Useful first: Understand axes and work zero
The cutter’s physical shape affects the material it can remove. Cadivari stores measured geometry in the Tool library and offers compatible cutters for each operation. Feeds, stepdown and machine setup remain separate decisions.
Try it in Cadivari
Open the tool library
Switch to CAM and click Tool library in the left rail. You can also open it from Setup → Tool → Open tool library.
Inspect a flat end mill
Select a flat end mill in the built-in list. Read its exact cutting diameter and illustration. For a custom record, also check cutting length, shank diameter and centre-cutting capability against the actual cutter data.
Compare a ball nose
Select a ball-nose record and inspect its rounded tip. In Cadivari, a flat end mill is used for Model Roughing and a ball nose for Model Surface finishing. A round tip alone does not remove the need for roughing.
Inspect a V-bit
Select a V-bit and compare included angle, tip diameter and maximum cutting diameter. These determine the relationship between groove width and depth. The cutter must also match the actual engraving operation.
Check the operation assignment
Close the library and inspect the Cutter row of an existing operation. Its stored cutter is separate from the Default cutter in Setup. Changing the default affects new operations rather than silently changing existing ones.
A small exercise
Locate one flat end mill, one ball nose and one V-bit. Identify each tip shape and its measured diameter, then check which cutter one existing practice operation actually uses.
What you should see
You can distinguish the three cutter shapes, locate their geometry and explain why an existing operation keeps its own cutter assignment.
Things to look out for
- A library record describes a cutter; it does not certify feeds, material suitability or plunge capability for a job.
- Do not round an exact cutter diameter when entering it. A 1/8 inch cutter is 3.175 mm.
Check your understandingDoes changing the default cutter update every existing operation
No. Each saved operation keeps its own cutter ID. Change its Cutter row explicitly and inspect the rebuilt paths.
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Go deeper in the knowledge base
Instructions checked against the Cadivari 0.3.0 source and knowledge base on 2026-09-16. Lesson revision 1.