Presets and the Property Cascade
What Are Presets?
A preset stores default cutting parameters for a tool. When you assign a tool to an operation, the preset's values become the starting point for that operation's settings.
Preset parameters include:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Feed rate | Cutting speed (mm/min) |
| Plunge rate | Downward speed when entering material (mm/min) |
| Spindle speed | RPM |
| Stepover | Fraction of tool diameter for adjacent passes (0.0-1.0) |
| Depth per pass | Maximum cut depth per pass (mm) |
The Property Cascade
When MapleCAM needs a value for an operation setting, it looks through a cascade of sources:
- Operation — if you've explicitly set the value on this operation, that value is used
- Operation Group — if the operation is part of a group, group-level settings apply
- Tool Preset — the assigned tool's preset provides defaults
- Built-in Default — hardcoded fallback values
This means:
- You only need to override settings that differ from your tool preset
- Changing a tool preset updates all operations using that tool (unless they have explicit overrides)
- Operation-level overrides always take priority
Material-Specific Presets
Different materials require different cutting parameters. The material selected in Project Settings can influence recommended preset values.
Default Presets
See Default Tool Presets for a table of the built-in preset values.