[redstang423]

With the CNC machine I use, I develop the code (although no actual writing of code is needed) with a program called Gibbs-CAM. It's a fantastically easy program to use, however I think a license is rather expensive. I'm not too familiar with many other CNC control packages, so I don't what the comparitive features are, but this is one of the top packages on the market. The nice thing about the program is it can import the part to be machined from nearly any design package - AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, you name it. Plus, it creates a video to show you the exact process you told the machine to do, so you can figure out if you accidentally tried to put the machine through a solid piece of metal. Nice way to prevent yourself from making a very costly error.