Solidworks 2008 uses Techsoft HOOPS so no problem with Vista and great graphics! CNC Software will not spend the money to license HOOPS so lousy graphics and poor Vista support are to be expected. The case for licensing HOOPS: http://www.techsoft3d.com/products/pdfs/ppr_businesscase.pdf [ 11-23-2007, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: JJ_8 ]

How about edit your existing config file? Its just a text file. Look for the header in your config file that says COLORS.

Which solidworks forum? Do you mean www.solidmentor.com ? That is a great forum!

/Lets get on with life and using what ya got./ Why not try and improve Mastercam like has already been suggested in this thread by someone else. I have posted numerous ideas to improve Mastercam. I must have missed your ideas to improve Mastercam. Could you please post them again. Thanks.

/That is why I said starting to get better./ Forcing a user to get a second monitor so you they can leave the Level Manager open is better? What is better? To me better is getting rid of large dialog boxes that block the part and have to be moved. Better is adding a window / tab to the Operation Manager and allowing the user to enter information there instead of in a large dialog box that cannot be resized and obscures the part. Better is reducing the number of steps to enter information like Solidwords does compared to Mastercam X2. Better is a more powerful backplotter that assists in finding operations in the Operation Manager when you click on the backplotted geometry.

Who is John? What is graphical toolpath editing?

"the typical f*&*up ALWAYS blames his tools" Yesterdays interfaces (tools) are often not as productive as we need them to be in todays world.

/So now we're an expert on what new customers want ??/ Not sure it takes a degree in rocket science to figure out that a user interface is very important to those familiar with products like Solidworks. This point has already been made by someone else in this thread who laid out what those who know and use products like Solidworks expect. /Get the #%@K off the Solidworks wagon already./ Solidworks is the best thing to ever happen to the cam industry. [ 11-17-2007, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: JJ_8 ]

/MC is starting to get better with their design package in their CAM software./ There is a very long way to go in this regard. The current Mastercam user interface really hurts productivity.

I happen to agree with you but that is not what gets the majority of new customers to purchase. The majority of new customers are familiar with Solidworks or their competition and they expect a user interface on or near the same level. This was pointed out by someone else in this thread who I thought did a great job of stating the case on why Mastercam needs a far better interface than what exists at present.

The user interface is the most important issue for new customers. This is why Solidworks spends so much time on thier user interface. CNC Software could learn a lot by looking at how Solidworks has removed almost all the dialog boxes and has implemented a PropertyManager in thier FeatureManager tree.

You and others continue to use photo-realistic graphics to apply spin and derail this thread. Photo-realistic graphics have nothing to do with the graphics problems that Mastercam suffers from / has.

Yes I have talked with someone at CNC Software. The person I talked with was candid and admitted that Mastercam was very behind in the areas I mentioned which is quite different than you saying everything is fine with Mastercam. Clearly this is not the case. There also seems to be a growing number of talented Mastercam sales/applications people that are no longer associated with CNC Software. I was just reading what one of them said on the cnczone website. Very disappointing to read what he said. [ 11-17-2007, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: JJ_8 ]

/Mastercam is the best. Keep up the good work CNC Software./ I like it so far. Mastercam could be greatly improved in regards to the user interface, graphics and back plotting.

In the opinion of quite a few who have posted to this thread. Who is John?

For the same reasons others have joined me in saying Mastercam has major problems when it comes to graphics capabilities and quality. One does not have to make use of photo realistic rendering to see the massive difference in free e-Drawings which uses Techsoft HOOPS vs. Mastercam which does not. e-Drawings does not offer photo realistic rendering. As I have pointed out we do not use photo realistic rendering in Solidworks. The issues with graphics in Mastercam have nothing to do with photo realistic rendering. Photo realistic rendering in this thread is just spin used to deflect the point that Matercam X2 graphics leave a lot to be desired and need to be overhauled.

Solidworks 2007 runs fine on our NVIDEA G-Force graphics cards. Mastercam does not. We do not use Realview. Have no need for it. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

/Yes Catia and SolidWorks are owned by the same company/ Both products use the Techsoft HOOPS graphics engine. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

/After reading through this post, I find myself in agreement with the people who think Mcams graphics engine is too slow.../ No doubt about it. Not only speed but quality is a major problem as well. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

Dimension Multi-Edit throws up a huge dialog box that gets in the way of everything in the graphics area. Is there another way to edit dimension text size, arrows, etc?

/at the last users group I was told that Mastercam has added 100+ people to thier developement staff in the last 2 years./ Licensing the right graphics engine component is more cost efficient than trying to create it yourself or hiring lots of employees to do it. This is why everyone licenses Techsoft HOOPS. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

The Techsoft HOOPS graphics engine would create much better and much faster graphics for Mastercam. Also, you would not need to regenerate the display anywhere near as often. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

You have attempted again to derail the discussion of improving Mastercam and make it personal. Not going there. Sorry. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

Seems like you and a few others will do anything to try and change the subject or derail the discussion. Other cam products are simply not relevant and do not need to be compared to Mastercam in order for a discussion to take place on where Mastercam needs to be improved. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk:

Why do you want to discuss competitors products when we should be discussing how to improve Mastercam. Others in this thread have stated Mastercam needs plenty of improvement. I have already mentioned graphics, user interface and backplotting as areas badly needing improvement in Mastercam. <img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_33_7/image.gif"> :squawk: Got try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: Gotta try HOOPS, Gotta try HOOPS :squawk: