KUKA.Sim vs KUKA.OfficeLite + RoboDK

    Hi,

    I am having difficulty making a choice between KUKA.Sim and KUKA.OfficeLite.

    I already have a RoboDK license and really like the software, but it lacks some features like being able to execute spline motions. I am looking for a way to simulate the path I generate to make sure I don’t encounter any problem like hitting the limit-switches on a real controller and robot.

    I had the time to test KUKA.Sim a bit but ran out of that short 1-month trial… I would have liked to test OL through a trial too, but there are no trial version.

    I just need validation that I’m not overlooking useful features of KUKA.Sim compared to the combination of OL and RoboDK before buying OL.

    Also, I'd like to confirm that OL support any combination of Kuka robot and external axis like a regular controller would.

    Thanks a lot for your advice! :smiling_face:

    OL does support external axis. It's KRC software without the drives.

    Not super familiar with RoboDK outside of also testing if for a month and deciding on KUKA.Sim.


    I use KUKA.Sim daily and have grown to tolerate it's short comings. You can't simulate a PLC very well, so if you have a lot of external sensors like lasers for distance or something like that, it has to be thought out. I found you need to basically have 2 versions of the movement, one when you're simulating, and one where you are running on the KRC.

    It's been said a few times in other threads, but i think Skyfire summed it up best in this thread:
    KUKA.Sim - Read and Write to KRL variables from python script? - KUKA Robot Forum - Robotforum - Support and discussion community for industrial robots and cobots (robot-forum.com)

    As far I can tell, although KUKA.Sim is receiving some interesting features in the latest versions, It still needs OfficeLite to work on its full capabilities. OfficeLite come bundled on KUKA.Sim Pro package.

    So, the cheaper option would pick just OL and use it with RoboDK, and for some situations, this combination is pretty good.

    On the other hand, KUKA.Sim is the real thing when dealing with KUKA robots, and now with this subscription model, you can have the newer versions when they are released.

    This kind of depends on what you want to do.

    OL (besides safety) can operate tech packages etc. But it is a bit painful to set up with the virtual machine. And you need 1 VM per robot, eating up resources faster than you think.

    KUKA.Sim is the better programming system since it has a ton of OLP features which OL doesn't provide. But unfortunately it is not supporting all TechPackages. It can do multiple Robots though.

    Both use the RCS module underneath so cycle times should be identical.
    Not sure on how much of the interface RoboDK can use, it is not the most common setup tbh.

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