A combination of electronic hardware, a microprocessor (embodied, e.g., in a personal-style computer (“PC”)), and control software blended together with unique systems integration techniques. When stationed at a machine tool, the result is an grated, interactive and intuitive machine tool or workstation capable of computer aided design (CAD), optional reverse engineering parts via coordinate measurement machining (CMM), toolpath generation computer aided manufacturing (CAM), and direct machine tool control (Direct CNC) by one person at one work station with a common human machine interface (HMI) and common file formats.