1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: determining, by one or more processors, one or more spatial constraints associated with an object to be acted upon by a robot; determining, by one or more of the processors, a plurality of candidate physical arrangements of the object that satisfy the one or more spatial constraints; receiving as input, by one or more of the processors for each of the candidate physical arrangements, a plurality of candidate paths traversable by a reference point of an end effector in acting upon the object in the candidate physical arrangement; calculating, by one or more of the processors, for each of the plurality of candidate physical arrangements of the object and for each of the candidate paths for the candidate physical arrangement, a cost that would be incurred as a result of the robot acting upon the object in the candidate physical arrangement using the candidate path, wherein the calculating includes: determining, from the plurality of candidate paths, a path traversable by the reference point associated with the end effector of the robot to a site corresponding to at least one of the plurality of candidate physical arrangements of the object, determining a plurality of candidate instructions sets, each candidate instruction set configured to cause the robot to assume a different respective set of poses while traversing the reference point along the path, and calculating, for each candidate instruction set, a candidate instruction set cost that would be incurred to implement the candidate instruction set to traverse the reference point along the path; selecting, by one or more of the processors, the candidate physical arrangement and candidate path associated with the cost that satisfies a criterion, wherein the selecting includes selecting, from the plurality of candidate instruction sets, the candidate instruction set associated with the candidate instruction set cost that satisfies the criterion or another criterion; and with the object in the selected candidate physical arrangement, operating the robot to act upon the object using the selected candidate path.