"Two tools have the same tool number": how do I fix tool database conflicts?

Why this happens

The tool number is how saved G-code tells the machine (or the operator) which physical bit a toolpath expects, and on ATC machines it selects the actual carousel slot. When two different database entries carry the SAME tool number (common after imports, version merges, or copying tools to tweak feeds), the software flags the conflict when you try to save combined toolpaths. It cannot emit one file where "tool 2" means two different bits.

Duplicate-geometry entries pile up naturally: the same 1/4" end mill entered once per material, plus copies from a merged database.

The fix

1. Open the Tool Database and audit tool numbers. Every physically distinct bit gets a unique number. Duplicates of the same bit for different materials can share geometry but should be consolidated or renumbered deliberately.
2. Consolidate duplicate-geometry entries where they are redundant. Fewer, well-named entries beat a junk drawer ("1/4 EM 2FL upcut, hardwood" beats "End Mill (3) copy").
3. Recalculate any toolpath that referenced a renumbered tool (toolpaths store their own tool snapshot, so re-select the tool in the form).
4. Saving multiple toolpaths to one file requires them to share the same tool (or an ATC post). See the G-code grouping entry.

Pro tips

• Non-ATC machines: the tool number still matters as the operator's label, so make numbering match how your bits are physically labeled and stored.
• After any database merge, do a one-time renumber pass. Five minutes now prevents this error appearing mid-job forever.