What each tool in your library needs for CAM Assist to use it. Tools that don't meet these are left out at import, or marked Needs update in the tool library.
Supported tool types
Ball mill, Chamfer mill, End mill, Face mill, Reamer, Spot drill, T-slot mill, Thread mill, Twist drill and Cutting tap.
Some tools of these types can't be converted from your CAM package:
| CAM package | Not supported |
|---|---|
| Autodesk Fusion | Tool types other than face mill, ball end mill, bull nose end mill, flat end mill, slot mill, chamfer mill, drill, spot drill, reamer, thread mill and right- or left-hand tap |
| GibbsCAM | Half-profile thread mills, tapered thread mills |
| Siemens NX | End and ball mills with a taper angle, chamfer tools with a lower radius, drills with a corner radius, tapered reamers, taps with a front chamfer angle, tapered (NPT) thread mills, indexable face mills |
| Mastercam | Tool types other than flat, bull nose and ball end mills, standard, spot and center drills, reamers, chamfer mills, taps, thread mills, face mills and slot mills |
| SolidCAM | Tool types other than end mills, bull nose mills, ball nose mills, drills, spot drills, taper mills, chamfer drills, face mills, taps and slot mills. For example, bore, center drill, engraving, reamer, barrel, thread mill, taper ball nose, dove, saw and lollipop tools aren't supported, and nor are tools with a profile shape. |
What each tool needs
Each tool must be a complete assembly with:
- A tool number
- A cutting tool and a holder (a face mill has a body, an insert and a holder)
When you import tools without holders, CAM Assist adds default holders and tells you on the summary page. In SolidCAM, a tool in the part's tool table with no holder is given a holder based on the tool's sizes. Click Undo there to remove them; those tools will then show Needs update.
A tool missing any of these shows Needs update: "Tool will not be used by CAM Assist when generating operations", with the reason in brackets, for example "(missing holder)".
Autodesk Fusion
Fusion tools also need:
- On the Post Processor tab: Number, Turret, Diameter offset, Length offset, Break control, Live tool and Manual tool change
- A non-zero lower diameter, upper diameter and height for every holder and shaft segment
Required geometry by tool type
| Tool type | Required values |
|---|---|
| End mill | Diameter (DC), Depth of cut maximum (APMX), flute count (ZEFP or ZEFF), Overall length (OAL) or Protruding length (LPR) |
| Ball mill | Corner radius (RE) or Diameter (DC), APMX, flute count (ZEFP or ZEFF), OAL or LPR |
| Chamfer mill | Cutting edge angle (KAPR), Cutting diameter maximum (DCX), flute count (ZEFP or ZEFF), OAL or LPR |
| T-slot mill | Cutting diameter (DC), Neck diameter (DN), Cutting width (CW), Peripheral edge count (ZEFP), OAL or LPR |
| Twist drill | Diameter (DC), Usable length (LU), OAL or LPR |
| Spot drill | Diameter (DC), Point length (PL) or Point angle (SIG), OAL or LPR |
| Reamer | Diameter (DC), Cutting edge length (L), Protruding length (LPR), Flute count (NOF) |
| Cutting tap | Thread diameter (TD), Thread cutting part length (THL), Thread pitch (TP) or Threads per inch (TPI), Connection diameter machine side (DCONMS), Flute count (NOF), OAL or LPR |
| Thread mill | Cutting diameter (DC), APMX, ZEFP, DCONMS, Usable length (LU), TP or TPI, and OAL, LPR or Tool assembly length (LTA) |
| Face mill | DC or DCX, flute count (ZEFP or ZEFF), Protruding length (LPR) |
For every field, see Tool geometry fields.
Imported tools are checked against the same rules once they're in your library. A tool that fails shows Needs update; hover over the status, or open the tool, to see what's missing.
Tool statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Valid | CAM Assist can use the tool. |
| Warning | CAM Assist can use it, but missing or invalid cutting data may give inaccurate feeds and speeds. Check the fields listed. |
| Needs update | CAM Assist won't use the tool. Hover over the status for the reason. |
To find these tools, click Need updates or Warnings in the library summary in My Shop > Tool libraries. To fix a tool, edit it in CAM Assist (see Edit a tool's geometry), or fix it in your CAM package's tool library and import it again.
Tools of a type CAM Assist doesn't support are left out at import. The file shows Partial, with "Unsupported tool types cannot be imported into CAM Assist."