X7 Tool Manager/ Tool Holders

[Bridgeportboy]

I was able to open my X6 *.TOOLDB in X7 and all of my tools are there but how do I do I import my tool holders from X6 into X7?

 

Steve

[gcode]

Try Files/Import Folder

[Bridgeportboy]

I do not see that option. Here is a screen shot of the tool manager.

[Aaron Eberhard]

BridgeportBoy - Just open your holders in a different window, and then drag and drop between the two.

[Bridgeportboy]

My holders are in a file with a *.HOLDERS extension. The only option I see for opening a file in X7 is *.TOOLDB.

 

Is that correct?

[Aaron Eberhard]

BridgeportBoy - I'll have to look into that, I'm not quite sure. In the mean time, you can get around that by saving your holders as a .tooldb file from Mastercam.. (In a toolpath, open .HOLDERS library and then just hit save and save it as a TOOLDB file. Then you can open it in Tool Manager.

[Bridgeportboy]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

[RayD]

Bridgeport are you doing this inside of MCX? or with the new Toolmanager?

 

There is a HOLDERS.TOOLDB (Contains all holders) with the X7 install, There are also CT40.holders, that you can save as .TOOLDB (like Aaron Mentioned) if you only want a specific set of Holders.

[crazy^millman]

You will also want to do that in INCH and METRIC so you get the correct holders for either if you are working in both units. There is not a merge function built into the tool manager you have to open up 2 windows and drag and drop them from one to the other to achieve what you are after. Aaron has pointed you in the right direction. I would make up a .tooldb for each machine you are programming in with the holders and tools you want. If you do assemblies then build them in that library so you will have them when you need them.

 

HTH

[Aaron Eberhard]

Aaron has pointed you in the right direction.

 

There's a first time for everything!

[Bridgeportboy]

Some 1st time things you enjoy just as much or more the 1000th time, this isn't one of those things.

 

I did as you said and opened the *.HOLDERS file and saved as *.TOOLDB.

That went well and now I can open my holders as a *.TOOLDB file and they all look to be correct.

 

I am not following the advice on how to open two different windows and drag and drop between.

Call me dense or whatever but I just can't seem to get it to work.

 

I just want to combine my holders with my tools to make an assembly and save that to use on future projects.

Anyone up for a video on how to do this?

 

 

Steve

[Aaron Eberhard]

Steve,

 

I can make a video later, but try this:

 

line up your tool managers so the windows are overlapping:

 

Now select the tool holders and drag & drop them on the new tool DB's "Holder" area:

 

[Bridgeportboy]

Piccy, if that helps to see where my error is.

 

Steve

[Bridgeportboy]

Aaron, That is exactly what I am doing but the holders are not being added into the file i'm dropping them on.

[Aaron Eberhard]

Steve,

 

That's odd, here's a video of it in action if that helps? One thing to note: It's important to "drop" it in the right section, you have to take it to the "holders" area, not the "Cutting Tools."

Tool Manager Drag and Drop.wmv

[Bridgeportboy]

Thank you Aaron. What I found was that I was doing it correct, it is that the quantity amount directly to the right of the Holders in () was not updating.

When I clicked on the holders tab I found the holders in there.

 

After I went in and deleted several of the duplicates the quantity updated correctly.

 

Steve

[Aaron Eberhard]

Glad you got it working, that's odd that it wasn't refreshing for you..

 

And I got an update from the owner of the new tool manager, it's not going to support the .holders file. If you had ran "update folders" or or migration utility, it would have converted the files at that point, so you would have had the .tooldb file.

[Bridgeportboy]

Another question,

 

If I adjust the tool length in the tools page and that same tool was used in an assembly, why doesn't the assy update to the new length?

 

For example, I always try to keep as much shank in our heat shrink holders as possible but, once in a while I need to pull the tool out another 10 or 15mm to be able

to machine a project without shanking out on the holder.

 

Do I need to create a new Assy every time I change how much tool is hanging below the holder?

[Bridgeportboy]

Also,

 

We use mostly Techniks & Nikken tooling, how do I add them to the manufacturers list?

[Aaron Eberhard]

Steve,

 

When you set up your tool, make it the real length of the tool (not the stickout amount). Now, when you build your assembly, there's a field for Tool Projection, you can set how much is sticking out of the holder.

 

 

Note: When you load these into Mastercam (choose "assemblies" when you "select Library tool" if you haven't gotten that far yet), it will bring it over in whatever state it's in right now and keep a copy of it with that mastercam file (so that'll get rid of missing library warnings!). But if you change the assembly later, you'll need to delete it from Mastercam and reselect it in those toolpaths.

[Bridgeportboy]

Got it!

 

Thanks Aaron.

 

Any idea about the different manufacturers question?

[gms1]

Also,

 

We use mostly Techniks & Nikken tooling, how do I add them to the manufacturers list?

 

This is a big sticking point for me as well. Why we can't just make the list ourselves is beyond me.

[Aaron Eberhard]

Steve - Sorry, I missed that on the last page! You must have posted it right as I was writing my reply...

 

Right now there's no way to add your own to that, unfortunately.. I know the tool team is aware of it, and it was a conscious decision (I don't know why, though). But please, send any comments like that through your reseller or to [email protected], just so that way there's an official record of who needs what.

[mayday]

Where is the default holder library? All I find is tool.db Im confused, I cant seem to create an assembly. Is this fully functional?

[Colin Gilchrist]

Wes,

 

The default holders library is Holders.tooldb. You can find all the holder types in there.

 

When you create a new assembly, you need to add an assembly to the assembly list, then you can drag-and-drop a Holder and a Tool into the assembly.