Mazak has conversational type machine tools that work right off solid models at eh machine. I haven’t used that feature much because I either use a CAM program or direct g code.
If they are standard size board you can just build a fixture once, leave the tools setup, and load-run programs quickly.
Many engineers and others try to just learn some CAD/CAM software and never learn the basics of machining first. I never works out very well at all. I did an apprenticeship as tool-die/ mold maker, learned the cad drafting side of it, then formally became an engineer in that order.
Random thought. What about using a USB microscope as one of the tools? It could be used for fairly accurate optical sensing of the workpiece’s exact position; the coordinates (offset+rotation) delta then could be used to preprocess the g-code. Could be a partial replacement for a touch probe, and also could work for manual or automatic (with machine vision) process control/verification.
Touch probes already do this, and their canned cycles can be inserted into the beginning of the cutting program. This is all integrated into the machine controls, can be done at the machine. Combined with tool presetters modern machines can be practical load the program and run.
Of course the Big Expensive Industrial Machines have it.
This should trickle down to the desktop ones, if it did not already, and become a standard there too.
For that money, you could do better. It is plastic, I don’t think you would be able to much except
soft materials, and thin metals. My brother bought a larger, sturdier aluminum Chinese CNC milling machine on Ebay for around $650 (Canadian $) and uses it to make foiling, embossing dies for letterpress (1/4" magnesium, or copper )
I believe Art Cam for the design part (though the software is not cheap).
