Please change the tool number field to allow text and special characters. This would be really helpful when reviewing tool paths and when Carbide Motion prompts for a tool change. I know others have developed a system and refer to it. But, really, why should we have to do that when allowing text and characters would make it so much easier when running a project?
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The Controller requires a number, thereās nothing CC can do about that.
No need for it anymore, use a recent CC / CM combo and your toolnames will now show up in the tool prompt. You might need to use a beta, the current āreleaseā version may not have it.
EDIT - you need CC ver 814 or later (beta), and CM ver 642 or later (beta).
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I am running CC Pro 813. I guess it wonāt matter soon but the numbers of the end mills I use from Precise Bits have letters in the tool number. I canāt enter their endmill numbers when I put them in my data base. I have to make something up.
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Since manufacturers all choose their own numbers anyway, youāll probably have to give tools their own number anyway once you find a couple where the numbers clash.
The whole CC tool database is a bit of a hot mess, but they are kind of bound now by back-compatibility. Of course, they have been willing to break back compatibility (sometimes silently!), so perhaps they shouldnāt let that stop them.
@mhotchin suggested that in the latest versions in the toolpath name put your tool name there. It is not perfect but you will know what tool to put in. I have a list of my custom tools on a sticker I put on the gantry to help me remember what tool number is what tool.
No need to put it in the toolpath - the tool is prompted by name on a tool change.
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I just put an ā8ā in front of all of the custom tools I enter into CC. The actual tool number is entered next, spreadsheet that lists them in categorized order like CC. This is only for specialized tooling, standard 1/4ā downcut for example I just use the CC library.
I began a discussion on a system for this sort of thing at:
and itās been working well for me thus far (esp. when paired with the new inclusion of comments at tool change), and no notable issues (or gaps, aside from metric ā if someone can come up w/ a similar system for metric, Iād be delighted).
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The ātool numberā is a specific thing in G-code that tells the controller where to find a tool in the machine (usually, what position in the automatic tool changer). Standard G-code does not accept anything but a number. Some (very expensive) industrial machine controllers limit the range of numbers that can be used- for instance, you can only use 1-99. When we started, we had the idea that we would make our part number also be a valid tool number, and, by keeping them > 100, our numbers would not conflict with the normal tool numbers that a user would choose.
What youāre referring to is a āpart numberā, or a āSKUā, which may or may not be unique to any tooling company, but itās never meant to be used in G-code.
Weāll never accept a generic part number in the G-code because we donāt want to break the standard. The newest CM and CC releases are implementing a different system to embed the tool description (where you can add the vendorās part number, if you want) so that our machine controller can figure out the mapping of number to description. Youāll need a unique tool number, but CM will show you the tool description too.
This is one of those āChestertonās Fenceā scenarios.
Itās safe to say that Edward, Winston, and I have spent more time thinking about and talking through tool databases, speed and feed calculation, and reviewing related support tickets than just about anyone on the planet. (Weāve also used many different CAM software, and I donāt like the tool databases in any of them.)
We take a flyer on some features, but the tool database is not one of them. We know the support problems with previous implementations and that the current version generates very few support tickets.
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I appreciate the insight here.
Being a subject matter expert on a few things myself, itās nice to be able to say āthereās a lot to unpack here but instead of really digging into itā¦can you just trust me on this one.ā
And being on the opposite end in this situation, itās nice to hear that itās been thought about. I donāt need the nitty gritty, just knowing itās been considered is worth quite a bit in my book 
(Tangent on Chestertonās Fence, Iāve always looked for the inverse analogy but never found one. If thereās a fence, you know it has been considered and that alone is worth somethingā¦but if thereās not a fence, you have no idea why thereās no fence or if one was ever considered in the first place. Itās the missing fences that cause me the most pain 
)
Well crap. I wish you hadnāt put that in my head.
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Wouldnāt the fix actually be to include more than the tool number (like the tool name) when Carbide Motion prompts for a tool change?
When CM prompts for standard tools, we get the name. The update would just be for custom tools to also include the name.
Yes, that is the fix, and it has already been done. Use the latest beta CC and CM.
3 Likes
Thanks Iāll check out the latest a betas.
Iāve been hoping for the same change ever since I entered my 1st additional tool!