Speed And Feed Calculator for Professional CNC Programmers and Machinists

Database Actions menu allows you to perform such major actions as Create/Open a new Tool Database and Import/Export/Create Tool Libraries.

To access Tool Database actions, you need to go to the Tool Database tab and click on the "Actions" button in the top-right corner.

A pop-up menu will show:

List of Database Actions

• The very first option is not active. It only shows the location of the currently-opened database file.
• Create New Tool Database
  You will be prompted to set a location for a new empty Tool Database.
• Open Tool Database
  You will be prompted to select a Tool Database file to load into HSMAdvisor
• Create Tool Library
  Click to create a new empty Tool Library in the current Database.
• Import
  Click to Import Tool Libraries from an outside Tool Database file
  You can use this action to merge several Tool Database files in one effectively.
  Should there be a conflicting Tool Library name, you will be prompted to rename the Libraries you are Importing.
  Currently, you can import database files created by HSMAdvisor and Fusion 360
• Export
  Click to export some or all Tool Libraries into a new Tool Database file.
  You will be prompted to select the Libraries you are exporting and specify the new Tool Database file.
  Currently, you can export database files in the HSMAdvisor format only.

You may like to learn about 

• Tool Library Actions

• Adding New Tools to the Database

• Manipulating Tools and Cuts: Selecting/Copying/Moving/Deleting

© Eldar Gerfanov

Tool Libraries were created to better organize tools in the Tool Database.

"Tool Library" is simply a group of Tools that share the same "Library Name" tag.
You assign Library Name to a tool when you initially create it.

Creating a new Tool Library

You can create a Tool Library through the Tool Database "||| Actions" menu.
A new Tool Library can also be created when adding a new tool to the Tool Database by typing the new name in the "Tool Library" input box

Once a Tool Library has been created a host of actions can be done to it:

• Rename
• Merge a Tool Library with another one
• Delete Tool Library

© Eldar Gerfanov

The main point of having a Tool Database is to streamline access to frequently-used tool sizes and custom cutting data, preserving your manufacturing knowledge for future use by you and perhaps to share it with your co-workers.

Tools have to be added by clicking the "Add Tool" button on the "Tool Data" panel of the "Speeds and Feeds" tab.

Once a tool has been loaded, you will not be able to edit it's Tool geometry or access the "Add Tool" functionality. Please click on the "Edit New" or "Reset" button on the Tool Data panel to unload the current tool.

Adding a Tool to the Database

After entering your Tool geometry, it is encouraged to spend a few seconds adding it to your Tool Database so that you can reuse it later.

Just click on the "Add Tool" button. The following dialog will appear:

Here you can define the rest of the Tool Information that sets it apart from other tools in your database.

Please specify Tool Library, Its name, Brand Name, Series, etc.

You can also set handling information, the number of tools on stock, and set alert levels when stock is low.

After entering any of the information, you can click the "Add" button to save the new tool in the Database.

The dialog will then close the new tool will be loaded into the Speeds and Feeds tab.

You may like to learn about 

• Tool Database Tab

• Tool Library Actions

• Manipulating Tools and Cuts: Selecting/Copying/Moving/Deleting

© Eldar Gerfanov