Use tools from other project

[cd127]

Hello,

I've been quite annoyed by having to recreate my tools in the CAM "Select Tools" pop up every time I start a new project.

Is there a way to use the tools created for a previous project?

I thought about using the export/import buttons but they seem to be deactivated and I can never click on them...

Setup:

Windows 10

Fusion 360 v2.0.2204

[LibertyMachine · Accepted solution]

There are 2 very easy methods of using tools from a previous job:

1) Have both files open at the same time. When you go to the Tool Library, it will display tools for each file. You can select tools from one file to use in another and it will save it to the new file.

You can also, and I love this part, select all the tool paths/operations in one file, CTRL+C (copy), go over to the other file and CTRL+V (paste). Now, the geometry is going to be all wrong, but if you've spent time tweaking speeds, feeds, heights, depths of cuts, etc, all that will come over as well.

2) The other option is one that is useful if you find yourself doing the same family of parts; parts are similar in features or configurations. Program the part. Select all the operations. Right Click. Store as Template. Give it a name so you can find it again. I believe you need to be using the Cloud for this though. Believe me, it works and it's handy as all get out. I once programmed a moderately complex part similar to one I had already done. The first one took me 4 hours. The second one was all of 15 minutes

[cd127]

It works! Thanks!

[rw_skinner]

But why do we have to open the other project.  We should be able to select tools from any project in the tool selection screen.  I really don't like hunting around and opening projects and stuff.  You show cloud and local, where are all the tools stored for previous projects and why can't we display and select them?

[Garrett_Wade]

@rw_skinner I would never want ALL tools I've ever used to be in one huge messy list somewhere. That would be far too many to sort through. 

If that is what you are looking for... when you create or setup a tool it sounds like you should create it in a local or cloud library and then select it to be used in your document. Then you would have your library of all tools without opening a document.

[DarthBane55]

like @Garrett_Wade said, create a master library.  I never create a tool more than once.  We have a library for each machine, but if you have 1 machine, just create 1 master tool library, and when you create a tool, create it in there, it will always be available to you.  If you create it in a job, you can copy/paste it in that master library too.

[christopher.cooperVHK2N]

@cd127 We added the ability to Import and export tools as a .csv so users can manage them in Excel if they wish.

From Excel you can create new tools and add presets and then either copy and paste tools directly from Excel to the TL or you can import the whole thing.

Just another option.

Fusion 360 Help | Edit tools in a CSV file | Autodesk