Multiple Path Planning Parameters

[BenjaminV]

Hi,

I'm currently implementing some path planning algorithm in a plugin and in order to compare two different methods, I need to specify parameters in v-rep.

For the moment, I have added a field in the class Path Planning Task, the necessary code to add a checkbox in the interface of v-rep and an API function to access it in the plugin... this is kind of tricky and this is only to compare 2 path planning methods.

Plus, to access the newly created field, I need to get the handle on the Path Planning Task which is only possible by using its name. So I hard-coded the name of one of the Path Planning Task available in the simulation file.

This is working , for now! In the (near) future, I will have 5~6 methods to compare, with different parameterS in the same environment and if possible at the same time (ie multi-thread).

From what I've read of the API, what I want to do doesn't seem to be possible as a plugin.

Am I wrong ? Can you give me some indication to do it right?

I found in the v-rep code a MACRO variable COMPILING_EXTERNAL_PATHPLANNING_DLL which should indicate that it is possible to have an internal path planning system but I can't find help on how to do that.

Thanks

Ben

[coppelia]

Hello Ben,

It is not completely clear to me why you added a field to the path planning class. The approach I would take (if your path planning plugin is completely independent from the existing one):

• prepare a path planning plugin, different from the existing one and running side-by-side
• create path planning tasks (with all the needed parameters) via custom Lua functions simRegisterCustomLuaFunction. One of the functions could be simExtPathPlanningFindPath(startConfig,goalConfig,robot,obstacles,parameter1,parameter2)

The variable COMPILING_EXTERNAL_PATHPLANNING_DLL is used by us to compile the path planning plugin together with the v_rep library (i.e. inside of it). Unfortunately you cannot use it, since the source code you have is a preprocessed one from the master source code. We are working at having a single source code within a few months.

Cheers

[BenjaminV]

The idea was to use your existing interface (GUI) to create path planning task with different methods.

I realize now that it's not the good way to do it.