So I came across this forum after doing some extensive searches and trying to find the best 3-axis DIY CNC design and have come to the conclusion there really is no 'best'. lol. But 99% of the good information seems to be self contained here. I am really interested in doing my own build mostly for hobby based work. Starting out with foam, polystyrene, etc. then hopefully to wood sometime down the road. About 5 years back in high school I had taken an elective drafting class which introduced me to hand drawn mechanical engineering drafting and then later AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop work, all of which really fascinated me. And another elective class along side that gave me a short chance inside a week to work with a mini servo based robotic arm and computer axes control which was also good brain food. I am not gonna get too deeply into the discussion of the build and hardware due to the fact that my current budget won't allow for even the cheapest of builds and probably won't for quite some time (Unless someone knows of a good 100% complete kit for under $100-$200, which I honestly doubt after my own research. ). But rather I am curious as to what software everyone else uses for the design process of materials to be cut on your machines, particularly focusing on 3-axis CNC work and makes it the easiest to translate into the language needed by the controller software as this is something I am capable of getting my feet wet and back into now with my limited budget.