

CNC Lathe Solutions
Our lathe cam programming software gives you a set of tools to turn your parts exactly as you need them. Mastercam Lathe provides easy roughing, grooving, threading, parting, boring, drilling, and finishing routines for increased productivity.
Mastercam Lathe also delivers a set of C-axis programming tools, with greatly expanded options when combined with Mastercam Mill, such as face contour and drilling and cross contour and drilling.
- Integrated CAD for CAM provides a powerful set of tools for creating and manipulating wireframe, surfaces, STL, and solids data including MBD information (with select translators).
- Advanced toolpath strategies turn parts with greater efficiency and precision.
More people use Mastercam than any other CAM software. From CAD inception to the creation of a final machined part, Mastercam is designed as a comprehensive solution for manufacturing efficiency.
- Full 3D CAD modeling.
- Context-sensitive help available from all dialog boxes.
- Powerful Multiaxis tool motion.
- Mill-Turn for Lathe.
- Quick toolpath functions let you program basic parts with just a few clicks.
- Easy roughing, finishing, threading, grooving, boring, drilling, and cut off.
- Intelligent, stock-aware toolpaths.
- Robust 3D solids and surface machining.
- Complete tool library and custom tool support.

Learn how our turning solutions can help solve your manufacturing challenges.
Features

Efficiency
Quickly translate geometry and create a part transfer operation from the main spindle to sub spindle and/or a bar pull operation prior to a cutoff toolpath.

Intelligent ID and OD Roughing
Includes roughing to a boundary for castings.

Live Tooling
Machine any job with the combined power of C- and Y-axis machining.
Tool Inspection
Automatically stop machining to check the insert during your roughing, finishing, and grooving operations.
Powerful CAD
Open virtually any CAD file in Mastercam to access modeling and prep tools for CAM programmers to get parts on and off machines quickly.
Accelerated Finishing™
Take advantage of innovative profile tools and processes aimed at greater efficiency and higher machining productivity.
3D Tooling Support
Available in Mastercam Lathe, Mill, and Mill-Turn.
Toolpath Verification
Get the confidence to run the most complex toolpaths on your machine and ensure your parts are done right the first time.
Dynamic Motion™
Extend tool life with proprietary toolpath strategies that maximize material removal rate and reduce cycle times.
Free Software
Give the world’s #1 CAM software a test drive. Download the Mastercam Demo/Home Learning Edition at no cost. Use it to learn Mastercam and get familiar with the latest advances in CAD/CAM – every step of the way up to actually machining a part!
System Requirements
See the table below for minimum and recommended system configurations for Mastercam. These recommendations are based on systems we have in use at CNC Software for testing and evaluation purposes. Our recommendation is to get as much power (processor, video card, and memory) for your systems as you can afford.
Minimum | Recommended | |
---|---|---|
OS | Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit Professional | Windows 10 (version 20H2 or later) 64-bit Professional |
Processor | Intel® or AMD 64-bit processor, 2.4 GHz or faster | Intel i7 or Xeon® E3, Kaby Lake or later, 3.2GHz or faster |
Memory | 8 GB | 32 GB |
Video | OpenGL 3.2 and OpenCL 1.2 support with 1 GB memory. No onboard graphics. | NVIDIA Quadro® or AMD FirePro™ / Radeon Pro card with 4 GB (or higher) dedicated memory. |
Monitor | 1920 * 1080 resolution | 1920 * 1080 resolution, dual monitors |
Storage | Solid State Drive (SSD) with at least 20 GB free and a USB 2.0 reader (for installation media) | NVMe Drive with at least 20GB free |
3D Mouse | 3Dconnexion 3D mouse |
OPERATING SYSTEMS
CNC Software, Inc. continues to review the operating system (OS) requirements for Mastercam with a goal of providing the best possible user experience for our customers.
We recommend using Windows 10 64-bit Professional editions. While Mastercam may run on other Windows editions (such as Home Edition) or virtual environments (such as Parallels for Mac), it has not been tested on these configurations and is therefore not supported.
Mastercam X7 MU2 was the last release to support Windows 7 32-bit OS.
PROCESSOR
The processor speed will impact how fast the software will calculate and complete tasks. With each release, more and more aspects of Mastercam are becoming multi-core processor aware. Toolpath calculation and Simulation will generally run faster with a multi-core processor. We typically see a 50% reduction in toolpath calculation time with the latest Intel i7 or Xeon processors.
MEMORY
When Mastercam uses all available RAM, it switches to using virtual memory space, which is stored on the hard drive, and will dramatically slow the system down. We recommend a minimum of 8GB memory. For large toolpath generation and simulation, we recommend 32 GB of RAM.
VIDEO
When purchasing a new computer for Mastercam, one of the most important component is the video card.
We recommend an NVIDIA Quadro® or AMD FirePro™ / Radeon Pro card with 4 GB or more of memory. Other graphics cards can be used, but they must offer full OpenGL 3.2 and OpenCL 1.2 support. OpenCL is required for Mastercam to be able to hand off certain computation tasks to the graphics card to increase system performance.
We do not recommend or support the use of onboard graphics found with some PC configurations. These do not generally have the capability to drive graphics intensive applications such as Mastercam.
Make sure you are using up-to-date drivers from your card manufacturer. We often see issues that are resolved with updated video drivers. The driver version can have a great impact on how the card performs.
The latest drivers for NVIDIA and AMD can be found at the online links. We recommend using the automatic detect feature to detect which video card is installed. More information on configuring the graphics card can be found at this Mastercam knowledge base article.
MONITOR
The majority of our internal systems utilize dual monitors and we find this to be more productive. A second monitor allows applications such as Mastercam Simulator, Code Expert, Tool Manager and other applications to run on the secondary monitor while Mastercam utilizes the primary monitor.
The minimum recommended resolution for the primary display is 1920 * 1080 resolution typical of widescreen monitors available today. Mastercam will run on lower resolution screens but beware of potential sizing issues with larger dialog boxes and panels which may be awkward to work with. Lower resolution monitors may work fine as a second monitor in a dual screen setup.
Mastercam will run on large format displays, including 4K monitors and high-DPI devices however, we do some display issues with these configurations.
STORAGE
We have found that one of the best computer upgrades is to invest in a Solid State Drive (SSD). These drives are now priced at a point which makes them a good investment. Many of our test systems employ a smaller primary SSD for the OS and installed applications with a second large capacity conventional drive for data.
3D MOUSE
A 3D mouse improves the way you interact with your 3D application. It is designed to be used by your non-dominant hand in tandem with a standard mouse for a balanced and cooperative work style. You gently manipulate the 3D mouse’s controller cap to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D content while your standard mouse is free to select menu items or parts of the model. Additional technical and purchase information can be found on the 3Dconnexion website.
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Most computers today have some kind of anti-virus software to protect from unwanted malware. In some cases, these have been found to interfere with applications such as Mastercam which are running on the computer. CNC Software does not recommend specific anti-virus products, but if you see unexpected issues, it may be a conflict with anti-virus software. Try temporarily disabling the anti-virus software or setting an exception for Mastercam.
Case Studies

3D-Machine, Inc.
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Achates Power
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AMADA TOOL AMERICA, INC.
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APS Plastics Success Story
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Asnuntuck Community College
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ATC Machining Technologies
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Butler Tech
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Carolina Precision Components, Inc.
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Catawba Valley Community College
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Chippewa Valley Technical College
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Cornfield Crappie Gear
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Don Schumacher Racing
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Jacob Grey Success Story
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Kormachine
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Lincoln College of Technology Teaches Students CAD/CAM Programming
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M.R.S. Machining
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Magnuson Products
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Mallory Industries Success Story
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McAfee Chooses Mastercam for Tool & Die – Automotive Parts
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McAfee Tool & Die
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Monsees Group
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Moto Engineering and Prototype
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New Bridge High School
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Northwood Industries
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NOVO Engineering
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Progressive Tool and Manufacturing, Inc.
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Royell Manufacturing, Inc. Uses Mastercam to Become a Tier 1 Manufacturer
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Spartanburg Community College
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Specialized Bicycle Components
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Springfield Technical Community College
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Stark State College
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STCC Summer Camp
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Stewart-Haas Racing and Mastercam Dynamic Motion
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Triple C Machine
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United Machine & Metal Fabrication
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Van Buren Technology Center
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White Bear High School
Learn MoreMastercam Community
When you choose the world’s most widely used CAM, you gain benefits beyond the technology driving our software. Our global community of Mastercam users, experts, educators, and enthusiasts helps you get the most from your investment.
- Online and local training
- Network of innovation
- Educational resources
- Maintenance and regional support
- What’s New documentation for Mastercam and Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS®
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CNC lathe programming software?
CNC lathe programming software is used to create toolpaths through G-code to operate computer numerical control (CNC) lathe machines. This allows for machine automation, where the machine cuts a part to the specifications of the input code.
Can I do milling on a lathe?
Some lathes are equipped with the ability to do limited milling, and some shops modify their lathes to do light milling. In general, parts that combine both techniques are better suited for separate action on dedicated lathes and mills, or in one setup on a mill-turn machine.
What is CNC lathe machine used for?
A CNC lathe is generally used to cut roughly cylindrical parts where the outline of the shape is symmetrical when rotated 360 degrees around a central axis. Some lathes allow additional non-symmetrical cutting with drills, endmills, and other milling tools.
Where can I get CAD/CAM software for lathe?
Mastercam produces CAD/CAM software with industry leading functionality for CNC lathes. The way to get this software is through your local Mastercam Reseller. Your local Reseller will be able to help you choose the best CAD/CAM package for your specific needs. In addition, they will provide ongoing sales, service, and technical support to help you optimize the productivity of both your CNC lathes and shop at large.
Why is CNC lathe programming software helpful?
CNC lathe programming software eliminates manual errors that can occur when a part is programmed by hand. It eliminates the need to perform complex mathematical equations for cutter control and allows quick adaptation to new parts.