Surgical systems and methods of demonstrating planned autonomous manipulation of an anatomy by a tool of a robotic surgical system include generating manipulation parameters representing planned constraints on autonomous manipulation of a volume of the anatomy by the tool in a first mode and generating demonstrative parameters relating to the manipulation parameters and defined in relation to a surface of the anatomy. The demonstrative parameters are less invasive to the anatomy than the manipulation parameters. The tool is moved in accordance with the demonstrative parameters in a second mode thereby demonstrating planned constraints on autonomous manipulation of the anatomy in relation to the surface of the anatomy.