When would I use a ball bit like the #102 instead of the flat 101? Obviously flat is used for making smooth surface.
Normally ball-nosed endmills are used for 3D work.
I’ve also used them to add a radius around the perimeter of a pocket as seen in:
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A ball nose bit is just as it is described. The end is round and makes a U shaped channel. As you pocket out an area with a ball nose you get small ridges left behind if the area is flat so you decrease the step over per pass but you always get a slight ridge. If you are cutting a 3d object like a topographical map the ball hose is really cutting around the side of hills so you still get a slight ridge but because the bit is going up an incline or down in a valley it is less noticeable than on a flat area.
Carbide Create does not support tapered ball nose bits. The only ball nose CC can handle are full diameter with a rounded tip. If you have a tapered ball nose you can enter it in as a custom tool and give the diameter of the bit as the diameter of the ball. On some objects that can cause the bit to cut on something that is closer to the top of the project so be aware of that.
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You had me on a spin, there 
I’ve just ordered a pack of #102 and thought I’d ordered ball-nosed end mills 
Unfortunately, the numbering for certain endmills got reversed early on (there’s a really early post here dating back to the first time someone made an endmill organizer) — I just wish we’d just renumber one or the other series to make things make sense.
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Oh my bad. haha Yeah I got those backwards.
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