The other option (instead of having to restart Mastercam with an Icon), is to just create two identical Configuration Files, with the only difference being the Default Simulation Machine. Then inside Mastercam, just select the other Configuration file. That should change the Default Mach Sim Machine...

You can set a "Default Machine" in System Configuration. However, I think you only get 1 default machine. As a Work-Around, you could setup multiple Configuration Files. Then, you could create individual "Mastercam Icons" on your Desktop, and could assign a 'Different Config File' to each Icon. That way, you could launch Mastercam, and pull up a new "Default Machine Simulation Machine"...

Setup Sheet should be tied to your Machine, through the Control Definition File. When you load a MD, it will reference the Setup Sheet assigned on the Files Page of the CD. I'm not sure about the Machine Simulation default.

Try adjusting your step-over, and step-down values. Also, try adjusting your Stock-to-Leave values by small amounts. Sometimes changing 0.1 mm stock, to 0.11 or 0.012 or 0.0014, (adjusting the right-most digit), can change the outcome significantly. Same story with adjusting the values in the other direction. 0.099 or 0.098 or even 0.08 or 0.085, can totally change the results of the Toolpath algorithm. Have you attempted to analyze the model? With a Solid, you can sometimes get small problem areas that affect Toolpath generation. For these problem Solids, I will often create surfaces from the Solid model, and use these to drive the Toolpath. Is it possible that you have geometry selected for the Toolpath, which is on a Level that has been turned off? Use the Right-click option to "unselect all surfaces/faces", and then manually add surfaces/faces one-by-one, to be sure there isn't a 'phantom surface' selected for the Toolpath.

Also, if you move or copy entities, the "original" geometry (group) gets marked as Red, and the "copied/moved" geometry (result) is marked as Purple. Use the > Clear Colors command to clear the group/result colors. Finally, you could potentially have the "Entity Attributes Manager" active. The EAM can be used to automagically assign attributes like Color and Level to different entity types.

Yes, this is especially common with Lathe and 4X Vertical Mills, with 4X paths. Someone will program with Top/Bottom, and get an "axis of rotation" error. Same the "back plane" , with a Top WCS.

The Y-Axis Lathe Applications Guide that I mentioned has all the M-Codes, and NC Code samples, showing how to set up the different tools in your turret. (radial and axial tools, working on the Main Spindle or on the Sub Spindle). It is a great document for any Haas Lathe Programmer.

Welcome to the club...

For a Lathe, you only get "one tool number, per tool", but you can have more than one "offset". T0202 > Tool #2, Offset #2 (Set only Z length, set X to 0.0 [centerline]) T0220 > Tool #2, Offset #20 (Set Z, and touch off tool in X, so that the tangent point of the insert, is the X offset.) Also, for most lathe tools, you must set a "Direction" parameter. This tells the machine "what corner of the insert you used to touch off". Contact Haas, and ask for a copy of the Y-Axis Lathe Applications Guide. That should show you how to set up both static and live tools, in the Lathe Turret.

No, you need to rotate the sketch plane 90 degrees.

That error message is basically telling us that you've got a Machine Definition which doesn't match your WCS/Tplane/Cplane setup. So the Z-Axis of the WCS/Tplane is not aligned to the Z-Axis orientation of the Machine Definition. Or, there is a bug in Mastercam. The former is more likely than the latter, but bugs do occur. You should create a Zip to Go file, and attach it to this thread...

What do you have selected for your Axis Combination? Save your file, and close it. Use the Machine Definition Manager to open the Machine Definition. Open the Axis Combinations Dialog Box. Right-Click in the Axis Combinations area (white area), and choose "New Axis Combination". In the "kinematic tree", choose the X, Y, and Z Axes, and check the "spindle", and "machine table". This gives you a "work holding component", and a "tool holding component". Name the 2nd Axis Combination as "3-Axis". Save the Machine Definition. Open your Mastercam File, and do a "replace" on the Machine Definition. Open your Operation, go to the Axis Combinations, and select "3-Axis". Check your Planes, and make sure that WCS, Tplane, and Cplane are all set equal.

I'd be curious to know as well. However, I am always curious about anything 'cloud'. Where is it really stored, and who might have access...

If you do a lot of Blade Roughing and Finishing, you should speak with your Reseller about Moduleworks Blade Expert. This is an add-on program to Mastercam, specifically for roughing and finishing Blades. It takes hours of work, and turns it into minutes or seconds. Enter a few parameters, select the blade geometry, and the Toolpath algorithm does the rest. Mastercam has 5X roughing with Dynamic (Mastercam's word for Trochodial, or controlled radial engagement paths). However, the Blade Expert goes far beyond just Dynamic style cutting. There are several tools for dealing with rapid links between Operations. Some of that will depend on which paths are being linked together. Blade Expert will link flawlessly with other Moduleworks paths. Sometimes you might need Multi-axis Link, but that path has been going through some revisions lately. I haven't investigated the capabilities in a while. With Mastercam, you can always use a Point Toolpath, or Curve 5-Axis, to manually link paths together. Posts work great if you purchase a good one, and are available through your Reseller, and also 3rd party Post Developers exist and are very good. Look to Postability or In-House Solutions for a Post for your machine. Unless you have a Mill-Turn, then you will need a Mill-Turn Machine and License from CNC Software. LOOPS are known in Mastercam as Subroutines. There are many options for using Subroutines in 3-Axis, but not with 5-Axis, that I'm aware of. I've done some on my own, by using a G52 shift to "temporarily shift the Zero Point", and then repeating a 5-Axis Subroutine, but this is much easier on a Gantry machine. Toolpath Transform can be used on 5-Axis paths, but not necessarily for Subroutine output. However for nesting Operations on a tombstone, or just several parts in a row, Toolpath Transform can be used to output Subroutine calls with new Work Offsets. So you can repeat the same program at G54, G55, G56, Etc.

Models need to be STL format. The XML file is used on the machine simulation definition, where you edit/define the kinematic tree.