When exporting CAM output as a ZIP file with separate g-code files per operation, the filenames are generic (e.g. op-0-contour.gcode, op-1-contour.gcode, op-2-outline.gcode). For CNC users doing manual tool changes, it’s critical to know which tool each file requires — but the current filenames give no indication.
The problem: When transferring files to a CNC controller, you have to open each file and search for tool info to know which bit to load. For complex multi-tool jobs (e.g. roughing + finishing + V-bit engraving + outline cutout), this is error-prone and tedious. Multiple contour operations with different tools are especially confusing since they all share the same operation type name.
Proposed solution: Include the tool name in the exported filename, e.g.:
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op-0-contour_6-Flat-6.gcode -
op-1-contour_6-TaperBall-0.5tip.gcode -
op-2-outline_6-Flat-6.gcode
This could be implemented by:
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Appending the tool name automatically to each file in the ZIP, or
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Supporting macro tokens like
{tool_name}in a configurable filename template (similar to how{tool}and{tool_name}already work in g-code macros for the Tool Change context)
Current workaround: The {tool_name} token works in the Tool Change macro but not in the Header macro (it resolves to “unknown” there, since the tool context isn’t established yet at header generation time). This means the first operation’s file has no way to include the tool name via macros. A post-export script can parse tool info from the g-code comments, but native support would be much cleaner.
Why it matters: CNC users without automatic tool changers — which is the majority of hobbyist and small-shop users — need to identify the correct tool for each file at a glance. This is a significant usability improvement for the CAM workflow.