Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for determining one or more spatial constraints associated with an object to be acted upon by a robot; determining a plurality of candidate physical arrangements of the object that satisfy the one or more spatial constraints; calculating, for one or more of the plurality of candidate physical arrangements of the object, a candidate physical arrangement cost that would be incurred as a result of the robot acting upon the object in the candidate physical arrangement; and selecting, from the plurality of candidate physical arrangements, a candidate physical arrangement associated with a candidate physical arrangement cost that satisfies a criterion.