal):
cd <path to /Add-In/Fusion2Robot>
cp -r ./Fusion2Robot "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Autodesk Fusion 360/API/AddIns/"After installation for the first time, use Shift+S or click UTILITIES -> Add-Ins -> Scripts and Add-Ins to open Scripts and Add-Ins window.
Find Fusion2Robot at Add-Ins -> My Add-Ins, select Fusion2Robot and click Run(for normally use, please select Run on Startup). Then the icon will appear beside UTILITIES -> Add-Ins icon.
Click the icon to start exporting process from the current design.
Before exporting robot description files, please follow the following instructions to make sure the design file is suitable to execute this add-in.
To prevent unexpected modification of the original design, it is better to run this add-in in a copy of the design file.
- Exit parametric mode: right click the root component of the design, choose
Do not capture Design History
- Set the default unit of the design document to
m
- Using
Break Linkto make external component into internal component
- Occurrences refer to the same component are not supported yet, use
Make Independentto independ those occurrences.
-
- Make sure all the components are named with alphanumeric characters, underscore character
_, and hyphe character-. Other languages and characters might cause problems.
- Make sure all the components are named with alphanumeric characters, underscore character
-
- Components need to be joint together with a flat structure in order to export the robot description files properly. Please check the instructions for Fusion360 Assembly.
Click the add-in icon, then chose the robot description format and targeted simulation platform to export.
- Test a closed loop linkages in Gazebo to show the ability of SDFormat to describe a closed-chain mechanism
- Test a UR5e manipulator in Gazebo
- Test Robotiq-2F85 Gripper in Gazebo
We also provides some robot models that assembled by us, and tested the Add-In with these models. Hope this robot models can save your time and your energy.