Feature Request: Implementation Difficulty Level: Super Easy
I’ve found over the course of using Carbide Motion that one feature that really bugs me on repeat is the showing of the tool number only each time there is a tool change instead of the tool name. It does this fine with the default cutters that you can select generated by Carbide3D, but it doesn’t for the custom ones you add. I use Carbide Create (latest build 813).
Problem:
It is really unintuitive and I find myself having to second-guess every time a tool change is requested and go back to double and triple check what tool number corresponds to be sure I don’t mess up the cut. This is a problem though if you’re mildly fatigued because it leads to confusion and wasted time, and potentially an incorrect cutter being used which ruins the entire batch.
Conclusion:
I don’t see an option to opt for it but the default really should be cutter name because that’s human readable, intuitive, and descriptive.
Would be handy! Probably one of the challenges here is there is no proper way to express the tool name in the underlying standard gcode/nc file other than by the number. So presumably Carbide Motion has an out-of-the-box understanding of the default tool numbers are and applies the appropriate but any custom tools it would be clueless on. I suppose if CM could access the C3D tool library from Carbide Create running on the same PC that might help
For NC files, it would be difficult - there’s no standard way to include tool names.
But for people using CC, there shouldn’t be a problem, because now CM reads the C2D file. The information is there, they just haven’t invested the time to dig it our and display it to the user.
I support that! I have several bits of the same diameter but different lengths of cut. My bits are numerically ordered by size and there are too many to give each length its own number. So I currently have to make a physical note when to use the 16L versus the more sturdy 16. The other satisfactory option would be in you could append a letter to the number which I think is beyond Carbide’s control.
I have numbered all of my bits, and cut a “bit block” that holds them all, each with their number v-carved next to the hole. This works great, so I don’t really need names – and since I use Vectric and generate gcode, the names aren’t even in the file for CM to use.
However, what would be really helpful for me is if it would display “Please remove tool #X and insert tool #Y”, i.e. tell me what number I’m taking out, to make it easier for me to find the right place to put it.
When all of the holes in the bit block are in use it’s not a problem – the bit just removed goes in the only empty space – but as bits are broken or discarded I end up with empty slots, and to avoid having to too-frequently remake the bit block, I make it with intentionally empty slots for bits that I may acquire. So there are always a few empty spots. Usually I can recognize the bit but sometimes it’s less obvious.
It doesn’t directly answer your feature request, but I solved this problem by printing out a job sheet for each part I’m making. Admittedly, I’m using Fusion and/or Vectric Aspire, but they can both print out job summaries with tool numbers. I haven’t tried Carbide Create in ages, so I have no idea if that kind of thing is in the software.
