bake

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Bridging Modeling & Nodes

Bake - free the geometry

Turn a node-made object into free, editable construction geometry.

Bake takes an object the node graph created (via Realize) and turns it into free, editable construction geometry - detached from the node graph that made it. It's the answer to "I like this node output; now let me edit it by hand."

How it works

Select a realized (managed) object in the model and run Bake (Edit menu, palette, or the model toolbar, next to Detach). What you select controls how much bakes: select a node's whole group to bake the entire node, or select individual objects to bake only those - a selective bake that leaves the rest of the node live. Locus:

• clones the node's geometry into new free objects,
• tucks the defining points into a nested "Scaffold" sub-group so nothing is left loose (dragging the outer group carries the whole assembly),
• wraps it in a group named "<output> (baked)", and
• hides the original node output (it reappears if you change the node graph inputs).

The bake is fully undoable.

Bake vs. Detach

These are two different "cut it loose" operations, and the distinction matters:

• Detach severs an object from its construction lineage. It's construction-only - it deliberately skips node-owned (managed) objects.
• Bake severs a node-made object from the node graph.

The rule of thumb: Detach cuts from the construction; Bake cuts from the node graph.

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