Machine

The Machine plugin brings a full workshop of manufacturing equipment into BeeGraphy. It provides parametric nodes for CNC mills, laser cutters, 3D printers, lathes, waterjet cutters, EDM wire machines, and more. Use it to assign realistic fabrication processes to your geometry, extract machine parameters, and export production-ready G-code.

Machine Nodes

The core group contains parametric machines that represent manufacturing equipment and calculate processing parameters from machine capabilities and input geometry.

• CNC Mill 3-Axis — subtractive cutting of wood, metal, or plastic with a rotating tool.
• CNC Mill 5-Axis — complex, multi-sided geometries and aerospace parts.
• CNC Lathe — cylindrical parts turned by spinning the workpiece.
• Laser Cutter-Engraver — 2D cutting and engraving of acrylic, wood, or metal.
• Plasma Cutter — 2D cutting of conductive metals.
• Waterjet Cutter — thick material cutting with high-pressure water and abrasive.
• EDM Wire — extremely precise vertical cuts in hard metal.
• 3D Printer FDM — additive manufacturing with plastic filament.
• 3D Printer SLA — UV-cured photopolymer resin printing with isotropic mechanical properties; resins range from general purpose to strong, tough, or flexible.
• 3D Printer SLS — laser-fused thermoplastic powder (PA11/PA12 nylon) for tough, production-grade parts.
• Vinyl Cutter — thin foils, vinyl, paper, and gasket cutting.

Each machine node accepts geometry and produces the machine configuration and calculated parameters needed downstream.

Deconstruct Machine Nodes

Every machine type has a matching deconstruct node that breaks the machine back into its fundamental attributes for detailed analysis or further manipulation.

• Deconstruct CNC Mill 3-Axis
• Deconstruct CNC Mill 5-Axis
• Deconstruct CNC Lathe
• Deconstruct Laser Cutter-Engraver
• Deconstruct Plasma Cutter
• Deconstruct Waterjet Cutter
• Deconstruct EDM Wire
• Deconstruct 3D Printer FDM
• Deconstruct 3D Printer SLA
• Deconstruct 3D Printer SLS
• Deconstruct Vinyl Cutter

These are useful when you need to inspect, modify, or feed individual parameters—such as bed size, speed, or material compatibility—into other parts of the graph.

Exporter Nodes

• G-Code Exporter — converts the chosen machine setup into production G-code for direct use with CNC equipment.

Example Graphs

Prototype a flat-pack part
Create a 2D profile, connect it to Laser Cutter-Engraver to define cut and engrave settings for acrylic, then pass the result to G-Code Exporter to generate a file ready for the workshop.

Compare additive processes
Feed the same solid model into 3D Printer FDM and 3D Printer SLS in parallel. Use Deconstruct 3D Printer FDM and Deconstruct 3D Printer SLS to pull out build time and cost parameters, then compare them side by side to choose the right process.

Set up a multi-axis milling operation
Take a complex part, assign it to CNC Mill 5-Axis, then use Deconstruct CNC Mill 5-Axis to extract tool orientation limits and feed those into your toolpath logic before final export via G-Code Exporter.