Ah...there is the rub.

When you plan your flight, sometimes the place from where you are coming from may not have a canned arrival route and transition. This is where the paper chart comes in handy. You may need to "build" the arrival in the computer and sort of customize your route. If you end up with a sharp turn from your route to the ILS, you can modify your route to soften the turn.

There are many approaches that do not have the exact flight path you might want. An example might be the VOR-13L/R at KJFK called the Parkway visual. I have not flown this approach in a while, but when I did there was not much help after CRI VOR because it was a visual type approach. Many of the pilots would build the details of the approach in the computer just for fun and watch the autopilot fly this multi-turn, step-down approach. That was too much work for me, but it kept them busy.

Have a look at this approach, it's like the River approach at KDCA.
http://www.fltplan.com/AwDisplayAppChart.exe?CRN10=1&CARRYUNAME=PILOT&DEPTARPT=KJFK&ARRARPT=XPTG&TYPECHART=00610PARKWAY_VIS13LR.PDF&END=END&WINDOW=YES

Here is the River approach at KDCA...
http://www.fltplan.com/AwDisplayAppChart.exe?CRN10=1&CARRYUNAME=PILOT&DEPTARPT=KDCA&ARRARPT=XPTG&TYPECHART=00443RIVER_VIS19.PDF&END=END&WINDOW=YES

Now have fun building either of these approaches in the FMC.  ;)

The more you play with the FMC, the more it will start to make sense.

Keep this link so you can make approach plates and enroute charts. http://www.fltplan.com/awmaintoapproachplates.exe?crn10=1&carryuname=pilot&mode=search&end=end

Lou