NEWBIE(ISH) with a RYE Quantum QM2515

[routerdriver]

Its good that you know your way round CAD software as this will give you a huge boost when iit comes to producing parts.In terms of control software,are you sure that what the machine has currently is deficient?If the machine can move around to home itself,it may just need a program loaded to get you up and running.How you load the program to the controller withing the machine might be a bit challenging.At the time Rye ceased manufacturing it was common to use floppies to move data and I wonder if the blanking panel on the top face of the controller covers a hole where a floppy drive once lived.An RS232 or a network connection for a CAT5 cable would be easier to live with and if all else fails you will have to resort to sitting there with a notepad and calculator typing in Gcode.I don't see a port of any kind,but there may well be something.I sincerely hope it doesn't come down to typing Gcode as there are much easier alternatives for generating toolpaths and transferring them

You certainly have a rugged machine and lots of hobbyists will envy it.It would be a huge challenge for an amateur constructor to assemble something of that quality.