# Setting up tools

ReliefCAM computes exactly where a cutter's tip has to be so that its shape touches the relief and
does not cut into it. That is only as good as the tool you describe — measure your cutters rather
than trusting the packaging.

## Types

- **Ball nose** — the usual finishing tool for reliefs. Its round end follows curves smoothly.
- **Flat end mill** — fast roughing; leaves steps on slopes.
- **Bull nose** — a flat end with rounded corners: a roughing tool that leaves less on slopes.
- **V-bit** — a cone of a given angle; fine detail, but a sharp point wears quickly.
- **Tapered ball** — a ball end on a cone: fine detail with a strong shank, for deep reliefs.

## Numbers

- **Diameter** — the cutting diameter. For a V-bit or a tapered ball it is the widest part that
  cuts; the tip diameter and the angle describe the point.
- **Flute length** — how deep the tool can cut. Roughing never steps down further than this.
- **Tool number** — the number used in tool-change lines (`T1`, `T2` …) and, with G43, the tool
  table entry.
- **Feed, plunge feed and spindle speed** — the defaults for operations that use this tool. Each is
  checked against your machine's limits.

## The starter set

**Add the starter set** creates six common tools — a 6 mm flat end mill, 6, 3 and 1.5 mm ball noses,
a 6 mm tapered ball with a 1 mm tip and a 90° V-bit — with conservative feeds for wood. Edit them to match the cutters you actually have.

A tool used by a project cannot be deleted; archive it instead, and it stops appearing in the lists.