If I use Solidworks CAM or Fusion 360 CAM, do I still need to use UCCNC or Mach 3?

The purpose of any CAM program is to take your design file and turn it into G-Code by assigning tool paths to your project and outputting it in a format that a CNC machine can understand.

That being said, you still need a method of controlling the CNC machine, which is where programs like Mach 3 and UCCNC come in. They are designed to connect to the CNC machine and the G-Code files that you create in your CAM program are loaded into Mach 3 or UCCNC to run the machine.

With any CNC router, you have three main steps to creating a project:

1. Design your project in a CAD/Drawing program
2. Use a CAM program to assign tools and tool paths to the project
3. Use a machine control program to load the G-Code files and run the CNC machine.