Hi,

I'm creating a pick and place program in which the package contains several different products. For every order a different package is needed, so the picking locations stay the same whereas the placing waypoints differ for every package. 

Now I would like to create a subprogram with the picking waypoints, they usually don't change and should be the same in every packing program. How can I synchronize these points and keep them updated within all the programs? As I edit one now the coordinates in the other program stay the same and the name changes. I thought checking "keep subprogram file updated with this program" would do the trick but it doesn't. Also when I edit the actual subprogram, the waypoint in the packing program has not changed.

Is there a way to fix this or is there another solution to the same target?

@nstelder,

You can use Features.  Store your global waypoint in point feature in the installation tab.  In your program, use MoveJ or moveL with the option to use a variable then select the point feature you have defined.

Why not have a single program and use logic to choose your pack point?  Simply ask the operator at the beginning of the program or use a selector switch to tell the program which package it’s packing?

Solved! I created the points as features so I can still call them as a Pose in my script. Fairly small change with great advantages! The difference is that only the location of the TCP is stored and not the actual position of the arm like in case of a waypoint, but so far no problems.  

@matthewd92  This would work too indeed, in my case I have 30 picking locations and about 20 different packages containing 60 products each. The program would simply get too big and slow.

How come the subprogram won't update the waypoints in another program where the subprogram is loaded? Is this technically not possible or is it a bug in the software? 

Not sure about the sub-program as we don’t use them, we write single file applications only and use recipes to run only the portion that’s needed for various jobs.  

With your pick and pack locations are you having to teach each of those points or are you using patterning via script or some of the wizards such as palletizing?

The program is written with 2 switch cases in a loop, one for picking and one for packing. The picking is completely written in a script file with, now global points, followed by pose transformations forming a pattern. For the packing I'm using individual points because every package is different and I can't use the pallet command within the 2 switch cases (I think).