Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

I've searched but haven't found any other similar questions asked. I've figured out how to set my height offsets for end mills but what about shaped tools such as a ball nose end mill or a chamfer cutter?

The manual says, "The Height Offset value for end mills and drills is the difference between the Z-axis position when the tip of the tool is touching the work surface, and the Z-reference position. The Height offset value for ball nose and bull nose cutters is the difference between the Z-axis position when the center of the tool is at the work surface, and the Z-reference position. Because it is not possible to position the tool in this way, instead move the tip of the tool to the work surface, and then manually edit the value to subtract the tool nose radius."

Why would you do it this way as opposed to using the tip of the tool just as you would an end mill? If I start using Fusion 360 to design parts and generate CAM is this still the proper way to do it?

The manual is referring to tools that are programmed based on tool center position, and not tool tip position. If your CAM system (I'm not familiar with F360) can program ball nose, lollipop, and bull nose cutters from the tool tip, then set the tool lengths the normal way.

Regular shaped mills are set up like flat endmills in fusion and cnc12.

If you build your own shaped mill in fusion, you define the point on the shape fusion will be using for calculation, and this point must be setup in cnc12 also when measuring the offset length.

Uwe