What Is Flexiv Composer Studio?

Flexiv Composer Studio is a graphical editor for building robotic applications on the Flexiv PDK (Planning Development Kit). Everything it does, it does by calling the PDK server, so a workcell built in Composer Studio is the same workcell your own PDK programs see.

What Composer Studio provides

  1. Scene authoring. Create workcells, and add robot systems (manipulator, external axis, tool adapter and tool), mesh and box objects, and cameras. Position everything in a 3D view.

  2. Robot posing. Pose a robot with joint sliders, by typing a Cartesian pose, or by dragging its TCP in the viewport, and save the pose as a target.

  3. Tool paths. Cut an area out of a mesh, then sketch a path on the surface or generate a raster (zig-zag) path that covers the area.

  4. Trajectories. Plan collision-free point-to-point (PTP) motion through saved targets, or robot motion that follows a tool path at a given speed, force and moment. Play either back in the viewport.

  5. Workcell utilities. Edit collision configurations, define custom tools and tool adapters, install licenses, filter meshes, and connect to a real robot to watch its live position.

Architecture

┌──────────────┐  HTTP / WebSocket  ┌─────────────────────┐   gRPC    ┌──────────────┐
│  Web browser │ ◀────────────────▶ │  Composer Studio    │ ◀───────▶ │  PDK server  │
│  (Vue 3 +    │   localhost:8011   │  backend (FastAPI,  │  :50052   │              │
│   Three.js)  │                    │  Python, flexiv.pdk)│           │  workcells,  │
└──────────────┘                    └──────────┬──────────┘           │  planning,   │
                                               │ RDK (flexivrdk)      │  licenses    │
                                               ▼                      └──────────────┘
                                       Flexiv robots

  • The PDK server owns all state: workcells, objects, paths, trajectories and licenses. Composer Studio keeps only two things of its own, as files in the workcell’s folder: which object each area belongs to (areas/) and the velocity and acceleration entered for each PTP trajectory (point_to_point_path/).

  • The backend is a small Python web server. It translates the editor’s requests into PDK calls, and reads and writes mesh and URDF files in the PDK Release Folder (Launch Composer Studio).

  • The editor runs in your browser and draws the scene with WebGL.

Things to know before you start

  • Composer Studio runs on the same computer as the PDK server. It works directly on the server’s workcell files. See Environment Compatibility.

  • There is no Save button. Every create, modify and delete is sent to the server as soon as you confirm it.

  • A workcell must be loaded before you can add anything to the scene. See Workcells.

  • Some features need a license on the server: PTP trajectories, tool paths, linear path trajectories, areas and the mesh filter. See Activate Licenses.

  • Robot motion is planned and previewed, not executed. Composer Studio shows trajectories in the viewport only. Connecting to a real robot enables it and reads its live position, but does not move it. See Connect to a Real Robot.

Where to go next