Tool crib/tool selection

just throwing this out there…why when you are programming a part and you start picking tools…does the software pick some arbitrary tool to use instead of referring to the tools you have currently in your tool crib…i appreciate getting a tool crib stocked with tools to choose from…but if i’m being honest…i delete about 3/4 of the crap tools in there and add in my cutters that i use…it’d be cool if the software would select those first instead of just making it’s own tool

+1 on that. Those tools are in the way and it has been mentioned before.

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Hey Bigman, currently the way the software works is that when you create a feature that each specific op will search the tool crib of that job for a tool for it to use. If it doesnt find a tool, then it will create the default tool that you were talking about in your post. Each operation has one specific tool type that if will search for by default, for example a mill 2x profile rough will search the tool crib for a endmill rough, whereas a profile finish will search the crib for a endmill finish, mill chamfer search the chamfer mill tool type, etc…

There is already a request to change the default tools that the software will create if there isnt a tool matching the criteria for a specific operation. Would this meet what you want to changed with the software or would you want something else?

The problem is, once you select your own tool, the default tool remains in your crib. Irritating.

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After the default tool is changed to another tool in the crib and the finish or compute button in the CAM Wizard is selected, any tools that are no longer being used in the program will be automatically taken out of the tool crib. Only tools that were manually added by the user will stay in the tool crib when they no longer are being used.

that would be great and all…but…when i have a 1.25 insert cutter in my crib already at T2…and it skips picking that tool and then creates an identical tool at T4 and throws that into the program and your T4 might be a 3 inch shell mill and you don’t catch it…hilarity ensues…for others…but not for me

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I just added to the feature request, so that the operation will search the tool crib for every tool type that it supports and only if the software doesnt find any supported tools in the crib will it create a new default tool. Does this fit your vision on how the software works? @Bigman

that would work a whole lot better than where we’re at right now…cool

I don’t think we need the system to create a default tool. We already know what tool we are going to select.

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i tend to agree…i know what i have in my ATC…and my hot swaps and all…i’d rather it not pick anything at all than pick something out of line…but this is just my opinion…

I agree. What I did was add the tools I use a lot to my tool Crib then save it a s a job template .helps a little

I’m glad I’m not the only one who found this pretty annoying. I’d like to have a tool crib with all the tools that I use and that’s it.

Me too: the default generated tool is not usable at all, because one have for sure to adjust its parameters. And it is also confusing, because a tool is there, which actually does not exist or has been created by the user.
Bye, Harald

P.S.: there are some other issues that makes me unhappy with Tool Crib, Tool Library and Material. I’ll see where and how to write it down.

Hey bdevine and MillingGuy, I added to the feature request to show that you both are also requesting for this modification. Basically it would be a request to only create default tools in the software if there is no tool in the crib that the specific operation could use.

If there is no tool in the crib: perfect. For me it should be the user and not the system to create a tool. As said: what is the point of generating a default tool that cannot be used anyway or has to be completely changed?
Regards, Harald

Exactly. Put in a request to not create any tool. We select our own tools and can create it if we need it.

I added to the report again noting that some of the customer disliked that the system creates default tools at all, and that “if there isn’t a tool in the crib that an operation can select then it should prompt the user to select a tool before proceeding as opposed to just placing a random default tool in there”

This is based on GCSRT and Milling Guys comments. THANKS!

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perfect. thx, Harald

might i also add…i wish BobCAD would quit changing my tool numbers when i copy and paste a feature from one program to another…i.e. when you have one program…and another that’s just like it but a different size maybe…your tools are set in one program and then when you copy and past the tools are numbered auotmatically and in numerical order…stop it…i know what i’m doing BobCAD and yeah i didn’t need you renumbering my tools for me…again hilarity ensues if you don’t catch it before hitting the go

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Hi,

I agree and also wish, BobCAD would never do automatic tool numberations except the user tells to do so.

Further in this case: coolant seems to be always set to “Flood” by default. I would like to see if this can be defined in the Tool Library and adjusted in the Tool Crib for each tool. I know which tool to choose for which material and if coolant is required or not.

Regards, Harald