100 Answers to CNC Geometry Questions

Real questions from CNC machinists, setters, and operators — answered with exact XyzPilot examples and operator references.

P Points

Point/X,Y

How do I create a point?

Use Point/X,Y for explicit coordinates.

Point/Centre

How do I create a point at a circle centre?

Use Point/Centre,C — no calculation required.

Point/Intof,L,C

How do I find the intersection of a line and circle?

Use Point/Intof,L,C with direction selector.

Point/Intof,C,C

How do I find the intersection of two circles?

Use Point/Intof,C,C with direction selector.

Point/Intof,L,L

How do I find the intersection of two lines?

Use Point/Intof,L,L — no selector needed.

Point/Intof,L,A

How do I find the intersection of a line and arc?

Use Point/Intof,L,A — arc must intersect within its sweep.

Point/Intof,A,A

How do I find the intersection of two arcs?

Use Point/Intof,A,A — both arc sweeps must contain the intersection.

Point/Tanto,C,C

How do I create a tangent point between two circles?

Use Point/Tanto,C,C — circles must be tangent.

Point/Tanto,L,C

How do I create a tangent point between a line and circle?

Use Point/Tanto,L,C — line must be tangent to circle.

Point/Tanto,C,A

How do I create a tangent point between a circle and arc?

Use Point/Tanto,C,A with internal/external direction.

Point/Tanto,A,A

How do I create a tangent point between two arcs?

Use Point/Tanto,A,A — arcs must be tangent.

Point/On,C

How do I create a point at a specific angle on a circle?

Use Point/On,C,Atangl with angle in degrees.

Point/On,C

How do I create a point on a circle circumference?

Use Point/On,C,Atangl — exact analytic position.

Point/On,A

How do I create a point on an arc at a specific angle?

Use Point/On,A,Atangl — angle must be within arc sweep.

Points/On,C,N

How do I create a bolt-hole pattern?

Use Points/On,C,N then Circle/Centre,R at each point.

Points/On,C,N

How do I create N equally spaced points on a circle?

Use Points/On,C,N with circle, N, and starting angle.

Point/Delta

How do I create a point offset from an existing point?

Use Point/Delta (X/Y offsets) or Point/Angle,Dist (polar).

Point/Delta

How do I apply X and Y offsets to a point?

Use Point/Delta with dX and dY values.

Point/Angle,Dist

How do I create a point at angle and distance?

Use Point/Angle,Dist — polar coordinate construction.

Midpoint

How do I find the midpoint of a line or arc?

Use Point/Midpoint,L or Point/Midpoint,A.

Point/Midpoint,L

How do I create a point at the midpoint of a line?

Use Point/Midpoint,L — exact analytic midpoint.

Point/Midpoint,A

How do I create a point at the midpoint of an arc?

Use Point/Midpoint,A — midpoint of the sweep angle.

Clear Points

How do I delete construction points?

Undo or Edit → Clear All Points. Points are on their own layer.

L Lines

Line/P,P

How do I create a line?

Use Line/P,P through two points or Line/X,Y,X,Y from coordinates.

Horizontal/Vertical

How do I create a horizontal or vertical line?

Line/Parlel,XAxis,D for horizontal. Line/Parlel,YAxis,D for vertical.

Line/Atangl

How do I create a line at a specific angle?

Use Line/P,Atangl with point and angle in degrees.

Line/Parlel

How do I create a parallel line?

Line/Parlel,L,D for fixed distance or Line/P,Parlel,L through a point.

Line/Perpto

How do I create a perpendicular line?

Use Line/P,Perpto,L with Left/Right direction selector.

Bisector

How do I create a perpendicular bisector?

Point/Midpoint,L then Line/P,Perpto,L through the midpoint.

Line/Tanto,C

How do I create a tangent line through a point?

Use Line/P,Tanto,C with direction selector.

Line/Tanto,C,C

How do I create a common tangent to two circles?

Use Line/Tanto,C,C — up to four solutions exist.

Tangent C,C

How do I create a line tangent to two circles?

Use Line/Tanto,C,C with direction selector.

Parlel+Tanto

How do I create a line parallel to L and tangent to a circle?

Use Line/Parlel,L,Tanto,C with direction selector.

Perpto+Tanto

How do I create a line perpendicular to L and tangent to a circle?

Use Line/Perpto,L,Tanto,C with direction selector.

Tangent Arc

How do I create a line tangent to an arc at its endpoint?

Use Line/Tangent,A with Start or End selector.

Line/A,A

How do I create a chord line between arc endpoints?

Use Line/A,A — connects end of A1 to start of A2.

Chamfer

How do I create a chamfer?

Use Chamfer/Between,L,L with setback distances D1 and D2.

Broken/Line

How do I create a polyline?

Use Broken/Line with a sequence of points and angles.

Rectangle

How do I create a rectangle?

Use Rectangle/TL,BR with two diagonal corner points.

XyzPilot System

Determinism

What is deterministic geometry?

Same inputs always produce same outputs — no solver.

vs Fusion 360

How does XyzPilot compare to Fusion 360?

XyzPilot for 2D CNC geometry. Fusion 360 for 3D parametric design.

vs Mastercam

How does XyzPilot compare to Mastercam?

XyzPilot for 3-axis 2D milling. Mastercam for complex multi-axis.

Limitations

What are the limitations of XyzPilot?

2D only, 3-axis milling, no splines, no parametric constraints.

DXF Import

What DXF entities does XyzPilot support?

POINT, LINE, CIRCLE, ARC, LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINE.

AI Agent

What is the XyzPilot AI Agent?

Catalog-driven translator — natural language to XyzPilot operators.

Natural Language

How do I use natural language commands?

Type geometry requests in plain English in Agent Chat.

CAM

What CAM functions does XyzPilot provide?

Toolpath generation, depth control, tool data, CNC export.

3D Viewer

What is the XyzPilot 3D Viewer?

Solid model visualisation from 2D geometry. STL export.

Simulator

What is the Toolpath Simulator?

Visual verification of machining operations before cutting.

Rough Pocket

What is rough pocket machining in XyzPilot?

Inward offset toolpaths — stepover capped at tool radius.

G-code Export

How does XyzPilot export CNC programs?

G-code with closed contour rotation and cutter compensation.

Safety

What safety precautions should I follow?

Always verify geometry and CNC programs before machining.

Browsers

Which browsers does XyzPilot support?

Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome (latest versions).

Login

How do I log in to XyzPilot?

Open Edge or Chrome, enter your URL, enter username and password.

System Req

What are the system requirements?

Edge or Chrome, 4GB RAM minimum, dual-core CPU, broadband.

Training

How long does it take to learn XyzPilot?

Simple profiles in one week. Full competency in 4-6 weeks.

PDF Library

What is the built-in PDF reference library?

Cutting parameters, tool selection, and material data within the app.

Closed Curve

What is a closed curve in XyzPilot?

CU-prefix entity — chain of lines and arcs forming a closed loop.

UCS

How do I use the User Coordinate System?

Set Translation or Set Rotation — Commit to make permanent.

Undo

How does Undo work in XyzPilot?

Preview Undo removes geometry in correct dependency order.

Measure

How do I measure the distance between two entities?

Measure → Distance from the top menu.

Angle

How do I measure an angle between two lines?

Measure → Angle from the top menu.

Entity Info

How do I view entity information?

Measure → Entity Info or Show Coordinates panel.

Can't find your answer?

Browse the full operator reference or contact our support team.