Thanks John and Matt. Your guidance is appreciated. Now I know I need to find a PC expert. Best regards, Chuck

Hello Everyone: I recently installed MC X3 and am having zoom-in/zoom-out problems. Zooming in and out works perfectly from the tool bar. But the zoom functions do not work with F1, Alt-F1, F2 or Alt-F2 keys. When I press F1 and Alt-F1, usually nothing happens. Yet, on VERY rare occassions, after I have used the toolbar zoom, it seems as though F1 and Alt F1 start to work. But then they stop working again. (Again, the correct function of F1 and Alt-F1 is VERY rare, and not even really repeatable.) When I press Alt-F2, I ALWAYS get the message "SBC Self Support Tool Alert Warning! Motive Insight does not seem to be running. Please start Motive Insight and try again." Motive Insight is a diagnostic application for my SBC/Yahoo DSL service. I have tried turning on Num Lock, and turning it off. It doesn't affect the situation. I have had this problem from the first time I installed X3, which is now maybe 2 weeks ago. Can you suggest what I can do to get rid of my problem? I am just an average PC user. I am now learning Mastercam X3 on Streaming Teacher. I have X3 Router with Solids and Art. MC X3 is installed in a Dell Dimension DM061/Intel Core 2 2.13GHz/2G RAM. This is running XP Media Center Edition Version 2002, SP2. I bought this in Feb 2007 as supposedly the last available XP machines. I wanted XP Pro but I was told they didn't offer it any more. Thank you for your assistance, Chuck

Hello Everyone! Thank you for your helpful and well explained views on Solids! I will have to add Solids to my shopping list. Hopefully for other people's benefits, MC can explain this better in their advertising literature. You guys gave me a much better feeling for what my benefits would be in purchasing this software.... Thanks again everyone!!!!!!!! Chuck

I am new to Mastercam. I am just starting to learn MCX. I have purchased Route and Art. I do not have Solids. In reading the official literature, I only have notions of what Solids will do. But nothing I read really gave me any idea if this would help me. My purpose for buying Mastercam Route and Art, is to make wooden carvings, both architectural, and artistic. I will be making both directly cut objects (paneling, signs, etc) and molds for casting products. With this background, can someone, or several people, please provide me with a layman's understanding of how Solids would benefit me as I use MCX and Art in the above listed applications? Thank you for your assistance! Chuck

Can Autodesk's VIZ (rendering software, like Form Z) export files to Mastercam? I would like to be able to create an image in VIZ, and then export this to Mastercam so I can make the part I have designed in VIZ. I have a little experience with Form Z rendering software, and it can create files which can be posted to be machined. Form Z pushes this point. Yet I don't like Form Z, and I am looking to change to VIZ. The VIZ interface is really nice, but they make no mention of outputing files for CNC fabrication. I am a new owner of Mastercam X, so keep that in mind as you reply. Also, I have called my Autodesk/VIZ salesman, but haven't gotten a reply. Thanks for any information you can provide on using VIZ to create CAM files! Chuck