F I R S T S T E P S

First Steps 2

This chapter will give you a quick overview, how to work with
EASY-ROB™. It covers the program installation, the license
procedure, the user panel, the mouse navigation and the
philosophy of the program.

Within the next chapter, it is explained how to create a new

workcell, to write your first robot program using ERPL “EASY-
ROB Program Language” and ERCL “EASY-ROB Command
Language”, create a robot kinematic and all you need to make
powerful 3D Simulations.

Installation and Program Start

The program installation is very simple and does not take much
time. Please follow the below few steps.

• Extract the Zip Archive easy-rob.zip with (sub)-folders

somewhere on your hard drive
• Folder /easy_rob/ with sub folders are created
• To start the program, just double click the main program
easyrobw.exe. It is up to you, to create an icon on your
desktop

Important:
You can install the program several times on your PC in
different directorys and you can start the program several times.

If you have any trouble, to install and start the program, do not
hesitate to contact support@easy-rob.com.

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License and Hardware Number

Without a valid License Key, EASY-ROB™ will start as a Demo
Version. The Demo Version does not enable the complete
functionality and does not allow to save anything. To generate a
valid License Key, the individual hardware number from the PC
is required. To read the hardware number, go to the Help menu.

• Help -> License Info

(see also file HardwareNumber.dat)

• Windows NT/2000/XP user should have administrator rights

for the first time

• Please send the Hardware Number per email to

sales@easy-rob.com

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• You will receive your unique License Key, e.g.

EASY-ROB V3.0 CNTRY010125 YourCompanyName ID-

582270436552 hw_no:27935194 exp.date:0000-00-00 0

• This one (1) line has to be entered in file license.dat

• Open this file direct from the File menu:

File-> Edit-> EASY-ROB System Files->
License file or press Alt+Shift+L

• Restart EASY-ROB™ to enable the modified license

conditions

User Panel
The EASY-ROB™ user panel is developed to fulfill the standard
windows user interface. The main menu line has the following
popup menus.

File menu
The File menu allows to load,
save or unload an EASY-
ROB™ cell-, robot-, tool-,
program-, or for example an
environment - file *.bod.
Edit allows you to edit for
example the license- or the
current loaded workcell files

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Robotics menu
The Robotics menu is used to
enter the Tool data, to change
the "Robot Motion +
Kinematic" data such as
lengths, joint direction and
type, as well as the robot
attributes such as max. joint
speeds and accelerations.
Simulation menu
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with your preferred editor,
such as ’notepad.exe’.
The "Robot Dynamics" and
the "Motion Planner" setting
can be specified.
You need "Robot Program",
to edit the current loaded
program, to load a new
program or to run the
simulation, which can be
done also by clicking on the
icon from the Run-
Animation toolbar.
"Create new Robot" allows to
model a new robot based on
5 different kinematic types.
"Robot Application" is an
application user specific
functionality, and has per
default no function.
The Simulation menu is used
to "Move to" the robot
homeposition or to a new
entered cartesian location.
The robot will interpolate the
this new position.
"Program’s" provide actions
to start, stop, continue or
abort the simulation.
Use "Run Settings" to stop
the simulation when the travel
ranges or the maximum joint
speed is exceeded.
"Online Output Data" opens
an additional window (non
modal) to show the current
 F I R S T S T E P S

joint angles, or the cartesian

location, the cycle time, the

shortest distance during collision detection, etc. All data

changes permanetly when the simulation runs.

"Reset" and "Save" will reset or save the complete status of the
workcell. Suppose you run a program and the robot will grab a
part and move to a new location where the part is released.
When you stop the program in the middle of the movement and
restart again, you want that the simulation start from the
beginning, which does mean, all parts and also the robot
"jumps" to the initial status. To disble this uncheck from the
simulation menu: Run Setting-> Reset all Positions
at prg. run.

3D-CAD menu
The 3D-CAD menu is used to
import new geometries, to
change their attributes, such
as name, render, color and the
collision status, and to modify
the position while enter
absolute or relative values.
EASY-ROB™ provides three
"Groups".
The 1st group is the Robot
group, the 2nd group belongs
to the Tool group and the 3rd
group is the Body or
Environment group.
The Tool group is attached to
the robots tip or to the
mechanical interface of the
robot. Bodies which belongs
to the body or environment
group can be grabbed and
released by the robot.
The name of each geometry
is important, to grab, release,
and manipulate the position
and also the attributes during
program run.
See below ERCL command
erc move body P0 T_1
will move the body with the

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EASY-ROB™ can import STL- name ’P0’ to the location of

ASCII / Binary and IGRIP® the tag point ’T_1’.
Partfile format, version 11,12.

Tags menu
You can modify the location
of tag "T_1" visual using the
mouse for example by
clicking the icon from the
mouse mode tool bar (see
below).
The robot will move to this
new tag point position, when
program running, without
chaging the program!
Tag points will keep also
external axis information.

Another example:

CIRC T_2 T_3

Will move the robot from the

current TCP location via tag
point "T_3" to the final and
The Tags menu is organized in tag point location "T_2" in
the same way as the 3D-CAD circular cp motion type. A
menu. It is used to create a modification of the via point
new tag point at the robots tcp results in a different circle
or at the current selected tag motion.
point, to change their
attributes, such as prefix,
name, render, color and to
modify the position while enter
absolute or relative values.
Using Tag points is very
useful to write a program.
The robot will move to a tag
point 'T_1' in linear cp motion
with the ERPL command
The brown colored coorsys are the
LIN T_1.

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 F I R S T S T E P S

via points, the red tags point are T_1

and T_2.

View menu
The floor can be visualized
flat, wire or disabled.

The TCP Trace can have

different types, such as line,
point, line with z-direction
(approach axis vector), x-, y,
z-direction only, etc.
It is also possible to change
the trace color, even from a
robot ’*.prg’ program,
ERC COLOR TRACK RED,

Different coorsys for the blue

The View menu is used to
select predefined views, such
as top-, bottom-, rear-, front-,
right- or left- view.
You can render the complete
world into flat, wire frame,
vertices, bounded boxes, with
and without backface culling.
colored robots TCP, the
yellow and green colored
robot joints, the motion
planner target location in red
color and the current body
and tag location in cyan and
blue color can be visualzed or
disbaled.

Important information

All changes of color, rendering which can be done interactively

by the user, can be also automated using the EASY-ROB
Command Language (ERCL) during program run. This
capability allows you to make powerful simulations.

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Help menu program version and the

The Help menu gives an
overview about the
address in case you need
support.
The item "License Info",
shows all enabled EASY-
ROB™ features and also the
hardware number. The
hardware number is
important to generate a valid
license key, see also file
hardwarenumber.dat

Toolbars
Below, is an overview about all available Toolbars. Every
toolbar can be docked to the edge of the main EASY-ROB™
window. A Double click in the blue colored toolbar title will dock
the toolbar to its old position.

Load/Save Toolbar

Render Toolbar

Run-Animation Toolbar

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Mouse Mode Toolbar

On-Off Toolbar

3D CAD Toolbar

Move to Target Toolbar

Mouse Navigation
The best navigation in EASY-ROB™ is achieved with a three
button mouse, but a two button mouse works also. The default
settings are prepared for a two mouse buttons. To enable your
three mouse buttons, go to the Aux menu

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> 2 Mouse Buttons

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and disable the 2 Mouse Buttons.

Save the Environment Settings for the next time, when
you start EASY-ROB™.

• File-> Save-> Environment file

(overwrites default file: easy-rob.env)

The best way to learn the mouse navigation, is to load a

workcell.

• File-> Load-> Cellfile

or press Ctrl+O or click on the icon

• Select Cell file: ARC.cel

Modify the Word View

To rotate, zoom in/out and to pan the world view, move the
cursor in the middle of the program window.

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• Activate the modify word view from the Mouse Mode

Toolbar

• Cruise Mode to rotate the word,

press the Left Mouse Button (LMB),
move the cursor to the right / left
=> the word rotates about its Z-Axis.
move the cursor to the top / bottom
=> the word rotates about the X-Axis.

• Zoom Mode
Press the Middle Mouse Button (MMB) or the RMB if you
use a 2 button mouse and move the cursor to the
- right / top, will Zoom-In,
- left / bottom, will Zoom-Out.

• Pan Mode
Press the Left and the Right Mouse Button (LRMB) together
and move the cursor which will pan the view.

• Click on the icon to reset the word view or press the

ESC Key

Adjust the Background Color

Set the mouse mode to adjust the background color first.

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> BackGnd Color

Now you can modify the RedGreenBlue color values. Press the

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right / top

left / bottom

• Left mouse button (LMB), move the cursor to the right / top
will increase the RED color value, moving to the left /
bottom will decrease the RED color value.

• Middle mouse button (MMB), or left and right button

together, if you use a 2 button mouse, move the cursor to
the right / top will increase the GREEN color value, moving
to the left / bottom will decrease the GREEN color value.

• Right mouse button (RMB), move the cursor to the right /

top will increase the BLUE color value, moving to the left /
bottom will decrease the BLUE color value.

Save the Environment Settings for the next time.

• File-> Save-> Environment file

(overwrites default file: easy-rob.env)

Adjust the Floor Color

Set the mouse mode to adjust the floor color first

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> Floor Color

The color adjustment for the floor, works in a same way, as for
the background color.

Menu for Mouse Mode Functions

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The below menu gives an overview about all available

mouse mode function.

Aux-> Mouse Mode-> Joint

Jog Robot Axis

Set the mouse mode to jog the robot axis first.

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> Joint

Click the once and twice to open the Jog Dialog.

• LMB, to jog joint #1 (#4, #7)

• MMB, to jog joint #2 (#5, #8)
• RMB, to jog joint #3 (#6, #9)

Use the RadioBox

to jog joint #4, #5 and #6

Stop on
(Software/Limit
Endswitch) stops jogging when
the travel range is exceeded.

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The Robot IO Output windows

View-> Online Output Data

or Icon from the Run-Animation

Toolbar

- desired joint position shows the current desired/actual joint

- joint #5 is exceeded
values in [m,deg] of the robot, the
current desired/actual cartesian TCP
location with respect to the robot base,
current motion data, cycle times, etc.

Definition of orientation angle A,B,C:

Rot = (normal,orient.,approach)
- desired cartesian position
= Rot(x,A)*Rot(y,B)*Rot(z,C)

Enter a new Joint Position

Click on the .Icon from the Move to Target … toolbar

to enter a new absolute joint position

• The dialog shows the max. allowed travel ranges for each
joint. Joint #2 is 28.35° and must be in +/-135°.

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 F I R S T S T E P S

(Change robot attributes from the Robotics menu:

Robotics-> Robot Motion & Kinematics-> Robot
Attributes-> 3- /4 - Robot SW-/+ Travel Range)

• Enter a new joint value for each joint position, and

confirm with the OK button.

• The robot will interpolate to its new joint position in PTP

(time synchronized Point To Point) Interpolation mode.
All joints will start and stop at the same time, one joint is
the leading axis.

Jog Robot Tool Center Point (TCP)

While jogging the robots TCP with respect to the world coorsys
or to the tool coorsys frame, the inverse kinematics solution is
called every time to calculate the robots joint values.

To move the TCP in world coordinates, set the Mouse Mode to

TCP World first.

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> TCP World

or click the icon from the Mouse Mode Toolbar.

Click a mouse button and move the cursor to the right or to the
left.

• LMB, to jog TCP in World X - Direction

• MMB, to jog TCP in World Y - Direction
• RMB, to jog TCP in World Z - Direction

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To rotate about the World - X,Y or Z - Axis while keeping the

TCP location, activate the icon "Toggle Trans./Rot.", or
press the Ctrl-Key while moving the mouse cursor

• LMB, to rotate the TCP about X - Direction

• MMB, to rotate the TCP about Y - Direction
• RMB, to rotate the TCP about Z - Direction

It is also possible to press the LMB and MMB at the same time,
which causes a TCP movement in/about X- and in Y - Direction.

To move the TCP in Tool coordinates, set the Mouse Mode to

TCP Tool first.

• Aux-> Mouse Mode-> TCP Tool

or click the icon from the Mouse Mode Toolbar.

• LMB, to jog TCP in Tool X - Direction

• MMB, to jog TCP in Tool Y - Direction
• RMB, to jog TCP in Tool Z - Direction

The green colored trace shows the jogged path

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 F I R S T S T E P S

To rotate about the Tool - X,Y or Z - Axis while keeping the

TCP location, activate the icon again, or press the Ctrl-Key
while moving the mouse.

To rotate about the Y-Axis, you click the MMB and move the
cursor along the y-axis to get the best result. Try to move along
z-axis for example, which will have only a small rotation about
the y-axis.

Enter a new cartesian TCP Position

The current desired cartesian location of the robots TCP and

the joint values are.

Now we will move the robots TCP from z = 0.8m to z = 0.5m.

Click on the icon twice or click on the .Icon from the
Move to Target … toolbar, to enter a new TCP position
with respect to the robot base.

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Confirm with the OK button, and the robot will interpolate to the
new TCP location in LIN (linear) CP motion type. The View can
be changed at any time, also during interpolation, which runs in
an own thread. Click the icon to decrease the simulation
step size or the icon to increase.
The linear motion to the location (x,y,z)
(1.0, 0.0, 0.5) and to (0.7, 0.0, 0.8) looks as follows.

Click on the icon to enter relative cartesian values.

The same motion path is achieved when you enter delta

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positions (0, 0, -0.3) and (-0.3, 0.0, 0.3), with respect to the
blue colored TCP tool frame.

Click on the icon to toggle the trace On and Off.

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