If i remember correctly we added this in the SP1 timeframe. When you send it to us we get detailed information where the code was when it crashed. Sometimes it leads the programmers right to the problem, sometimes it gets them in the neighborhood, sometimes it hits them over the head with a lead pipe and dumps them in the desert with no clues as to what happened. It has proven helpful so don't be bashful about sending them in.

Yes, it did change. Now all functions appear on the MRU, even in-line functions. (These are the types that don't cancel the current function like Zoom, Redraw, etc.) There were enough requests for this to make the change. My bathroom is painted a putty color, like the rest of my house. The previous owner bought paint in 55 gal drums so a lot of rooms ended up the same color.

Thad - I don't know why it is happening, but please use the Send option to send the crash report to us. Our programmers can use the report to help track down problems.

But it will have Wire...

We are working on the finishing programming touches to Design LT and the Demo this week. The installs will probably be created and tested as early as next week. Once we finish it's off to the duplicators. That process can take up to 3 weeks.

I have not had the drifting ball problem since V-9...

Thad - Bummer - Hitting Escape to clear the selection list was something we got beat up on quite a bit. The errors you are receiving may be tied to C-hooks.

We will have a new version of the Demo in a couple of weeks. It should be available through your Dealer once they receive it from us. We still have to finish the installs and send it out for duplication so it will be a while.

Mastercam X MR1/SP2 fixes the printing problems. Check out the links on updating.

If your maintenance expired before December 1, 2005 the new version will run as SP2. SP2 contains many corrections, but it will not run the new Highspeed toolpaths, Multipass Thread Mill, or the new option in 5 axis swarf (that escapes me right now). Most of the corrections are documented in the What's New.

Moldplus like all C-Hooks probably does need to be updated. If you installed in a parallel directory we did not copy any C-hooks over because they may not work. That is one of the reasons why we allow parallel installs. We did not remove it with the uninstall because it is not a file we installed, that is one of the rules of the uninstall. It only knows about files we put there.

"I chose to install over my existing version and didn't expect all the samples, user documentation, etc. would be removed. I only expected this behavior if I installed in a new directory." I think the only way to have both would be to uninstall MR1, reinstall SP1, then install MR1 in a parallel directory. "Lost the way I had setup toolbars and icons after installing MR1?" If you installed over SP1 then the first thing we did was an unistall. The uninstall does not remove any files that have been created or changed by you. If you installed in a parallel directory structure the files would have been moved over to the new directories if you let the migration utility run. "How do I turn on the system origin axes and the T/P axes. They were always infinite now they are just small triads. ALT-F9 turns the triad on and off, Display WCS axes is checked, the color of the axes is default brown and light blue. Just cant find where I am missing the setting." John - None of that should have changed. It is all in the Configuration program. "Is it possible to Download the CD version?" Greg - Not at this time. It is in the 600 megabyte range and would kill the download pipeline. "What is a NOT English Windows Install ??? A NOT English Windows ?? or A NOT English Mastercam X ??? I run English Mastercam X on a PC with Spanish Windows . Wich one did I need to install ???" Leandro - It is my understanding that the update service keys of of the language of your Windows O/S. But i think you should be able to grab it with the link and run it. TJ will straighten me out if i'm wrong on this. "So those of us poor folk that maintenance expired at the end of the year can still install MR1 and it will work?" Jody - Yes, we had every intention of releasing in December and got held up so we choose to leave the door open a little wider. "I never updated to "SP1/Update3", too many discouraging remarks about it here on the forum. Can I still download and run "MR1/SP2" without having the "SP1/Update3" update?" Brian - Yes...

I'm running the Spaceball Space Pilot and have not experienced any problems.

The scatter gun is for varmits, snakes, and bugs...

BTW- I'm the last one on the right...

Sorry for not keeping everyone up to date... All of us wish it were in your hands right now. We have been doing extensive testing of the program and the install for the last 2 weeks. We are checking into one issue right now. Until we are clear on this last issue i can't say much more.

We tried to work out the rights with the author of PFE32 to distribute his last release but he was not interested so we are stuck with what we have.

Wire is part of MR1! We will get the What's New posted next week. The 3 critters were introduced in the MR1 code stream and will remain nameless for now. I'm getting coal for Christmas... hopefully in the form of a single malt barley based liquid poured from charred oak barrel.

OK here is the update... We are presently slaying the last 3 critters that were discovered in the Production Candidate. (Believe me, you want them dead) Due to the testing requirements and the holidays we won't have it ready for you all to download until after the 1st of the year. We are a little bummed by this, but we will all sleep better at night knowing we found them and fixed them so you never have to deal with the results.

Thanks, Good input so far. Don't worry Beej, it will be an option that won't affect you if you don't turn it on. This will be an interesting spec to write!

Over the last couple of years we have received more and more requests for some sort of File Locking mechanism when working with multiple users in a Network environment. I would love to hear from you all first hand exactly what you are looking for in this regard. I am just gathering information right now and cannot make promises of IF or WHEN something like this would show up in the software.

Too late for a video... but it's a good thing there is a giant flower bed in the circle. Otherwise i would had slid 200' down the driveway to the pond and would have been swimming with the muskrats.

Bob - I guess i would respectfully disagree with your assumptions about this forum. From my reading this forum represents a pretty good cross section of Mastercam users. And as we are all aware people aren't afraid to tell us what they think. We purposefully take a hands-off approach here because we want to know what people are thinking. If it were a "love fest" we wouldn't be hearing the truth. Of course we like it when people say good things about us, but that doesn't help us improve as much as constructive critisim. If we were making umbrellas we would be out on the streets on rainy days asking people questions, because that's where the customers are and where the need is. Thats one of the ways we see this forum. This is the street where many of our customers are and there are certainly needs expressed. This forum has had a significant impact on what's been added to the software because so many of the users are passionate and are not afraid to state their problems and opinions.

Ok, here is the latest status. Dateline December 16, 2005 - 07:45 We have been banging on the installs for the last couple of days and fully expect to have a final test install available for Dealers and Beta sites today. (We like to give it to this limited group first to shake it out a little more before turning it over to many hundreds of users.) If things all work as we expect we hope to make it available mid next week. Will it be bug free? No, unfortunately not, but it is a very, very strong release. Speaking of weather... we got hit with freezing rain last night so everything is a skating rink this morning. There is a 10 degree slope between the parking lot and the front door that could not be walked this morning. I got halfway up and then slid backwards 20 feet into the driveway. MR1/SP2 will be able to be installed on your system without overwriting your SP1 so you can work with it without removing what you are using now. This should be less of an impact on your day to day work.

The only time i have seen that happen is when i have changed resolution after saving the toolbar state. A TB State saved at 1024x768 has extra spaces between the toolbars when i load it at 1900x1200. Another thing to remember is that if you don't load a TB State by default at start up the system will load the state the system was in when you last exited.