I watched Tim's video on textures, but it appears its just an optical affect for appearance. I'd like to know if there is an easy way to do a general over texture that actually changes the shape of the solid model.

Brick pattern, cobblestones, scales, etc. Something I can actually cut when I take it from CAD to CAM. In most cases I would be applying this to fairly complex "organic" shapes.

I know some "tricks" like mapping lines to surfaces and engraving them to get some simulated affects, but I'd like to get the actual shape instead. Another is to create a pattern of lines, do offsets, and create closed shapes which can be over or under machined. Again its a trick to sort of get there, but not quite. Its also quite tedious.

That is an option. CamBam has an image to height map tool as well. It's useful for generation of polylines (silhouette or edge detect) I can project onto a surface or create boundary shapes for some of the other tricks I use, but it still doesn't allow for a real textured polymorphic or organic surface either.

It is a good video. I might use it if my wife ever wants me to make textured wall panels for the doll houses she builds.

I can't use it on my main design computer as the PowerPack I bought for it doesn't include it. I haven't checked the other PowerPack directly from you on the other computer yet.