Specifically, he was staring at the Art package. He wanted to carve a complex Celtic knot intertwined with a soaring hawk—a tribute to his grandfather. But the screen was a sea of gray toolbars and cryptic icons. Phase 1: The Digital Canvas

Elias began by importing a simple line drawing of the hawk. In Mastercam X2 Art, the process didn't start with cutting; it started with "pumping" life into flat lines.

He chose a "Circular" cross-section. Suddenly, the flat lines on the screen rose like dough in an oven, forming a soft, organic 3D relief. Phase 2: Adding the Texture

He selected a 3D Roughing toolpath with a 1/4" ball nose end mill. This would strip away the bulk of the wood, leaving a "stair-step" version of his art.

The hawk looked like a balloon, not a bird. Elias needed the texture of feathers and the grit of the knotwork.