How to create a tool library

[IanRobertson]

Okay, I want to create a tool library that I can use for any of my jobs and I want to be able to see it from any of my jobs and new jobs.

I have gone to new library from inside a live job and it does not work. I have gone to new library with no job loaded and the same happens, cant create.

Its okay if a tool gets asscoiated to the new job but I want to still have it in my library.

What is the check mark for in front of the libraries, ie sample tools, it does not do anything?

When I open the library it opens with a bunch of stuff selected, like cast iron and until I close all this I don't see any tools and I need to close all the libraqries to see them all. I can not edit a tool until I load it and then go back to edit?

Some tools seem to appear after the file job has been open for a while?

Why does data appear in the browser oriented differently than it was created but okay in the file into which it was imported?

Why do I get a different screen when I open manage vs select?

I am spending more tme asking questions than doing work! I wish I could find help files that helped!

[balsmen]

Hi,

It sounds like there are a lot of questions here that I would like to answer, but I want to be clear on what your workflow is currently.

Would you have any time to set up a screen share, so that I can watch your workflows and answer any questions you may have? If not, are you able to produce a Screencast, showing some of your workflows so that I could comment on that?

I can give answers to some of your questions, but others I would need to see what you are doing:

What is the check mark for in front of the libraries, ie sample tools, it does not do anything?

If you have the check in front of the library, those tools should show up in the "Tool Selector" window - they should not show up with no check. It is a mechanism for you to filter down the number of tools you want to select from for your operations

Why do I get a different screen when I open manage vs select?

You get a different screen because one is there to help you in selecting a tool, and the other is there to help you build/create/manage your tools. We are currently working on an implementation that combines the two in a more meaningful way.

When I open the library it opens with a bunch of stuff selected, like cast iron and until I close all this I don't see any tools and I need to close all the libraqries to see them all. I can not edit a tool until I load it and then go back to edit?

Some of these things that are selected are filters, because we try to narrow down tools you are searching for based on common tools in your various libraries. As mentioned above, some of these libraries can be made not visible by unchecking the library in the manage dialog. We are also working to improve upon the filtering. Also, when it comes to editing tools, it sounds like you may be selecting a tool from the Samples or Vendors tools - these can't be edited. The reason you have to select first then edit is because we make a copy of the sample tool (which is read only) and add it to your document (or job) library. What you are then editing is the copied version in your document library.

As I mentioned in your previous post, you aren't able to create a library in the document (or job) itself, as that is populated only with tools you have used on that specific document. In order to add/create/edit your own libraries, you need to either create a library under "Local", or enable Cloud Libraries and add the library under "Cloud"

I hope that this answers some of your questions and feel free to reach out to me directly at noah.balsmeyer@autodesk.com if you would like to set up a screenshare so that I can help you get up and running faster with the tool library.

Thanks!

Noah

[Anonymous]

Nice answers Noah.

Question on enabling Cloud Library for Tool Library storage. I only have Local as an option.

Steps:

Fusion 360 > CAM > Manage > Tool Library

My Fusion files in the Data Panel are syncing across Autodesk's cloud, but I'm not seeing a CAMTools Folder in A360 or in my Tool Library.

Is there something I need to do to enable it?

[HughesTooling]

Have you enabled cloud libraries in your preferences.

Mark

Edit you might find this useful as well. http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/computer-aided-machining-cam/new-dashboard/td-p/5878156

[Anonymous]

Mark,

You rock!! I have no idea why this was off by default or why there isn't a choice to "enable" cloud in the tool library but you have my thanks! 

Fusion 360 > Upper Right Corner under User Name > Preferences > CAM 

[HughesTooling]

There's more to cloud libraries than just tool libraries. You can also save your postprocessors and templates and I think the setting is in properties because there are other settings to go with it.

Mark

[Anonymous]

I belong to a Makerspace. Many of the guys love Fusion 360. We work on the equipment there like a Shapeoko and many of us have our own machines. Most of us use some pretty standard tooling. Like the router bits we already own and what we can find that fit our purpose and the machine. I (and others) want to be able to add these tools and parameters into the tool library. We want to have these tools at home and when we bring our laptop to the Makerspace, or when we pull up a part from Dropbox and download it to the Makerspace computer. That is our common workflow...New project, our own tooling, ready to set up toolpaths...and then...argh. We have to re-enter our tool, test, tweak, test...and so on.

My question: Isn't there a way to get our tool specs into a file that can be imported into a universal library (Like the sample tools?). With so many "non industrial" individuals getting into this it seems like it is a must have option. Thanks.

[jeff.pek]

If you send me a library, we can review, and decide whether we can ship it as a 'sample' library -- with your permission, of course.

   Jeff