A method and software is provided for machining a workpiece, including for determining a machining path for material-removing machining of a workpiece using a multi-axis machine tool, wherein control commands for controlling a number of N different machine axes of a machine tool can be generated from the machining path with computer support, according to which a tool can be moved continuously along the machining path, wherein the machining path comprises a first engagement path segment and a second engagement path segment along which the tool engages with the workpiece at least in sections, and wherein the machining path further comprises a connecting path segment along which the tool does not engage with the workpiece and which connects an end point of the first engagement path segment to a starting point of the second engagement path segment continuously and collision-free with the workpiece.

Provided is a machine tool control device which does not require an operator to enter the execution order of machining programs before testing a machine tool, enabling easy debugging of the machining programs. A machine tool control device (100) sequentially executes a plurality of machining programs (S1, S2) in a unit of machining program block (S1-1, S1-2, S2-1, S2-2) to a wait command (da1-1, da1-2, da2-1, da2-2) in ascending order of the system number (1, 2) of the machining programs (S1, S2) without executing machining program blocks (S1-1, S1-2, S2-1, S2-2) in parallel between the machining programs (S1, S2).