How to Manage and Apply Tool Presets
Tool Presets define the cutting parameters for a tool and the types of operations it is eligible for
Presets save cutting data for different materials and/or operations to individual tools in a Fusion tool library.
In a Toolpath Cut Config, presets are matched to different types of operations (or machining roles), ensuring that Toolpath uses your tools the same way you do in the machine.
There are three (3) ways to apply presets to a Fusion tool library:
- Magic Presets on Tool Library Upload
- Through Pretool
- In the Fusion Tool Library
Let's look at how and when to use these different techniques below.
Magic Presets on Tool Library Upload
When you upload a tool library to Toolpath, Toolpath will automatically apply presets based on what we've found to be the most common filters to ensure presets capture materials and types of operations a tool is allowed for.
Magic Presets will apply:
- Aluminum Presets for END MILLS with ≤ 3 Flutes
- Low Carbon and Stainless Steel Presets for END MILLS with ≥ 4 Flutes
- All Presets (Aluminum, Low Carbon, and Stainless Steel will be applied to all other tooling (such as face mills, chamfer mills, drills, etc)
- If "Rough" or "Finish" is present in the Tool Description, Toolpath will only apply Roughing or Finishing presets to the tool
Magic filters are intended to quickly provide a starting point to work from if you do not already have presets applied in your tool library, but do not match the use case of every tool available. For example, you may have a 2 flute end mill that is used to finish steel, but Magic Presets will apply Aluminum presets. To resolve this, please use the instructions below to edit in Pretool or in the Fusion tool library manager.
If you already have presets in your Fusion tool library, don't worry! Toolpath will not remove or overwrite any of your existing preset data, either on upload or when you replace a tool library.
Adding and Removing Presets with Pretool
Pretool.toolpath.com is a freely available tool to generate presets in your Fusion tool libraries! We recommend using Pretool when you need to ADD or REMOVE presets from the Magic Presets created on tool library upload. Please see the video below for all the Pretool tips and tricks:
Manually Editing Presets in Fusion
Magic Presets and Pretool provide a list of presets with Toolpaths speeds and feeds for Wrought Aluminum, Low Carbon Steel, and Stainless Steel, tested on a Haas VF2SS with moderate to high rigidity workholding.
If you are working with different horsepower machines, you may find that these cutting parameters need to be edited. Edits to specific presets, or customized presets (for example, unique presets for preferred roughing tools or specific surface finishes), can be performed in the Fusion tool library manager.
Please see the video below to walk through how to edit presets in the Fusion tool library:
If you create new preset names in a tool library, they will need to be added to the Cut Configs using the library after the library is replaced in Toolpath.
For more information on how to set Presets manually in Fusion, please refer to Autodesk Fusion Help > Work with tool presets.
The Toolpath team is working on adding the option to edit preset speeds and feeds directly in Toolpath! Please keep an eye on the Toolpath Blog for updates.