Exporting a 3D CAD robot model to URDF
Creating a URDF/Xacro file manually is a time-consuming task. If the model is not complex, we can use manual URDF modeling. But in cases of building a complex robot model, we may have to consider converting the 3D CAD model into URDF directly. So, is this possible? Yes, it is possible for a few CAD tools. We can convert the designed model directly to a ROS 2 package with the help of plugins. Very few plugins are official; they are mostly third-party plugins.
Here are some plugins and tools that are available to export CAD models in different software to URDF/Xacro format. The reference link has the instructions to set the plugin:
- SolidWorks to URDF Exporter: This is a third-party open source plugin available for SolidWorks to convert its assembly format, SLDASM, to URDF. When we export the model, the plugin can auto-generate the robot description package and generate URDF inside it. ROS 1 package generation is currently supported...