I'm testing LinkForge but I can't import meshes

[hxgndevbyday]

LinkForgeTestFiles.zip

I'm using these set of files to import the urdf description but seems like the meshes are not being imported at all.

Maybe my filename tag for visual > geometry > mesh filename is wrong?

[arounamounchili]

Hi @hxgndevbyday ! Thanks for trying out LinkForge. The issue you're experiencing is related to how package:// URIs are resolved during import.

Your URDF uses package:// URIs like:

<mesh filename="package://fairino_description/meshes/fairino10_v6/upperarm_link.STL" />

LinkForge needs to resolve package://fairino_description to an actual filesystem path to find the .STL files.

Solution

Option 1: Set ROS Package Path (Recommended)
If you have ROS installed, LinkForge will automatically use rospack to resolve package URIs. Make sure:

1. Your ROS workspace is sourced
2. The fairino_description package is in your workspace

Option 2: Manual Package Path
If the meshes are in the same directory as your URDF, you can edit the URDF to use relative paths:

<mesh filename="meshes/fairino10_v6/upperarm_link.STL" />

After setting up the package path, try importing again. You should see the meshes appear in the viewport. Check the Blender System Console (Window > Toggle System Console) for any error messages about missing files.

Let me know if this helps!

[hxgndevbyday]

Hey, thanks for your answer! I was able to import the robot

However I noticed that meshes don't get imported if I set the mesh to be usdz. I will keep on testing what I can do with Link Forge, thanks again.

[arounamounchili]

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear the robot imported successfully.

You're absolutely right, LinkForge currently supports these mesh formats for import/export:

• STL: Industry standard for collision and visual geometry
• OBJ: Supported for visual geometry with materials
• GLB: Modern format for web-based viewers and game engines

As for .usdz, it's primarily used in AR/Isaac Sim workflows and isn't part of the standard ROS URDF ecosystem yet, so the importer skips it. We may add USD support in the future as it gains traction in robotics simulation!

Thanks again!