Parentheses Bracketing Number of Flutes in Milling Tool Description Causes Control Error When Output as Comment in Code

Technote 225
Date: 10/06
Product: Milling Applications and Advanced Turning
Version: v13.5 and Up

Problem:
With the introduction of v13.5 new default Auto Description format files are provided. These new format files generate more detailed tool and step descriptions in the planner lists. The tool description now includes the number of flutes for milling tools. The number of flutes parameter is output in the description with left and right parentheses around it. Some controls will error when encountering a comment that contains parentheses within the comment.

Solution:
Download and replace the following JOSDEF file or files.

For Milling Applications:
mautodsc_a.fmt

By default this file is found in the here:
C:\Program Files\SmartCAM\SmartCAMv13\MILL\JOSDEF

For Advanced Turning:
tautodsc_a.fmt

By default this file is found here:
C:\Program Files\SmartCAM\SmartCAMv13\TURN\JOSDEF

Conclusion:
Any newly created tools will automatically use the updated Auto Describe format files, and will not contain the parentheses. Existing job files containing tools that were created with the previous version format file will still contain the parentheses. To correct the tool description load the job files and one-by-one edit each tool in the planner choosing the Update Description button and Accept the changes.