Tool Use Table
- Kevin Strider (Unlicensed)
- Geoffrey Brennan
The Tool Use Table is populated as a result of the selections you make within the ‘General’ section of the Tool Use tab:
‘Tool library’ - the tool library that CAM Assist uses for its analysis.
‘Stock material’ - tells CAM Assist to look, in the selected tool library, for Cut Parameters that can be used on the ‘Stock material'.
As soon as you have made the above choices, CAM Assist quickly performs the following analysis of every tool in the selected 'Tool library’:
CAM Assist loops through all of the tools in the selected ‘Tool library:
For each valid operation associated with that tool:
CAM Assist looks for cut parameters with a name that includes the selected ‘Stock material’ and the operation.
CAM Assist reports the result of its analysis by populating the Tool Use Table with a list of all tools in the selected ‘Tool library’. It does so using the following columns:
Tool summary - a summary of the tool’s parameters to enable easy identification.
Allowed materials - uses a 4-state button for the ‘Stock material’ (see ‘Allowed materials’ column, below).
Allowed usages - uses a 4-state button for operation that is relevant to the specific tool (see ‘Allowed Usages’ column, below).
Status - reports any identified Fusion configuration issues with the tool (see ‘Status’ column, below).
Each of the 4-state buttons has the following features:
Tooltip - hover over the button to see an informative tooltip.
Abbreviation - for an explanation of the abbreviation, see the button's tooltip or refer to the pages Supported Materials and Supported Operations.
Features
‘Allowed materials’ column
The following table shows how 4-state buttons are used in the ‘Allowed materials’ column.
State | Border | Color | Tooltip (hover over the button) |
|---|---|---|---|
Blue - CAM Assist has found a Preset for the tool for the specific material. | Green - CAM Assist is ‘allowed’ to compute toolpath strategies using this tool | Lists all matched Tool Manager Cut Parameters for the tool that can be used on the 'Allowed materials’. | |
No border - CAM Assist has not found a Preset for the tool for the specific material. CAM Assist will calculate cutting parameters for this case. | Green - CAM Assist is ‘allowed’ to compute toolpath strategies using this tool | “No matching presets” | |
Blue - CAM Assist has found a Preset for the tool for the specific material. | Grey - CAM Assist is not allowed to compute toolpath strategies using this tool. | “This tool will not be used for the [material]” | |
No border - CAM Assist has not found Cut Parameters for the tool for the specific material. CAM Assist will calculate cutting parameters for this case. | Grey - CAM Assist is not allowed to compute toolpath strategies using this tool. | “This tool will not be used for the [material]” |
‘Allowed usages’ column
The following table shows how 4-state button is used in the ‘Allowed usages’ column.
State | Border | Color | Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|
Blue - CAM Assist has found Presets for the tool for the specific usage/operation. | Green - CAM Assist is ‘allowed’ to compute toolpath strategies using this operation for the associated tool. | Lists the matched Tool Manager Cut Parameters for the operation that can be used on the selected ‘Stock material’. | |
| No border - CAM Assist has not found Presets for the tool for the specific usage/operation. | Green - CAM Assist is ‘allowed’ to compute toolpath strategies using this operation for the associated tool. | “No matching presets” |
Blue - CAM Assist has found Presets for the tool for the specific usage/operation. | Grey - CAM Assist is not allowed to compute toolpath strategies using this tool. | “This tool will not be used for the [operation]” | |
No border - CAM Assist has not found Presets for the tool for the specific usage/operation. | Grey - CAM Assist is not allowed to compute toolpath strategies using this tool. | “This tool will not be used for the [operation]” |
‘Status’ column
If CAM Assist has identified a Tool Manager configuration issue for the tool, a white-on-gold exclamation icon is displayed.
Hovering over that icon displays details of the configuration issue.
An alert in the Status column is for your information only: CAM Assist will overcome related issues with an ‘intelligent’ action.
Filtering the Tool Use Table
The tools that are displayed in the Tool Use Table can be filtered using the ‘Filter’ textbox (just above the ‘Tool Summary’ column).
The list of tools is filtered as you type into the filter’s textbox.
Filter options
Any of the following options can be used for the ‘Filter’:
Filter by tool number:
In the Filter, enter ‘22112’ and only that tool will be displayed.
Enter ‘221’ and all tool numbers that contain ‘221’ will be displayed.
Filter by tool type:
Enter ‘Bull nose end mill’ and only that tool of that type will be displayed.
Filter by tool diameter
Example: enter ‘0.24’ and only tools with that diameter will be displayed.