Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a tool I’ve been working on: LinkForge. It was just approved on the Blender Extensions Platform (v1.1.1).
The Problem We all know the workflow: export meshes from CAD, write URDFs by hand, guess inertia tensors, launch Gazebo, realize a link is rotated 90 degrees, kill Gazebo, edit XML, repeat. It separates the “design” from the “engineering.”
The Solution LinkForge allows you to rig, configure, and export simulation-ready robots directly inside Blender. It is not just a mesh exporter; it manages the entire URDF/Xacro structure.
Key Features for Roboticists:
- Visual Editor: Import/Export URDF & Xacro files seamlessly
- Physics: Auto-calculates mass & inertia tensors
- ROS2 Control Support: Automatically generates hardware interface configurations for ros2_control
- Complete Sensor Suite: Integrated support for Camera, Depth Camera, LiDAR, IMU, GPS, and Force/Torque sensors with configurable noise models
- Xacro Support: Preserves macros and properties where possible.
Workflow
- Import your existing
.urdfor.xacro. - Edit joints and limits visually in the viewport.
- Add collision geometry (convex hulls/primitives).
- Export valid XML.
Links
- Blender Extension: LinkForge — Blender Extensions
- GitHub: GitHub - arounamounchili/linkforge: Build simulation-ready robots in Blender. Professional URDF/XACRO exporter with validation, sensors, and ros2_control support.
- Documentation: https://linkforge.readthedocs.io/
This is an open-source project. I’m actively looking for feedback on the “Round-trip” capability and Xacro support.
Happy forging!
