Mass edit tool numbers in library

[Rstewart]

All this talk lately of organizing tool libraries, I've been doing some work to make our better.

 

Is there any way possible to mass edit all my tool numbers in a specific library to say tool # 0.  When programming they will be populated in sequential order.  Would just look better to my eyes in the library.

 

Thanks,

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

What version of Mastercam?

I do not know of a way via the Mastercam Tool Manager to do that.

You're not dealing with a tooling expert here. 

But with a NET-Hook (C#) add-in it is fairly easy.

I was able to reset all of the Tool Numbers to '0'  in the mill_inch.tooldb in approx. 5 seconds.

Are you just updating the (mill) Cutting Tools in the library, or also Tool Assemblies?

Edited September 2, 2021 by Roger Martin from CNC Software

[JoshC]

5 hours ago, Rstewart said:

All this talk lately of organizing tool libraries, I've been doing some work to make our better.

 

Is there any way possible to mass edit all my tool numbers in a specific library to say tool # 0.  When programming they will be populated in sequential order.  Would just look better to my eyes in the library.

 

Thanks,

You can do this in the External Tool manager.

1. Open external tool manager, start menu --> mastercam Tool manager and open your library

2. Double click Cutting tools on the left side

3. CTRL+A to select ALL tools in the library

4. Click tool number in the bottom right, change to tool number 0 then hit enter

5. wait 5-15 minutes (at least that is how long it took my computer to complete the renumbering of all 446 in the library i was testing this on - tool manager goes not responding but eventually did respond and completed the task)

i believe other tool settings can be also altered using this strategy

and sorry lathe users but the external tool manager is only for milling tools

[Rstewart]

Thanks Guys!  I knew there was a way, I am using 2022

 

[crazy^millman]

14 hours ago, JoshC said:

and sorry lathe users but the external tool manager is only for milling tools

Crazy isn't it all the work put into a direction that only allows Milling tools to be supported.

[Newbeeee™]

On 9/3/2021 at 4:35 PM, crazy^millman said:

Crazy isn't it all the work put into a direction that only allows Milling tools to be supported.

When i jumped from X9 to 2020...i had hoped for a HUGE improvement in it.

Being honest....it's a bad college project....

[JoshC]

On 9/4/2021 at 11:58 AM, Newbeeee™ said:

When i jumped from X9 to 2020...i had hoped for a HUGE improvement in it.

Being honest....it's a bad college project....

its still a pretty powerful tool and people can still use the internal tool manager if they don't like it, it actually worked perfect for what this original poster was trying to accomplish and look at all of the other common parameters you can edit on milling tools with this, turn on all coolant, etc.

I think you guys are ripping on this external tool manager more than it deserves because its actually pretty powerful and I was able to accomplish what the original poster was trying to do without even having my license plugged in. I think it was a great addition to the software, maybe if they would have added an external lathe tool manager it would have been cool but its still a great milling tool manager and can do a lot of powerful things for editing common parameters.

Also since it doesn't require a license you can setup an entire library of tools for a job from another part of the shop or from home, etc. all without taking a license which is pretty cool. With a lot more work it could have been a really great tool but its still a pretty good tool for what it is.

[Newbeeee™]

12 hours ago, JoshC said:

With a lot more work it could have been a really great tool but its still a pretty good tool for what it is.

Tool holder gauge line....(but I know that requires a full system re-write to do this).

Output to Excel and re-import would be nicer-errrr...!

[crazy^millman]

20 hours ago, JoshC said:

its still a pretty powerful tool and people can still use the internal tool manager if they don't like it, it actually worked perfect for what this original poster was trying to accomplish and look at all of the other common parameters you can edit on milling tools with this, turn on all coolant, etc.

I think you guys are ripping on this external tool manager more than it deserves because its actually pretty powerful and I was able to accomplish what the original poster was trying to do without even having my license plugged in. I think it was a great addition to the software, maybe if they would have added an external lathe tool manager it would have been cool but its still a great milling tool manager and can do a lot of powerful things for editing common parameters.

Also since it doesn't require a license you can setup an entire library of tools for a job from another part of the shop or from home, etc. all without taking a license which is pretty cool. With a lot more work it could have been a really great tool but its still a pretty good tool for what it is.

Not ripping in to it just stating a fact. The software doesn't work with lathe tooling the same way. The software headed in one direction for milling and different one for lathe tools. When doing Mill Turn it shows the issues when having to flop back and forth between the two methods to build solid tools. In today's 4.0 Digital Twin we need robust methods and process to support this. Lathe 3D tools has come along way, but when we have to put in the same data 3 or 4 times to define inserts or other things the usability and functionality of them is still not there. I use a CNMG-432 Insert from a Vendor I should only have have to define that insert one time not up to 4 times using the current process. I want to pull out endmill or other things from assemblies it shouldn't be a difficult process. They both have positive aspects to them and I wasn't and still not saying they don't, but the fact remains they are two different animals and behave completely differently.

[motor-vater]

Speaking of tool manager is their a way to make actual tool lists within the tool manager program? I feel like it should be able to do it