To set up your Mastercam tool database to work with CAM Assist, use the stand-alone Tool Manager application.
The Tool Manager is typically available from C:\Program Files\Mastercam 2024\Extensions\ToolManager.exe.
This may be different for your Mastercam installation, depending on your company’s internal policies.
Pro tip
As you might be using the Tool Manager frequently from this point forward, you may want to create a shortcut to it on your Windows Desktop. Start menu, or Taskbar.
Tool Manager
The Tool Manager is designed to create tool libraries (TOOLDB) that can be specific to a job and/or machine. These tool libraries can be used as part of a job ‘kit’ that resides on one machine, or travels with the part. The recommended workflow is to set up your tool libraries using the Tool Manager, and then use those libraries in Mastercam to apply to specific jobs, parts, and machines. This means that a single tool in your carousel can be programmed for multiple materials and applications.
The Tool Manager is used to apply Material and Operation properties to a tool: CAM Assist uses these properties to appropriately automate toolpath operations.
CAM Assist makes use of the Cut Parameters configured in the Tool Manager specifically (as shown in the following screenshot).
Materials
The following table shows the materials that are supported by CAM Assist.
The table uses the following columns:
Material - name of the material.
Abbreviation - abbreviation of the material, as used in the ‘Allowed Materials’ column of CAM Assist’s ‘Tool use’ table.
Alternative names - alternatives names for the ‘Material’ that are supported by CAM Assist.
Material | Abbreviation ('Tool use' tab) | Alternative names (You can use these for the material aspect of a Cut Parameter Name field) |
|---|---|---|
Aluminum | Al | Aluminium, Alu, Ally, Aly, Al |
Brass | Br |
|
High Carbon Steel | SH | HighCarbonSteel, HighCarbon Steel, High_Carbon Steel, High_Carbon_Steel, HighCarbon_Steel, HCS |
Low Carbon Steel | SL | LowCarbonSteel, LowCarbon Steel, Low_Carbon Steel, Low_Carbon_Steel, LowCarbon_Steel, LCS, Mild Steel, MildSteel, Mild_Steel, MS |
Stainless Steel | SS | StainlessSteel, Stainless_Steel, Stainless Steel, SS |
Titanium | Ti | Super alloy, SuperAlloy, Super_Alloy, Super Alloys, SuperAlloys, Super_Alloys, Ti |
Operations
The following table shows the operations that are supported by CAM Assist:
The table uses the following columns:
Operation - name of the operation.
Abbreviation - abbreviation of the material, as used in the ‘Allowed Operations’ column of CAM Assist’s ‘Tool use’ table.
Tool type - associated tool type.
Toolpath type - associated checkboxes in the Advanced tab.
Alternative name - alternatives names for the ‘Operation’ that can also be used in Fusion and are supported by CAM Assist.
Operation | Abbreviation' Tool use' tab | Tool type
| Toolpath type ‘Advanced’ tab | Alternative names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball finishing | Ba | Ball mill | Finishing | BallFinishing, Ball_Finishing |
Chamfering | Ch | Chamfer mill | Deburring | Chamfer |
Drilling | D | Drill | Hole making | Drill |
Face finishing | Ff | Face mill | Face milling | FaceFinishing, Face_Finishing |
Face roughing | Fr | Face mill | Face milling | FaceRoughing, Face_Roughing |
Finishing | F | Finishing | Finishing |
|
Flat finishing | Fl | End mill | Finishing | FlatFinishing, Flat_Finishing, Floor Finishing, FloorFinishing, Floor_Finishing |
Helical boring | HB | End mill | Hole making | HelicalBoring, Helical_Boring |
Roughing | R | Roughing | Bulk roughing |
|
Spot drilling | SD | Spot drill | Hole making | SpotDrilling, Spot_Drilling |
Tapping | Ta | Taps | Hole making | Tap |
Threading | Th | Thread mill | Hole making | Thread |
Wall Finishing | Wa | End mill | Finishing | WallFinishing, Wall_Finishing |
Smart Keywords
Smart keywords can be used to assign one Cut Parameter to multiple operations within CAM Assist.
For example, you could use the cutting data preset “Aluminum - Side milling” to assign it feeds and speeds to the Roughing, Wall finishing, Flat finishing, and Helical boring operations of a tool.
For more details, see Smart Keywords.
For more information on the Mastercam Tool Manager, refer to the Mastercam Help Center documentation.