Better performance examples

CLAUDE.md

@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ make
 
 To build a single plugin, run qmake/make inside its subdirectory (e.g., `PluginExample/PluginExample.pro`).
 
-There are no automated tests — plugins are tested manually by loading them in RoboDK via **Tools → Plug-Ins**.
+There are no automated tests — plugins are tested manually by loading them in RoboDK via **Tools → Plug-Ins**, or faster, by launching RoboDK with a command-line flag:
+```bash
+RoboDK.exe -PLUGINSLOAD                                      # start with all available plugins loaded
+RoboDK.exe -PLUGINLOAD=C:/RoboDK/bin/plugins/pluginexample.dll   # load one plugin on the fly
+```
 
 ## Qt Version Requirements
 
@@ -79,7 +83,7 @@ PluginXxx/
 
 ### Add-in Apps (`PluginAppLoader/Apps/`)
 
-Python-based apps loaded via the `PluginAppLoader` C++ plugin. Each app in its own subdirectory follows the same `IAppRoboDK` interface conventions but runs as Python scripts rather than compiled DLLs.
+Python-based apps loaded via the `PluginAppLoader` C++ plugin (built in separately, always enabled in RoboDK but disabled by default). Each app is a subfolder; every `.py` script inside becomes a menu item/toolbar button, and an `AppConfig.ini` (auto-generated on first load) controls menu placement, icons, and shortcuts. Package an app folder into a distributable `.rdkp` with `PluginAppLoader/Apps/PackageCreate.py` (or `PackageCreateOne.py` for a single app).
 
 ### Robot Extensions (`robotextensions/samplekinematics/`)
 

PluginExample/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+# Plugin Example
+
+Plugin Example is the reference RoboDK Plug-in used as a starting point for developing new plug-ins. It demonstrates the
+Plug-in Interface: registering menu/toolbar actions, adding a docked window, listening to RoboDK events, and
+calling the RoboDK API (`IRoboDK`/`IItem`) directly from C++ for maximum performance.
+
+![Speed benchmark docked window showing kinematics and collision timing results](benchmark-info.png)
+
+
+## Features
+
+- **Plugin Speed Information** (`Ctrl+I`): runs a benchmark of the RoboDK API on the selected robot (Forward
+  Kinematics, Inverse Kinematics, and collision checking) and reports the results in a docked window.
+- **Program collision check**: optionally checks every step of a program for collisions and reports how many
+  points are in collision vs. collision-free, along with timing statistics.
+- Includes a **System / CPU / RAM** summary of the computer running the benchmark.
+- **Robot Pilot Form**: a docked window to jog the robot by incremental steps (joints or Cartesian, relative to
+  the tool or the reference frame).
+- Right-click integration: the benchmark and robot pilot actions are added to the context menu of objects and
+  robots in the station tree.
+
+## Usage
+
+1. Select **Tools → Plug-Ins** in RoboDK and double click on **PluginExample** if it is not already loaded.
+2. Use the **Plugin Example** menu or toolbar:
+   - **Plugin Speed Information** (or `Ctrl+I`): pick a robot to benchmark. You can then optionally pick a
+     program to run a collision check against; if a program named `Main` exists, it is used automatically.
+   - **Robot Pilot Form**: opens the jog panel described above.
+   - **RoboDK Plugins - Help**: opens the RoboDK Plug-in documentation in your browser.
+3. Results are displayed as a table in a docked window and are also printed as an aligned plain-text table in
+   the console/debug output, which is useful when there is no GUI available (see below).
+
+
+## Files
+
+| File | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `pluginexample.h` / `.cpp` | Plugin entry point: `IAppRoboDK` implementation, menu/toolbar setup, benchmark logic |
+| `formrobotpilot.h` / `.cpp` / `.ui` | Robot Pilot docked widget |
+| `run_api_benchmark.py` | Standalone Python script that runs the same kind of benchmarks using the RoboDK API for Python |
+| `run_plugin_benchmark.py` | Python helper that downloads the sample station, starts a headless RoboDK instance, loads this plugin, and runs the benchmark automatically via `robolink` |
+| `manifest.xml` | Add-in package metadata |
+
+## Getting benchmark results from the command line
+
+The benchmark can be triggered without any user interaction using RoboDK's `-PluginCommand` argument, which
+calls `PluginCommand("BenchmarkInfo", progname)`. This is useful to collect performance stats headlessly, for
+example as part of an automated test or CI (Continuous Integration) workflow:
+
+```bash
+./RoboDK -NEWINSTANCE -NOUI -SKIPINI -PLUGINLOAD=PluginExample "C:/RoboDK/Library/Welding-with-Comau-Smart5-NJ-130-2-6.rdk" -PluginCommand=BenchmarkInfo=MainProg
+```
+
+- `-NEWINSTANCE`: starts a new RoboDK instance instead of reusing one that is already running.
+- `-NOUI`: runs RoboDK without showing its main window.
+- `-SKIPINI`: skips loading the user's saved settings/station list.
+- `-PLUGINLOAD=PluginExample`: loads this plugin on startup.
+- The quoted path is the RoboDK station (`.rdk`) to open.
+- `-PluginCommand=BenchmarkInfo=MainProg`: runs the benchmark against the program named `MainProg` and prints
+  the results as text to the console. Since `-NOUI` means the docked report is never shown, this text output
+  is the only way to read the stats in this scenario. To save the output to a file when triggering the action
+  manually, launch RoboDK with the `-DEBUG` flag (`C:/RoboDK/RoboDK-Debug.bat` on Windows).
+
+Alternatively, `run_plugin_benchmark.py` automates the same steps via the Python `robolink` API: it downloads
+the sample station, starts a headless RoboDK instance, loads the plugin, and streams the benchmark output to
+stdout.
+
+## Performance results (RoboDK v6)
+
+The following results were obtained using the
+[Spot welding station with Comau](https://robodk.com/example/Welding-with-Comau-Smart5-NJ-130-2-6) and
+RoboDK v6.0.6. RoboDK v6 includes important performance improvements for collision checking compared to
+previous versions.
+
+> **Note:** These results illustrate RoboDK performance on the systems tested and should not be interpreted
+> as a controlled comparison of processors or operating systems. Performance may vary depending on the RoboDK
+> build, station complexity, collision settings, system configuration, power settings, and background processes.
+
+### Summary
+
+| System | Forward Kinematics | Inverse Kinematics | Collision rate (5 samples) | Collision rate (full program) |
+|--------|-------------------:|-------------------:|---------------------------:|------------------------------:|
+| i9-14900KF — Windows (Desktop) | 0.61 µs | 2.00 µs | 744 samples/sec | 219 samples/sec |
+| i7-1165G7 — Windows (Laptop) | 1.57 µs | 11.36 µs | 524 samples/sec | 83 samples/sec |
+| Apple M5 Pro — native build | 0.30 µs | 1.39 µs | 4357 samples/sec | 1204 samples/sec |
+| Apple M1 — native build | 0.99 µs | 3.59 µs | 4196 samples/sec | 725 samples/sec |
+| Apple M1 — Intel build (Rosetta 2) | 2.09 µs | 6.16 µs | 3219 samples/sec | 707 samples/sec |
+
+### Results on Windows
+
+#### Intel Core i9-14900KF @ 3.19 GHz (Desktop PC)
+
+```
+Metric                                    Value
+--------------------------------------------------
+Robot                                     Comau Smart5 NJ 130-2.6
+System                                    Windows 11 Version 2009
+CPU                                       Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-14900KF, 32 cores @ 3.19 GHz
+RAM                                       31.8 GB
+Forward Kinematics                        0.61 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics                        2.00 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics (all solutions)        2.23 microseconds
+Collision check (5 samples)               1.34 ms/sample
+Collision check rate                      743.55 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    0
+Points without collisions                 5
+
+-- Program Collision Check: main --
+Collision check (3589 steps)              4.57 ms/step
+Collision check rate                      218.99 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    66
+Points without collisions                 3523
+```
+
+#### Intel Core i7-1165G7 @ 2.8 GHz (Laptop PC)
+
+```
+Metric                                    Value
+--------------------------------------------------
+Robot                                     Comau Smart5 NJ 130-2.6
+System                                    Windows 11 Version 2009
+CPU                                       11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz, 8 cores @ 2.80 GHz
+RAM                                       15.6 GB
+Forward Kinematics                        1.57 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics                        11.36 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics (all solutions)        11.88 microseconds
+Collision check (5 samples)               1.91 ms/sample
+Collision check rate                      523.58 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    0
+Points without collisions                 5
+
+-- Program Collision Check: main --
+Collision check (3589 steps)              12.07 ms/step
+Collision check rate                      82.88 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    66
+Points without collisions                 3523
+```
+
+### Results on macOS
+
+#### Apple M5 Pro — Apple Silicon build
+
+```
+Metric                                    Value
+--------------------------------------------------
+Robot                                     Comau Smart5 NJ 130-2.6
+System                                    macOS Tahoe (26.5.2)
+CPU                                       Apple M5 Pro, 15 cores
+RAM                                       24.0 GB
+Forward Kinematics                        0.30 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics                        1.39 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics (all solutions)        1.36 microseconds
+Collision check (5 samples)               0.23 ms/sample
+Collision check rate                      4357.14 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    0
+Points without collisions                 5
+
+-- Program Collision Check: main --
+Collision check (3589 steps)              0.83 ms/step
+Collision check rate                      1203.55 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    66
+Points without collisions                 3523
+```
+
+#### Apple M1 — Apple Silicon build
+
+```
+Metric                                    Value
+--------------------------------------------------
+Robot                                     Comau Smart5 NJ 130-2.6
+System                                    macOS Tahoe (26.5)
+CPU                                       Apple M1, 8 cores
+RAM                                       16.0 GB
+Forward Kinematics                        0.99 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics                        3.59 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics (all solutions)        2.65 microseconds
+Collision check (5 samples)               0.24 ms/sample
+Collision check rate                      4196.39 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    0
+Points without collisions                 5
+
+-- Program Collision Check: main --
+Collision check (3589 steps)              1.38 ms/step
+Collision check rate                      724.92 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    66
+Points without collisions                 3523
+```
+
+#### Apple M1 — Intel build (Rosetta 2)
+
+```
+Metric                                    Value
+--------------------------------------------------
+Robot                                     Comau Smart5 NJ 130-2.6
+System                                    macOS Tahoe (26.5)
+CPU                                       Apple M1, 8 cores @ 2.40 GHz
+RAM                                       16.0 GB
+Forward Kinematics                        2.09 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics                        6.16 microseconds
+Inverse Kinematics (all solutions)        5.24 microseconds
+Collision check (5 samples)               0.31 ms/sample
+Collision check rate                      3219.49 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    0
+Points without collisions                 5
+
+-- Program Collision Check: main --
+Collision check (3589 steps)              1.41 ms/step
+Collision check rate                      707.07 samples/sec
+Points with collisions                    66
+Points without collisions                 3523
+```