[stevenaya]

V1 and V2 use separate model generators. This update moves both to shared topology-driven assembly, adds the V2 covers and camera components, and makes control interfaces follow the selected preset. This draft tracks the complete model and the split PRs below; completed items are marked as merged.

Changes

• Move transforms, link/joint output, reference frames and component assembly into assets/common/. Read names, joint types and connections from topology, including reflection of oblique joint axes.
• Resolve connection.origin relative to the selected parent link or reference point. Make emit control frame output without moving attached components, and configure empty arm-tip folding through collapse_empty_end in topology.
• Generate ROS2 control interfaces from the enabled arms and grippers, using the model's joint names and an option to omit control output.
• Migrate V1 to shared presets and configuration files. Include link7 in the parallel-gripper component with link7 → hand → fingers/TCP. Center the link2/link4/link6 origins and transform mesh offsets and COMs together, preserving physical placement and motor coordinates.
• Move bodies into assets/body/v1.0/ and assets/body/v2.0/, and gripper macros into their end-effector directories. Resolve body root names from topology and V1 mounting overrides from the actual parent component. Keep separate V1/V2 entrypoints.
• Refine the V2 link4 visual using the original body and separately reduced cable covers (16,196 triangles, 1.17 MB). Update the open-top body visual, retaining the column's dark matte material. Add B0495 camera geometry to the gripper base, CAD viewing frames, an independent ZED mount and the official ZED Mini assembly in the default bimanual preset. Use the measured base mass and cover volume ratio to obtain 3.734812 kg, with updated COM and diagonal inertia.
• Update example URDFs, launch configuration, usage instructions and regression tests. Build camera URDF exports with the official zed_description 0.2.0 package in CI.

Split PRs

Merge the independent asset updates first, then the shared assembly and version migrations. IDs below identify the split plan; the PR column tracks submissions.

ID	Change	Branch	Depends on	PR
A	Update V2 link4 cable-cover visuals	fix/v2-link4-cable-cover	main	#98 (merged)
A2	Reduce the V2 link4 visual using the original body and repaired cable covers	fix/v2-link4-mesh-reduction	main	#102
J	Update the open-top body visual and measured-mass inertia	fix/v2-open-cover-model	main	#99 (merged)
C	Add gripper camera visuals and pose-invariant reference frames	feat/v2-gripper-camera	main	#100
B	Unify selected V1 visual materials	fix/v1-visual-materials	main	#101 (merged)
E	Extract shared geometry, transform and joint macros	refactor/shared-xacro-primitives	C	Queued
F	Generate components directly from shared topology	refactor/shared-kinematic-components	E	Queued
G	Configure empty arm-tip collapse in topology	refactor/arm-tip-collapse-config	F	Queued
H	Generate shared control interfaces from enabled components	refactor/shared-ros2-control	F	Queued
I	Introduce external bodies with topology-based root aliases	refactor/v2-body-assets	F, J	Queued
K	Add accessory components, the ZED Mini assembly and CI dependency	feat/v2-body-camera-assembly	I	Queued
L	Migrate V1 directly to shared presets and external bodies	refactor/v1-preset-assembly	G, H, I	Queued
M	Center V1 joint origins while preserving motor coordinates	fix/v1-center-joint-origins	L	Queued

Validation

• 58 model regression tests pass, covering reference poses, mirroring, folding, topology and control names.
• V1/V2 presets and standalone grippers expand and pass check_urdf; single-arm and bimanual launch configurations construct successfully.
• The split branches combine to the same final file tree. Body mass-property calculations reproduce the recorded values; updated visual meshes load successfully.

Follow-up model work

• Generate collision meshes for the updated V2 covers and camera mount.
• Refine the ZED Mini mounting transform using exact CAD or measured mounting-hole coordinates.