# RobotApp "PartTrace" - How to use?

**URL:** <https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/robotapp-parttrace-how-to-use/10507>\
**Category:** RobotStudio\
**Tags:** parttrace, sweep-volume, reachability, trace\
**Created:** [December 21, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/robotapp-parttrace-how-to-use/10507 "2021-12-21T13:00:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tph\_kit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tph\_kit](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/tph_kit)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/robotapp-parttrace-how-to-use/10507/1 "2021-12-21T13:00:49Z")

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Dear all,  
I want to use the RobotApp “PartTrace”, which should create a sweep volume of parts attaced to the robot, see here: [ABB-RobotApps (robotstudio.com)](https://robotapps.robotstudio.com/#/viewApp/11857d1e-1d1f-4a6a-9171-149988a858cd)

For testing, I have created a setup where I create a new tool in form of a cylinder and attach it to a robot. I then select the settings of the PartTrace smart component as shown in the attached image, start the simulation, and move the robot around for a bit.

In principle, the app seems to work: It creates a component group “PartTrace\_1”. The parts in this group are indeed placed at the points where the cylinder has been during the simulation, i.e. the tracing seems to work.

However, the problem is that I can only see coordinate systems that mark the recorded positions. From the figure here ([ABB-RobotApps (robotstudio.com)](https://robotapps.robotstudio.com/#/viewApp/11857d1e-1d1f-4a6a-9171-149988a858cd)), I would expect that I should also be able to see the geometry of the cylinder at the various points. Am I missing something? (Btw., I made sure that the box “remove Geometry” in the smart component settings is UNchecked).

Is there someone who has experience with this App and can help me?

 ![image.png](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/robotics1/original/2X/a/a14bd78b830886b03659a8bb590401969b910074.png)  
Best regards,  
Tom

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**Author:** ![Anders\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Anders\_S](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/Anders_S)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/robotapp-parttrace-how-to-use/10507/2 "2021-12-21T13:39:22Z")

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Hi Tom,

You have got the settings wrong. _Source_ is the object you should create copies of, in this case the cylinder. _Mechanism_ is the mechanism that moves the _source_, in this case the IRB1100 robot. _Flange_ is the flange/frame that the copies should relate to when they are created, in this case tool0 (if you can’t see tool0 in the Flange drop down, close the “PartTrace property window” and open it again.  
“Remove Geometry” can be checked, it will improve the simulation performance. Copies will only be created when the simulation runs (Play in the simulation tab).

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**Author:** ![tph\_kit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tph\_kit](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/tph_kit)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 2:05pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/robotapp-parttrace-how-to-use/10507/3 "2021-12-21T14:05:11Z")

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Great, thank you very much. It works now.

 ![image.png](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/robotics1/original/2X/a/a8226907b5b7ce03c87299bdb537a15aa4cf0b1f.png)