Abstract: A method includes the steps of receiving user input indicative of prioritized aspects of manufacturing of an object, the prioritized aspects including tool life or surface quality or object manufacturing speed; obtaining a model of an object to be manufactured via subtractive manufacturing; identifying, based on the model, a geometric feature to be machined as part of manufacturing the object; obtaining a plurality of strategies for machining the geometric feature, by accessing a database, the plurality of strategies defining alternative ways of machining the geometric feature; selecting at least one strategy from the plurality of strategies by ranking the plurality of strategies using the prioritized aspects of manufacturing and selecting at least one strategy having the highest ranking, providing, based on the at least one selected strategy, instructions for causing the one or more machine tools to manufacture the object via subtractive manufacturing.