Blockly support in SDK

asantanna-applied · July 18, 2022, 9:05pm

That would be great. We have a variety of devices
we need to communicate with - we can go into all
the details in the call.

I’m located in San Jose, California. Please let me know
what hours work for you.

Thanks,

asantanna-applied · July 19, 2022, 12:20am

Will you still be providing the Python Block?

I did not receive a response to this question
and this response is important to us.

Thanks

Daniel · July 19, 2022, 11:27am

Hi Andre,
We are on the assessment of the Studio V2.0.0, we should figure out what you need before we build it.

Assume your device need to be connected to the robot end flange and controlled by commands through the robot end tool connector.
1.1 If your devices support standard Modbus RTU, then we provide a new Blockly like “send modbus data[xxxx]” can solve that problem.
1.2 If your devices does not support Modbus RTU, then it will be complicate. Actually, on this condition, provide Pyhon Blockly does not make sense, we should develop the transparent transmission protocol for the robot, and it’s a big project since we need modify not only the xarm studio but also the robot firmwar and drivers, it’s much more complicate than support Modbus RTU device.
Assume your devices are connected to your PC by Ethernet or USB, and your divices are control by your PC directly, on this condition, if you could do that by Python and provide us one or more Python example, that will be quite helpful for us to understand your situation.

Hope you could reply by Email, my work email is daniel.wang@ufactory.cc

Thanks

asantanna-applied · July 19, 2022, 11:01pm

Thank you Daniel,

So many messages were sent back and forth that I think
we are drifting away from the main point.

If you could refer to the Oct 21 message to Minna that started
this current topic, you will see that:

We can do everything we need with the Python SDK. In fact,
we have done most of it already. The SDK is great, we are
happy with it. We have 3 xArm robots and are satisfied with
their performance.
We would like to allow our operators to use Blockly instead
of Python because many do not have Python programming knowledge.
Our suggestion was making a simple Blockly that allowed arbitrary
Python code to be called as a great solution. We would
then create a “library” of these Blocklys as necessary and our
operators would use these without having to learn Python.

As to your Modbus RTU Blockly, it might be useful to some of your
customers but not to us since the devices we use currently are
TCP/IP, serial and digital control line devices.

For example, we have a compressed air fluid dispenser that has a TCP/IP
interface where we can set pressure, etc by sending commands to
a certain port. Our robot places a syringe at a certain place, turns on
the displenser with a TCP/IP command, moves the syringe to apply a
type of adhesive resin to a part and then sends a command to turn it off.

We can do the whole thing in Python. No problem. We are trying to
do this in App Studio.

We envisioned creating a Blockly called “Set Pressure” and another
called “Enable Dispenser”, etc. Since you do not open source
App Studio, we suggested a generic Python Blockly so we do this ourselves.
Does this make more sense?

Thank you,

Andre Sant’Anna
Director, R&D
Applied Anodize, Inc.

Daniel · July 21, 2022, 6:02am

Hi Andre,
Thanks for your clarification, that’s clear.

edwinard · September 20, 2022, 2:44am

Hi Daniel, has xArm Studio V1.9.0 Beta or any form been released yet? I found that Antonie and I although completely different companies are looking to do similar things whereby we would like to train the team using blockly but would like to be able to use some custom blocks. I’d also like to have the feature of sending the modbus data [xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx] as all the other options i couldnt not achieve what i require.

Daniel · September 22, 2022, 8:08am

Hi Edwin,
I’m sorry that we spend all the time on the Lite 6’s software development recently, I hope that we could get the Python function feature before December.

Daniel · October 19, 2022, 9:35am

Hi Edwin,
We are developing it now, and estimate to get the beta version next week, I can share you the beta version if you want give a try.
Thanks

Fabian_Leon · July 31, 2024, 4:29am

Hi Daniel

I recently got an xArm6 with me. I’m wondering if the blocky function with Python inside was finally implemented. I’m very new and I appreciate any help to get started with the xArm, any guides or courses or material with examples of each blocky function I can study.

Daniel_Wang · July 31, 2024, 7:18am

Hi Fabian,
We are glad to help.
the Python Blockly feature is ready, please check the Firmware/Software version, make sure they are 2.4.0 or later, if not, please upgrade the firmware/software on the “Check Update” page

You can find the Python block here

Here is an example to create Python block

# python code
import time            
from xarm.wrapper import XArmAPI
arm=XArmAPI('192.168.1.58') #your controller ip
time.sleep(1)
ret=arm.get_position()
print("tcp_pos={}".format(ret[1]))

Please copy the code and paste on the Python block and run, like this

And if you could tell us more abour your project, it will be better for us to understand the situation.
Thanks

Fabian_Leon · July 31, 2024, 1:12pm

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for this clarification, I find it very useful. I am a teacher and I want to learn how to use this robot, but I also want to teach others how to use it. However, I see that the only way to work with the UFACTORY Studio GUI is by connecting to the physical robot. Is there another way I can share with my students to give them the option to study UFACTORY Studio and then be able to implement their programs on the real xArm when they access the physical robot?

Daniel_Wang · August 1, 2024, 10:16am

Hi Fabian,
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, there is a way to get access to xarm 6 robot simulation without a real robotic arm, it requires a software named docker, it’s not easy to do that but I believe you will make it. Please follow the steps

Download and install docker, docker website: Docker: Accelerated Container Application Development
Download and install UFACTORY Studio docker image, here is the link and you will find the installation guidance inside: Docker - Google ドライブ
If you follow the guidance, you will start the Lite 6 robot by default. if you want use the the xArm 6 simulation, the command to start the ufactory studio server is

/xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9

If every thing goes well, you will find the serve IP address here when you click the search server button on this page.

Let me know if you have any questions during the installation.

Fabian_Leon · August 1, 2024, 3:38pm

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your instructions.

I followed all the steps and at the end I get the following message when I enter the command /xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9:

root@5acc8c51e24d:~# /xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9
No Sockets found in /run/screen/S-root.
There is one screen on:
4774.xarm_controller_screen (08/01/24 10:30:10) (Detached)
1 Socket in /run/screen/S-root.

And here I don’t know what to do, because I try to connect to the UFACTORY Studio search server option but I don’t get any IP address:

I verify the IP address in the Inspect tab of the Docker Desktop

But when I try to connect:

Update1: I am not sure but I think the problem is related to Ports no exposed when I try to Run a new container with Ubuntu image

When I see the Inspect tab of Docker Desktop:

Then I created a new Container but maping several ports: 18335, 502, 503, 30001, 30002, 30003, 30004, 30009, 30010, 29999:

However, the result was the same, it does not appears to connect

Update2: I created a new Container maping an additonal port: 18333

This time I use the next address directly in the web browser:
http://localhost:18333/
or
http://127.0.0.1:18333/

and then, voila! It works

However, it is an old version.

Update3: Inside Docker - Google ドライブ there is a file to update to the last version: docker_sim_update_V2.4.0.zip

I followed all steps successfully, but when I enter the last line of code /home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3 setup.py install

Then appears the next error:

Could not find platform independent libraries
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to [:<exec_prefix>]
Python path configuration:
PYTHONHOME = (not set)
PYTHONPATH = (not set)
program name = ‘/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3’
isolated = 0
environment = 1
user site = 1
import site = 1
sys._base_executable = ‘/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3’
sys.base_prefix = ‘/usr’
sys.base_exec_prefix = ‘/usr’
sys.platlibdir = ‘lib’
sys.executable = ‘/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3’
sys.prefix = ‘/usr’
sys.exec_prefix = ‘/usr’
sys.path = [
‘/usr/lib/python310.zip’,
‘/usr/lib/python3.10’,
‘/usr/lib/lib-dynload’,
]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named ‘encodings’
Current thread 0x00007f19db896080 (most recent call first):
no Python frame

Despite this, I restarted the application using again the code /xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9:

But it does not work properly, continuously appears an error of collision with any movement.

Daniel_Wang · August 2, 2024, 11:39am

Hi Fabian,
Seems it needs a file folder for the robot firmware to copy the collision models, please execute this command and then restart the application
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/lib64
Please give a try and let us know the result.
Thanks

Fabian_Leon · August 3, 2024, 1:19pm

Hi Daniel,

Now the robot works fine, it can moves without the self collision error. Thanks!
However, when I try to enter to the Blocky option, it does not load:

I assume that it is due to the last part of the update process, after the next code:
/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3 setup.py install

it showed:

Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to <prefix>[:<exec_prefix>]
Python path configuration:
  PYTHONHOME = (not set)
  PYTHONPATH = (not set)
  program name = '/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3'
  isolated = 0
  environment = 1
  user site = 1
  import site = 1
  sys._base_executable = '/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3'
  sys.base_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.base_exec_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.platlibdir = 'lib'
  sys.executable = '/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3'
  sys.prefix = '/usr'
  sys.exec_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.path = [
    '/usr/lib/python310.zip',
    '/usr/lib/python3.10',
    '/usr/lib/lib-dynload',
  ]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x00007f4722f35080 (most recent call first):
  <no Python frame>

The following is what appears inside my '/usr/lib/'

Daniel_Wang · August 5, 2024, 8:56am

Hi Fabian,
We are sorry for that, it’s a bug and we fix it, a file named xarmcore should be replaced to solve this issue, here is the steps:

Download the xarmcore from the google driver: Docker - Google ドライブ
Find and delete the xarmcore in the file folder of docker image:~/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/xarmcore
Upload the xarmcore you just download to that file folder docker image.
Restart the docker image.
Start the software, the commands are the same as before:
/xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9

Fabian_Leon · August 5, 2024, 4:19pm

Hi Daniel,

I replaced the xarmcore file as you said but the Blocky programing option still doesn’t work. I used the same Docker container from the last attempt, maybe I need to create a new one? Do I need to repeat everything again from scratch but without using the code
/home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/python/bin/python3 setup.py install?

Sorry but I’m not sure what to do and in what order.

Thanks

Update: I made a mistake by removing and replacing the xarmcore file. It works fine now!

Thanks!

Fabian_Leon · August 5, 2024, 8:43pm

Just to resume:

The next are the steps I used to update from simulator version 1.12.4 to version 2.4.0

attach the files of version 2.4.0 to docker container (in my case to /root), and run command in docker container

       tar -xf xarmcontroller-x86_64-*.tar.gz
       tar -xf xarmstudio-x86_64-*.tar.gz --wildcards linux/xarm.tar.gz && tar -xf linux/xarm.tar.gz -C ./ && rm -rf linux
       sudo cp -rf xarmcontroller/* /home/uf/xArm/
       sudo cp -rf xarm/* /home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/
       sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/lib64

restart docker container
find and delete the xarmcore in the file folder of docker container: /home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/xarmcore
```
   sudo rm -rf /home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/xarmcore/xarmcore
```

copy the new xarmcore to that file folder docker container

   sudo cp -rf /root/xarmcore /home/uf/.UFACTORY/xarm/software/xarmcore/

restart the docker container
start the software, the commands are the same as before:
```
   /xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 6
```

In case of simulating another robot I found the following sequence of numbers to the code:
/xarm_scripts/xarm_start.sh 6 9

5 5 → xarm5
6 6 → xarm6
6 9 → LITE6
6 12 → 850?
7 7 → xarm7

Daniel_Wang · August 6, 2024, 1:55am

Hi Farbian,
I’m very glad that you make it work. The type&model - product you listed is correct.

5 5, xArm 5
6 6, xArm 6
7 7, xArm 7
6 9, Lite 6
6 12, 850

And thanks very much for you detailed feedback, what we are going to do is to make the installation of the simulation easier by building new image, or put the image to the docker hub.

Thanks

Daniel_Wang · August 8, 2024, 10:27am

@Fabian_Leon
Hi Fabian,
We create a new docker image and push to the docker hub, it will be much easier to install, please check.

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