# Smart Components help not available in RobotStudio

**URL:** https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409
**Category:** RobotStudio
**Tags:** smart-components, robotstudio, help, documentation
**Created:** [October 13, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409 "2021-10-13T12:19:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![hcostelha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@hcostelha](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/hcostelha)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/1 "2021-10-13T12:19:10Z")

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Hi,

A few versions back, there use to be a help page for the Smart Components in the RobotStudio documentation/help menu, now there seems to be no help at all.  
Am I missing something, or was it actually removed from the RobotStudio Help? If it was removed, is there any possibility of adding it back?

Thanks and best regards,  
Hugo Costelha

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### Author: ![Maxim](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/tech-community.robotics.abb.com/maxim/32/4429_2.png) [@Maxim](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/Maxim)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2021, 1:13pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/2 "2021-10-13T13:13:14Z")

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Hello there,

There’s a chapter in the RobotStudio (2021) manual called “Advanced simulation using smart components and physics - Understanding SmartComponents”. It contains some information regarding smart components.

 ![](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/robotics1/original/2X/e/eb18eb2530f1a539d606978fb87340abca061b37.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![hcostelha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@hcostelha](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/hcostelha)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/3 "2021-11-10T16:54:24Z")

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Hi,

Thanks for the answer, and sorry for my late reply, but I was not notified of it.

It is true that the referred section exists, but does not contain almost any information about the SmartComponents included in RobotStudio. In older versions, there was a help page which described all the SmartComponents, their inputs and outputs. It would be nice to have that help page back.

Best regards,  
Hugo

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![hcostelha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@hcostelha](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/hcostelha)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/4 "2022-05-19T15:58:09Z")

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Sorry to bring this up again, but I really miss the old information where all inputs, outputs and properties of all available SmartComponents was documented in RobotStudio. Is there any specific reason for this part of RobotStudio not to be documented, specially given that it was once fully documented?

The examples, such as the infeeder one, do not have a proper description of all SmartComponents like in older RobotStudio versions.

Best regards,  
Hugo Costelha

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Maxim](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/tech-community.robotics.abb.com/maxim/32/4429_2.png) [@Maxim](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/Maxim)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2022, 11:39am UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/5 "2022-06-07T11:39:34Z")

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Hello,

I will bring this issue to R&D’s attention.

Thanks for pointing it out!

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### Author: ![DenisFR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DenisFR](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/DenisFR)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/6 "2022-06-09T14:51:52Z")

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Hello,

Each SC should include its own help file in rslib file. So installed ones (via Add-ins) can have it too.  
We should access to it in Station Logic - Compose page.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![hcostelha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@hcostelha](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/hcostelha)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/7 "2022-06-09T19:53:43Z")

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> [@DenisFR](#):
>
> Hello,
> 
> Each SC should include its own help file in rslib file. So installed ones (via Add-ins) can have it too.  
> We should access to it in Station Logic - Compose page.

Are you referring to the description that shows up in the Compose tab when you add a child SC into a SC or the station? That already helps, but I was referring to having the documentation in the Help files, as it existed in older RobotStudio versions, where you can easily see the description of all included SC and the description of their inputs, outputs and properties

Best regards,  
Hugo Costelha

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![DenisFR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DenisFR](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/DenisFR)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2022, 11:27am UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/8 "2022-06-20T11:27:11Z")

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Hello,

> [@hcostelha](#):
>
> Are you referring to the description that shows up in the Compose tab when you add a child SC into a SC or the station? That already helps, but I was referring to having the documentation in the Help files, as it existed in older RobotStudio versions, where you can easily see the description of all included SC and the description of their inputs, outputs and properties

No I refer to help file opened in other window.  
I prefer have them independent than in one common file.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![hcostelha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@hcostelha](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/hcostelha)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2022, 12:57pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/9 "2022-06-20T12:57:17Z")

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Hi,

> [@DenisFR](#):
>
> Hello,
> 
> > [@hcostelha](#):
> >
> > Are you referring to the description that shows up in the Compose tab when you add a child SC into a SC or the station? That already helps, but I was referring to having the documentation in the Help files, as it existed in older RobotStudio versions, where you can easily see the description of all included SC and the description of their inputs, outputs and properties
> 
> No I refer to help file opened in other window.  
> I prefer have them independent than in one common file.

Can you show a screenshot and/or provide with greater detail on how you found/reached the Smart Components documentation? In the current RobotStudio version I only found that documentation in the Compose tab, as show in the picture below.

 ![image.png](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/robotics1/original/1X/2237fb0771e7ffaa68cb566ed91a47b00340fb25.png)  
Thanks and best regards,  
Hugo

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![DenisFR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DenisFR](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/DenisFR)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/10 "2022-06-21T14:11:44Z")

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Hello,  
I didn’t say how it works now but how it should in the future.  
Devs should add a Help link in that page to open included help file.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Maxim](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/tech-community.robotics.abb.com/maxim/32/4429_2.png) [@Maxim](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/Maxim)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/smart-components-help-not-available-in-robotstudio/10409/11 "2022-08-31T12:45:06Z")

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Hello there,

A follow-up on this. It is possible to distribute a SmartComponent as an Addin. So in a .rspak file, containing the SmartComponent (.rslib) and any potential documentation (e.g. .pdf ).

Below are some resources that could help with creating such a package file.

> **[Packing a RobotWare Add-In](https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/articles/How-To/HT_Libraries.html)**

> **[Structure of a Distribution Package](https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/articles/Concepts/Distribution-Package/DP_Structure.html)**

> **[RspakTool](https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/articles/Concepts/Distribution-Package/DP_RspakTool.html)**
