Abstract: A method and apparatus for outlining the manipulation environment of a duty machine automatically determines its working cycles. The method includes a laser pointer (2) which measures the direction and distance of the laser beam with respect to an object. By means of the pointer there is registered a set of points (1), which can be formed of separate pointes or of continuous lines and which gives a rough illustration of the entire manipulation space, i.e. its free space and the objects located therein. The set of points is completed to form a model of the manipulation environment both by means of geometric plane figures (primitive volumes)(3) sent from the user's keyboard, and by means of mathematical algorithms, in order to match the spatial planes and curves with the given set of points. The automatically determined trajectories are corrected during the working performance according to the feedback information received from the object under operation.