Zoller Database¶
Location:
Tool Manager > Import tab > Zoller Database
The Zoller Database button opens the ZOLLER Database Access window enabling you to retrieve tool data from ZOLLER Database Service and import selected tools from a setup sheet in the ZOLLER database to the Optimizer Tool Manager.
The ZOLLER Database Access window enables you to retrieve tool data from the ZOLLER Database Service and import selected tools from a setup sheet in the ZOLLER database into the Tool Manager. Cutting data can also be read in from ZOLLER TMS during the import process for use in toolpath optimization within Tool Manager to run additional checks on your simulation.
📝 NOTE: The ZOLLER Database option is only displayed in the Import Tool menu when you have a ZOLLER TMS Interface license.
Password — Enter your user password in the Password text field.
Base URI — Enter the base URI for the ZOLLER web service (protocol, hostname, optional port number and the service name) in the Base URI text field.
📝 NOTE: User, Password, Base URI are all saved in the preferences file.
Status Icon — The colored light on the Status icon indicates the result of the current action. Each light is described below.
Press the 
/
/
(Status) icon to clear the list of tools in the Tools list and retrieve all setup sheets in the database and display them in the Setup Sheets list regardless of the Filters settings.
Result — The result lights indicate the result of the current action. Each light is described below.
| (Red light) — |
Bad Connection |
|---|---|
| (Light Green light) — |
Successful Connection |
| (Dark Green light) — |
No Record Found |
Setup Sheets — Displays a list of all setup sheets found in database.
Filters — Use the following filters to search for a specific setup. Notice that each of the search filters corresponds to a column in the Setup Sheets list.
Setup Sheet ID — Enter a Setup Sheet ID in the text field and then press the 
(Search Setup Sheets) icon to start the search.
Name — Enter a Setup Sheet Name in the text field and then press the (Search Setup Sheets) icon start the search.
NC Program No. — Enter an NC program number in the text field and then press the (Search Setup Sheets) icon start the search.
Part No. — Enter a part number in the text field and then press the (Search Setup Sheets) icon start the search.
Search Tool in Database — Use the following additional search fields to browse the ZOLLER database to search for individual tools. Please note that wild card characters are not needed (i.e. entering ‘08’ will return any name with the characters in that field)
Tool ID — Search for tools using the ZOLLER Tool ID.
Description — Search for tools using the ZOLLER Description.
Graphic File — Search for tools using the file name of graphics or drawings.
Graphic Group — Search for tools using the group name that graphics/drawings are assigned to.
Append to Tool Library— When toggled on (checked), the Append to Tool Library option enables you to add the tools from the selected TDM list to those present in the currently accessed library. If there is a conflict between tool IDs, the tools already in the library will prevail. When this option is active, there will be no link between the project file and the TDM list, because the set of tools accessed by the project file is more comprehensive than the content of the TDM list.
Get Technology Data — when toggled on (checked), the Get Technology Data option enables you to ZOLLER’s technology data (performance parameters) of tools to use in optimization of the NC Program. This option remains modal until changed by the user.
Tools — Selecting a setup sheet in the Setup Sheets list so that becomes highlighted will cause all tools associated with the selected setup to be retrieved and displayed in the Tools list.
Import — Toggle on (checked) to ensure that the selected tool is imported when Import Selected is clicked.
Position — Controls the position of the tool.
Tool ID — Transfer the ZOLLER Tool ID as the Tool ID.
Description — Transfer the ZOLLER Description as the Tool ID.
Tool No. — Transfer the ZOLLER Tool Number as the Tool ID.
Status — Provides feedback as tools are being read into Tool Manager:
Displays when a tool is read in successfully.
Displays when a tool fails to read in.
STEP — Toggle on (checked) to ensure that a STEP model, if available, is read in when the tool is imported.
Units — Use to select the unit of measurement that will be imported. Options are as follows:
ZOLLER Length Unit — References the length unit that was set in the ZOLLER Database. To access this within the ZOLLER Database, go to ZOLLER Menu => "Single components" or "Manage tools" => right, next to "Id No." data field the "Extended tool setting" button => Here you can select the "Length unit" . If “Length unit” is set to 1, imported tool unit will be inch; If “Length unit” is set to 0, imported tool unit will be millimeter. If “Length unit” is not set, the default units in Tool Manager’s preference will be used.
DXF File Unit — References the length unit that was set in the DXF or STEP File. If the DXF File has “\(INSUNITS” set to “1”, tool unit will be inch; If “\)INSUNITS” is set to “4”, tool unit will be millimeter; otherwise the default units in Tool Manager’s preference will be used. For a STEP file the units will be read from file. The unit setting for STEP models will depend on what authoring software that created the STEP file.
Inch — Imports the tool(s) in inches. If data being read in is in a different unit, values will be converted to the desired unit.
Millimeter — Imports the tool(s) in millimeters. If data being read in is in a different unit, values will be converted to the desired unit.
Import Tool ID from—
Tool No — (Default) Uses the Tool No field of that specific tool to populate the Tool ID in Tool Manager
Tool ID — Uses the Tool ID field of that specific tool to populate the Tool ID in Tool Manager
Description — Uses the Description field of that specific tool to populate the Tool ID in Tool Manager
CAD Tool —
File Save Directory — (OPTIONAL) Allows for an optional location where the tool geometry files will be saved. The default location is the Working Directory.
Holder Tolerance — Enables you to specify the Holder Tolerance by entering the tolerance value in the Holder Tolerance text field. The default value is read from the Tool Manager > Utilities ribbon > Preferences dialog.
Cutter/Insert Tolerance — Enables you to specify the Cutter/Insert Tolerance by entering the tolerance value in the Cutter/Tolerance text field. The default value is read from the Tool Manager > Utilities ribbon > Preferences dialog.
Import Selected — Imports all of the tools in the Tools list to Tool Manager.
Close — Closes the ZOLLER Database Access window without importing tools to Tool Manager.
Saving the ZOLLER Tooling Data for Use in a Vericut Simulation — There are two options to work with/save the ZOLLER tool data for use in a simulation:
'Linked' session — No .tls file is saved. This option directly connects to the ZOLLER TMS each time the simulation is opened/run to pull the tools from the selected, named ZOLLER Setup Sheet. If the connection cannot be established to the ZOLLER TMS database, the 3D cutting tools cannot be accessed or displayed.
📝 NOTE: This option only works with the tools as they are defined in ZOLLER. No changes can be made to the tools in Tool Manager in any way. The following options in the ZOLLER Interface will not be saved when working in a 'linked' mode.
Import column — no individual selected tools. All the tools in the ZOLLER Setup Sheet will be read into Tool Manager.
Append to Tool Library — toggled off (not checked) is default.
Remove reference to CAD file in saved tool — When toggled "off" (not checked), the imported tool models are stored in the same CAD format that they were imported in. When toggled "on" (checked), the imported tool components are saved as Optimizer Polygon files.
Reference Path — The user can specify a path to where the polygon files will be saved. Reference path is only applicable when the “Remove reference to CAD file in saved tool” is toggled on (checked).
To save a 'linked' session, click the X in the upper right corner of the Tool Manager window without saving the .tls file to a location.
The ZOLLER Setup Sheet name will also appear in the Project Tree as shown below:
When reopening Tool Manager, the 'referenced' ZOLLER list will display in the Tool Manager's title bar.
Saved .tls file — .tls file is created and saved. This option creates a copy of the 3D tool(s) for use in the simulation and stores the tooling data and information in a .tls file. If changes are made to the tools in the ZOLLER Setup Sheet, the list will need to be read into Tool Manager again. All above options (Import column, Append to Tool Library, and any ‘manual’ changes to tools) will apply and be saved accordingly.
To save the .tls file, click the Save File icon from the Tools tab.