Issue a command
This guide will teach you how to send a command to your device.
Step 1: Create your command
- In Formant, in the upper-left corner, open the menu and click Settings.
- Click Commands >> Add command.
- Give your command a name and click Continue.
- Choose which devices can receive this command by applying an appropriate set of tags, and then click Next.
For more information on tags, see Configure access levels.
- Enter the name of the command you want to run. This should match the name of a method on your robot.
- (Optional) Add any parameters that the user should fill in when running the command.
- Add a description and click Save.
Step 2: Run your command
In the Observe view
- In Formant, in the upper-left corner, open the menu and select the device to which you want to send a command.
- In the upper-right corner, click the chevron to open the dropdown menu. Click Issue command.
- In the Issue a Command window, select the command you want to send to your device.
During teleoperation
In the teleoperation view, click the three dots in the lower-right corner >> Issue command.

You can also configure command buttons as modules in your teleoperation view. For more information, see Teleoperate a device.
Built-in commands
The Formant agent installs with three built-in commands:
Command | Description | Parameters |
---|---|---|
formant.get_file | Get a file from the device. This causes a file to be ingested. | Absolute file path on the device |
formant.publish_ros_topic | Publishes a message to a ROS topic. | String to be published to the specified ROS topic |
formant.run_script | Runs a script on the device. | Absolute file path on the device. The script should start with shebang . |
Further reading
To read more about adding commands, the lifetime of commands in Formant, and advanced configuration, see Commands.
If you notice an issue with this page or need help, please reach out to us! Use the 'Did this page help you?' buttons below, or get in contact with our Customer Success team via the Intercom messenger in the bottom-right corner of this page, or at [email protected].
Updated about 1 month ago