Anyone knows if we can add CAD files to the polyscope screen where you can see the virtual robot? That would be useful for teaching approximate positions offline using the simulator?

Otherwise, what are your tricks to pre-program the robot virtually such that we can start programming while the robotic project is being fabricated and installed.

I do not know of anyways to add a CAD file to the polyscope interface, it would be a great addition even just for the offline simulator.  When we did Epson 6-axis in the past you were at least able to add shapes into the simulator at specified points.

We do a lot of the programming using the offline simulator and our CAD data.  If you know where the various parts of the cell will be located you can start to build out the basic program before the cell is in hand.  When you teach new waypoints you can simply enter the XYZ coordinates of where you will be in relation to the base of 0,0,0.  Another way is to teach point, line or plane features that represent where items will be such as a point for the pickup location, drop-off location, tools that will do work to the part, etc.  Then you teach the program for each of these operations relative to that point.  Then when you get the real equipment in you reteach the features and the program automatically adjusts itself to the newly taught point (similar to how you do vision assisted picking)

In most of the programs that I have done, the actual waypoints are a small bit of the programming, its the logic that you have to figure out how to get the program to operate correctly within the environment that can take a while.  This is where we really use offline programming to get a jump on projects before we are either on-site with the equipment or have all of the pieces and parts in house to complete the program