USA

I have a quick question! Is there a specific program or maybe a converter out there that can take a drawing made in AutoCAD and turn it into USA code for a CNC machine? Or, if not, is there a program where you just draw and it automatically writes the USA code for you—maybe something I could just download online?
thanks in advance

Of course there is. Just type "USA" into Google and you'll be hit with a mountain of results. Here's one for you:
http://www.softlookup.com/display.asp?id=4823

The thing is, they vary a ton—some are 2D, some are 3D... kind of a mess if you don't know what you're looking for.

I'm actually in the middle of grinding out one for a college term paper right now, converting a direct 3D model from Autodesk.

It depends entirely on the machine you're running. Take plasma cutters or waterjets, for instance—they can often generate a program directly from a DWG file, provided they have the right software installed. It’s not quite that straightforward with CNC machining centers, though. For those, you rely on CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software. The workflow usually involves modeling your part in 3D using something like SolidWorks, CATIA, or ProE, then importing that model into a CAM program. Once you define your parameters—clamping methods, material specs, tool selection, and so on—the software "writes" the code that talks to the machine. You see CAM used most frequently with 5-axis mills or when dealing with complex geometries that would be nearly impossible to program by hand.

I believe I can assist you with this. This particular software was developed using Excel 2003 and serves the specific purpose of converting drawings from Autodesk into USA. It even includes a feature for radius interpolation. If you are interested, send your email address to cosmiceagle15@yahoo.com and I will forward it to you. I have relied on this program for three years now and it has been quite useful; the only drawback is its dependency on Excel 2003.
Regards