[datac]

It is hard as heck to find one package that does it all well WITH a low probability of screwing your money, learning curve and/or your content in the future.

Nailed it. Seems the most annoying and painful to the wallet was when the CAD side dragged miserably behind the awesome functionality other programs were offering... But there you sat... paying for the whole package and often can't easily move. Not when your stuck with a large number of drawings locked up in a proprietary Cad world, one where usually, the export ability matched the antiquated drawing techniques.

Since then, in my own little world, I've stuck as close to the common DWG world with all my drawings simply because you always have an option across a LOT of software that will be able to open it, and much of it is beyond affordable. Competent and affordable CAM programs seem to be everywhere that can import DXF, STL or IGES files. This really is thanks to the hobby market, where CNC Controls, Cad and Cam have really come a long way. No more combo programs for me.

The only thing that has annoyed me this last year is that some of the programs I did buy into and did serve a purpose for me no longer work with this new money grab called windows 10. Thanks a lot geeks ! (They can take their kiddie crayon monster icon crap and shove it up their backside - but I guess if kids today can not figure out an alphanumeric stack, you have to give them big buttons and pretty pictures)