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There's a guided tour for each tool type. Open an editable tool of that type and the tour starts automatically the first time, or replay it any time from Learning Centre → Tool Management (“Detailed {tool} properties”).
Choose your tool type
Open the reference for the tool you're editing.
End mill →
General-purpose roughing & finishing.
Face mill →
Indexable body + insert for facing.
Ball mill →
3D contouring and fillets.
Chamfer mill →
Edge breaking and countersinking.
T-slot mill →
Slots and undercuts.
Twist drill →
Round holes.
Cutting tap →
Internal threads.
Spot drill →
Spotting and chamfering holes.
How the Tool properties tab is organised
The tab is split into collapsible sections. The first one or two are open by default because they hold the values CAM Assist relies on most; expand the rest to refine the tool.
| Main cutting geometry | The defining cutting dimensions — diameter, depth of cut, number of edges, corner/point form. The most important values. |
|---|---|
| Non-cutting geometry | Lengths and diameters that don't cut but affect reach, holder fit and collision checking. |
| Relief / shank geometry | Usable cutting reach and the body/neck/shank profile below the cutting edges. |
| Tool materials | The cutter's substrate, coating and grade. |
| Supplementary cutting geometry | Finer cutting details (helix/rake angles, coolant, connection codes) that refine the result. |
| Optional details | Manufacturer information and secondary lengths — useful for traceability, not required to run. |
Conventions
- Required fields are marked with an asterisk and show an error until filled. A tool with errors can't be used by CAM Assist.
- Suggested values: where a field is blank, CAM Assist often shows a suggested value beneath it — click to apply, then adjust if your real tool differs.
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Codes in brackets (e.g.
DC,APMX) are the standard ISO 13399 tool-data codes, shown so values line up with manufacturer catalogues and your CAM package. - Units follow your unit-system setting (mm or inch); angles are in degrees.
Identity & usage
These four fields sit at the top of the tab for every tool type, before the geometry sections.
| Name | A clear, recognisable name for the tool. This is how it appears throughout CAM Assist, in tool lists and on setup sheets. |
|---|---|
| Description | Free-text notes about the tool. Optional, for your own reference. |
| Tool type | What kind of tool this is. It determines which geometry fields are shown and how CAM Assist may apply the tool. Set it to match the physical tool. |
| Allowed uses | The operations this tool may perform (e.g. roughing, finishing, drilling). CAM Assist only considers the tool for the uses you select here. |
| Allowed stock materials | Restricts the tool to the stock materials it suits. Leave open to allow any material, or pin it to specific ones. |