Please help. My quest to learn cnc from scratch without a tutor is making my head hurt. I'm sure the processes are quite simple once you understand them, but trying to de-mystify the process without a tutor is making my head hurt.

I am trying to get my head around the whole process from design to cutting. A phrase that keeps popping up is 'post-processing'. Obviously it's something that goes on after the CAM processing, but my question is - what is it and how does it concern me?

I have got a small CNC router (Exel 6090) controlled by DSP pendant. I am using Deskproto CAM software with the ambition of making 3d reliefs.

Can someone please explain to me whether post-processing is something that will happen automatically somewhere in my setup, or do I have to instruct it? Is it part of the CAM software or built into the router electronics somewhere? Or neither?

Is there a CNC beginners guide anywhere on this forum that would cover all the basic processes and choices?

I am not from an engineering or IT background and most of the manuals and guides assume a basic grasp of the processes. It's like trying to learn an instrument when you've never heard music before!

Thanks in advance.

Chris