One of the big production benefits of a CNC Router, is that the machine does the work. The machines themselves are very simple, and only do what they're told. So obviously to get the most out of your machine you need to know how to tell it what to do. There are three types of software that most CNC operators use. They are:
CAD/CAM software.
This is where your designs are made, your graphics program. Keep in mind that not every graphics program will work. Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft paint for example are fine programs but they won't work well for CNC Router. CAD programs utilize "Vector" graphics files rather than "Raster" graphics files.
This means that the graphics you produce are made of lines rather than pixels. The advantage of this is that vector files are scaleable. You can shrink or grow them to your hearts content and never lose clarity. If you've ever tried to blow up a .jpg, you'd see the problem. A raster file enlarged soon becomes blurry and of inferior quality.
The other factor is that the lines of the vector files make it very easy to add information, such as how deep you want to cut with your router. There are many entry level vector based programs out there, such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Serif Draw Plus.
A production oriented shop will likely use a dedicated CAD program such as AutoCAD, BOBCAD, or RhinoCAM for example. Once your design is done you need to use the second type of program to add all the information you need for your CNC Router. You will need to export your design file into a format that a Post Processor can use. Common friendly formats are .dxf, .eps, and .ai
Post Processing Software:
A post processor allows you to add information to the file you just created, such as cut depth, cut speed, tool compensation, as well as start and stop coordinates.In simplest terms, you'll select a line you wish to cut, tell the post processor how deep you're cutting, how fast, and the dimensions of the tool you're using. You will then have your post processor calculate what you've added and it will convert tyour vector file into "G-Code" the numeric language your CNC Machine understands. Once done with that you can open up your gcode file in your Controller software and you're ready to cut. Well known post processors, include Vectric Software, ArtCAM, MasterCAM, ICAM. I personally prefer the Vectric Software for price, tools, and ease of use.
Controller Software
The final step.The Controller software acts as your CNC Router control panel, allowing you to move your Router into desired positions, turn the router itself on and off and use the Gcode commands your post processor generated to cut your file. There are many controller softwares available. Many are still DOS based. Popular Windows run programs include Mach 3 and WinCNC
