[Greg McCoy]

I don't think there is any substitute for CAM packages like MasterCAM for advanced features like contours and such. However, I've found that it is often easier to write my own NC code for simple things. For example, I was using MasterCAM to make something for my Project Lead the Way "Computer Integrated Manufacturing" class, and I wanted to make an inclined-plane shape. It was much easier for me to tell the CNC mill to make cuts from XYZ coordinates than to have MasterCAM do it. In any case, I think that having some knowledge of NC code is critical even with CAM packages, as sometimes you'll want to change some of the code they kick out, such as unwanted tool changes.