Cnc Kits

[gionc]

Guys I'm purchasing a kit to swtich my mini mill (Proxxon MF70) in a CNC mill. It's done by a CNC controller (board) , some mechanical stuff designed for the MF 70 (motor's mount) , and 3 step motors. Judging by the video I seen it would work. I'm a bit perplexed by the plays the MF70 got (well not for sure the giant plays of the Mini Lathe) but I'll try: the software has also a play management....

Question: on a side I'll learn some basic prolog to mill down simple stuff (aren't our complex jobs a combination of basic shapes?), on the other side I'll like to use a 3d input, since I have some skill with 3d surface and solid jobs: some of you has info about CAM software that will translate an IGES or STL file on a workpath?

Time ago I got a CNC mill (big like a call box) that I (un)used in my atelier to do prototypes: at last I sold 'cos I hadn't any time to do stuff by myself and used outsurcing services. I rememberI got a little SW to convert (DXF....yep some year passed) 3d jobs in paths for the mill.

Any ideas? I'm talking of my hobby, not business, so I'll happy to locate a cheap SW, or better a shareware, to process the CAM files.

Thanks a lot and ciao.
gio