urdf to collada for OpenRave does not work

edit

To generate IKFast solver C++ output file use the same generated collada file in following command -

pythonopenrave-config --python-dir/openravepy/_openravepy_/ikfast.py --robot=<myrobot_name>.dae --iktype=transform6d --baselink=1 --eelink=8 --savefile=<ikfast_output_path>

Whereas this results into segmentation fault and to generate the C++ output file regardless the segfault you will have to change the last block of code in ikfast.py file

solvefn=IKFastSolver.GetSolvers()[options.iktype.lower()]
if options.robot is not None:
    try:
        env=openravepy.Environment()
        kinbody=env.ReadRobotXMLFile(options.robot)
        env.Add(kinbody)
        solver = IKFastSolver(kinbody,kinbody)
        solver.maxcasedepth = options.maxcasedepth
        chaintree = solver.generateIkSolver(options.baselink,options.eelink,options.freeindices,solvefn=solvefn)
        code=solver.writeIkSolver(chaintree,lang=options.lang)
    finally:
        openravepy.RaveDestroy()

if len(code) > 0:
    with open(options.savefile,'w') as f:
        f.write(code)

to

solvefn=IKFastSolver.GetSolvers()[options.iktype.lower()]
if options.robot is not None:
    try:
        env=openravepy.Environment()
        kinbody=env.ReadRobotXMLFile(options.robot)
        env.Add(kinbody)
        solver = IKFastSolver(kinbody,kinbody)
        solver.maxcasedepth = options.maxcasedepth
        chaintree = solver.generateIkSolver(options.baselink,options.eelink,options.freeindices,solvefn=solvefn)
        code=solver.writeIkSolver(chaintree,lang=options.lang)
        if len(code) > 0:
            with open(options.savefile,'w') as f:
                f.write(code)
    finally:
        openravepy.RaveDestroy()

this bypasses the segfault and generates the desired ik solver file.

This is because link transformations in the URDF does not have any effect in the visualization. One solution until this is fixed in the openrave is to use tools like mesh mixer to shift the STL/OBJ files' transformation so that all the link transformations in the URDF are zero. This will help to fix this view problem.