VX ships with a CAM tool library in both inch and metric formats.  Over 140 mill, center, drill, counterbore, countersink, ream and tap tools are included.  You can insert tools directly from the library or use it to customize your own more extensive tool library.  Here's how to access the tool library.

 

1. Launch VX CAM and open a CAM plan.

2. Insert a new operation or expand an existing one in the CAM Plan Manager.

3. Open the CAM Tool Manager by selecting Tool from your operation.

4. Pick the folder icon in the Library section of the form.

5. Using the CAM Browser, select the folder icon and locate the "\resource" folder of your VX User Directory and open it.  It will now appear in the Paths section of the CAM Browser.

 

 

 

 

6. In the Files section select the file "ALL TOOLS LIBRARY.VX."

7. In the Libraries section select either the INCH or METRIC tool library.

8. The library will be loaded into the CAM Tool Manager.

 

 

 

 

9. Select a tool from the library.
   
    

 

 

 

VX CAM ships with a library of predefined tool holders that you can import and associate with your tools using the Tool Holder Manager.  When you Solid Verify an operation that uses that tool, the tool holder is also included in the verify session.  

 

You can also use the library to create and customize your own tool holder library.  See Applying VX CAM - Customizing the Tool Holder Library below for more information.

 

Here is the procedure to import from the Tool Holder Library.

 

1. Launch VX CAM and open a CAM plan that you want to import tool holders into.

2. Insert a new operation or expand an existing one in the CAM Plan Manager.

3. Now right-click on Tool in the operation tree and select Edit from the popup menu.  The CAM Tool Manager will be displayed.
    

 

 

 

 

4. Pick Holder and the Tool Holder Manager will be displayed.

5. Pick the folder icon in the Library section of the Tool Holder Manager.

 

 

 

 

6. Using the CAM Browser, select the folder icon and locate the "\resource" folder of your VX User Directory and open it.  It will now appear in the Paths section of the CAM browser.

 

 

 

 

7. In the Files section select the VX file "ToolHolderLib8.VX."

8. In the Libraries section select ToolHolderLibPlan.

9. The library will be loaded into the Tool Holder Manager.

 

 

 

 

10. Select the tool holders from the Library list to copy them to the In Plan list.  The tool holders are now imported into the active CAM plan.

11. To preview your tool holders, select View below the In Plan list and then select a tool holder.  It will be displayed in the preview window.

 

 

 

12. Now select Pick and then select the tool holder from the In Plan list that you want associated with the active tool and then pick OK.  The name of the tool holder will also be added to the CAM Tool Manager.

 

 

Here we have imported a group of tool holders and then associated a tool holder with the active tool and any operation that uses that tool.  If you solid verify an operation that references that tool, the tool holder will also be shown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With VX CAM you can create your own tool holders and use them directly in a CAM plan or build your own custom tool holder library.  You can then associate your tool holders with tools using the Tool Manager.  

 

When you Solid Verify an operation that uses the tool, the tool holder is also included in the verify session.

 

VX CAM ships with a library of predefined tool holders that you can import into your CAM plans.  See Importing from the Tool Holder Library above. You can also use the library to create and customize your own tool holder library. See Customizing the Tool Holder Library below.

 

To create a tool holder for the active CAM plan:

 

1. Launch VX and open the file containing the CAM plan that you want the tool holder located in.

2. At the Object Level, instead of opening the CAM Plan, pick New from the Root Object Browser.  The New File/Object Form is displayed.

 

 

 

 

3. Select the Sketch icon, enter a name for your tool holder in the Name field and then pick OK.  A new root sketch will be created and you will move to the Sketch Level.

4. Use the available drawing tools to sketch the profile of your tool holder.  It should be an open profile representing a half-cross-section of the tool holder.  For optimal Solid Verify performance use a simple representation avoiding fine details.  Refer to the example below.

 

 

Simple Representation of you Tool Holder

 

 

5. Now exit the root sketch and return to the Object Level.

6. From the Root Object Browser, activate the CAM Plan that you want the tool holder located in.

7. In the CAM Plan Manager, right-click on Geometry and select Insert from the popup menu.

 

 

 

 

8. Using the CAM Browser, locate the Path and File of the active CAM plan.  You should now see your tool holder sketch in the Shapes list.

9. Select your tool holder sketch and pick Yes to use it.  It will now be listed in the Geometry tree as a CAM component whose Class=Part.
   
   Let’s save some time and change its CAM class attribute now.

 

10. Right-click on your tool holder component in the Geometry tree and select Edit Class from the popup menu.  Select Tool Holder from the displayed list of CAM classes.

 

You can stop here if you simply want to add the tool holder to your CAM plan.  It will now be listed in the Tool Holder Manager.  

 

If you want to associate your tool holder with a tool, continue with the following steps.

 

11. If you do not already have an operation defined, select Operations from the manager tree and then select an operation from the Operation Type Form.

12. Now right-click on Tool under any operation you have defined and select Edit from the popup menu.  The CAM Tool Manager will be displayed.

 

 

 

 

13. Pick Holder and the Tool Holder Manager will be displayed.

 

 

 

 

14. Because we changed our component’s class to "Tool Holder" in step 10 above, your tool holder is automatically shown in the In Plan list.  Select it now and pick OK.  

 

Your tool holder is now associated with that tool and any operation that uses that tool.  If you Solid Verify an operation that references that tool, the tool holder will also be shown.

 

 

 

 

You can still use tool holder components whose Class=Part. This means that you did not change the component’s class attribute to "Tool Holder" as we did in step 10 above.  To use tool holders whose Class=Part, continue with the steps below.

 

16. Pick New from the Tool Holder Manager and the CAM Browser will be displayed.

17. Like in steps 8 and 9 above, locate the Path and File of the active CAM plan and select your tool holder from the Shapes list.  It will now be shown in the In Plan list of the Tool Holder Manager.  Select it and then pick OK.  

 

Again, your tool holder is now associated with that tool and any operation that uses that tool.

 

 

 

 

VX CAM ships with a library of predefined tool holders that you can import into your CAM plans or use to customize your own tool holder library.  You can then associate your tool holders with tools using the Tool Holder Manager.  When you Solid Verify an operation that uses the tool, the tool holder is also displayed in the verify session.

 

To customize the VX tool holder library:

 

1. Pick File > Open and use the File Browser to locate the VX file "ToolHolderLib8.VX" located in the "\resource" folder of your VX User Directory and open it.

 

 

 

 

This VX file contains a seed CAM plan that in turn contains a library of standard tool holder definitions. It is recommended that you open this file and then use Save File As to create a personnel copy of the tool holder library.

 

2. Pick File >Save As to display the File Browser.  Locate a destination folder for your library, enter a unique name in the File name field (e.g., MyToolHolderLib8) and then pick OK to save the file.

 

 

 

 

3. In the Root Object Browser you will see a list of tool holder sketches, parts and drawing sheets.  You can preview the tool holders by selecting Graphics in the Preview section and then selecting a tool holder from the list.

 

The sketch objects are Root Sketches and are what appears in the Tool Holder Manager when your library file is selected.  These sketches are top level objects like parts and sheets.  They are not associated with any part.  They can be copied using the functions on the right in the Root Object Browser and then customized to meet your needs.

 

4. Select a tool holder sketch and then pick Edit to activate it and move to the Sketch Level.

 

 

 

 

5. You can customize each tool holder sketch using standard drawing tools.

 

You have now created your own customized tool holder library that can be accessed from the Tool Holder Manager in VX CAM.  You can associate a tool holder with a tool and any operation that uses that tool.  If you Solid Verify an operation that references that tool, the tool holder will also be shown.

 

 

 

 

See the following for more information:

Applying VX CAM - Importing from the Tool Holder Library

Applying VX CAM - Create your Own Tool Holder 

 

 

 

Any CAM plan can be a tool library.  However, you first need to add the tools to the library. You can create a CAM plan specifically to store tools.  It does not have to contain any working operations.  Just set up an initial operation and use it to define all of your tools and then add them to the library.  See Applying VX CAM - Using the Tool Library for more information.

 

To add tools to a library:

 

1. Launch VX CAM and open a CAM plan.

2. Right-click on Tool under any Operation and select Manage.

3. In the Definition section of the CAM Tool Manager, define the parameters of the tool including Properties and Shape.

4. If you want a tool holder associated with the tool, select Holder and use the Tool Holder Manager to select a tool holder and pick OK.

5. In the Library section of the CAM Tool Manager, select the folder icon and use the CAM Browser to select a CAM plan.  The name of the plan will be displayed to the left and the tools contained in its library will be listed.

6. Pick Add to Library --> and the tool definition will be added to the list of tools in the library.