Path Builder

Want to make your robot follow a smooth, custom path? The PathBuilder in Pedro Pathing is your go-to tool for chaining together curves and controlling how your robot turns along the way. It’s designed to be flexible, readable, and—most importantly—easy to use.

What is PathBuilder?

Think of PathBuilder as a way to “draw” your robot’s route using Bézier curves, then tell it exactly how to turn as it moves. You can add as many path segments as you want, and tweak how the robot finishes each one. It’s all about making complex autos feel simple.

How do I use it?

Here’s a classic example. Let’s say you want your robot to go from a scoring position to a pickup, then back again, turning smoothly as it moves:

path = follower.pathBuilder()
    .addPath(new BezierLine(new Point(scorePose), new Point(pickup1Pose)))
    .setLinearHeadingInterpolation(scorePose.getHeading(), pickup1Pose.getHeading())
    .addPath(new BezierLine(new Point(pickup1Pose), new Point(scorePose)))
    .setLinearHeadingInterpolation(pickup1Pose.getHeading(), scorePose.getHeading())
    .build();

follower.followPath(path);

What can I do with it?

• addPath(path): Add a Bézier curve or other curve to your chain.
• setHeadingInterpolation(HeadingInterpolator): Control the robot's heading while following paths. (See Interpolation)
• setBrakingStrength(double): Control your deceleration (See Deceleration)
• setTValueConstraint(double): Control when each path is considered complete (See Path Constraints for more on timing.)
• build(): Finish up and get your path ready to follow.

Pro Tips

• All headings are in radians—don’t forget to use Math.toRadians(degrees) if you’re starting with degrees!
• You can chain as many addPath and heading methods as you want. Build something wild.

Curious how Pedro actually follows these paths? Dive into the Drive Vector Algorithm for the details.