X8 custom tool profiles from X6

[Zoober]

Just started playin with X8......Skipped X7, because of all the issues.

Now, I am trying to create my tool library/assemblies.

Most tools and holders have come in ok, but none of my custom tools.

After reading in the help file for the new tool manager, it appears that I need to re do all of my custom tools to comply with the new DXF requirements.

Somebody please tell me I'm missing something here!!!!

The way I see it, I am going to have to create nocut levels and rotate away from the pre X7 XY half tool.

Below is a simple probe I use daily in X6, and the backplot view of it.. X8 will not accept it, and if I try to import geom from a file, it tells me there is a proble with the custom tool file.

WTF did they do? I've got hundreds of customs.....

 

 

 

[Colin Gilchrist]

I think the issue is that all of your X6 Tool profiles have a centerline! This was always shown in the documentation, but you were never actually supposed to draw it. The Y Axis acts as the tool profile. I haven't had to create any layers for CUT/NOCUT when drawing, unless you want to separate the tool from the shank area, but you can do that in the tool dialog easily enough...

[Colin Gilchrist]

P.S., if you delete the centerlines, the tool profiles will still work in X6. So in case you need to open an old file in X6, you can still share the same folder of custom profiles, even though you are modifying the files.

[crazy^millman]

Keep Copies of your X6 tools in a safe place. I have seen X8 do some weird stuff to older libraries.

[Zoober]

Thanks Colin. That was the first thing I tried. I've had to remove centerline for some tools (never know which til they don't work) back to X2.

I ended up having to lay it down, close off the ball of the probe as cut, then close off the shank and body as one nocut. If I just removed centerline, I got a tool sometimes (can't replicate) but only the shank and ball. Never the larger body of the probe.

I could never get it all to work till I laid it down and made separate levels.

Ron, I always update my tool files. I keep the previous versions just in case.

[Zoober]

This is what I ended up with..... Note the zero is not at the tool zero, but at the holder attachment point to allow the tool to "slide" in and out of the holder.

Also note that the tool is laying down as opposed to the upright revolve we are used to.

 

[Colin Gilchrist]

Thanks for the heads up Zoober. What a bunch of hoops to jump through...

[Zoober]

Yup. Back to x6.....

I've wasted two days in X8 and got about zero progress.

Look at the help file for dragging the projection. Then try it. It won't work. But back in 2013, Jim Evans said how to do it correctly using the ctrl key.

Learned that after spending hours searching the forums.

2013.... And the help file is STILL incorrect.

[Rich Taft from CNC Software]

Hi Zoober, 

It is not necessary to convert all of your custom tool profiles to DXF format. That would be a ton of work. The original vertical profile in your MCX-6 file is still perfectly valid going forward but you did uncover a defect that appears to have gone unreported until now. I just went back into X6 and created a custom tool profile and saved it to an MCX-6 file. I then created a TOOLDB library and a TOOLS-6 library with a custom tool (pointing to the same MCX-6 file) for testing. I ran migration using X8 and examined the result of both files. I found that the 'scalable' option came in turned on from the TOOLS-6 file but it was OFF when importing the TOOLDB file. Obviously that is not a good thing. I logged this as R-02596. It looks like this defect would only apply to users who created TOOLDB files in X6 and imported them into X8 using the migration wizard. The TOOLS-6 result looks correct. I think that may be why it went unreported for so long. 

 

The quick work-around for a single tool would be to turn off the "Scalable" checkbox and re-import the MCX profile in the X8 edit tool dialog. That seems to give me the correct tool without redrawing anything. I am going to look into a better workaround that would fix this at the library level but I'll need to test my theory. If you want to send your library to my attention at [email protected] I would be happy to take a look. 

[Zoober]

Rich, I have sent you the library.

I have tried to do what you said, and here is the difference between methods.

First pic is from importing directly from new, imported tools-6.

Second pic is from re created DXF file.

Also in the import dialog, the drop down only allows for .dxf files. I actually have to enter *.* in the file name to get it to show all files so that I can choose a .tooldb file to use as geometry.