Overview
The Graph Editor is TwikBot's core application for building a configurable product. It uses a node-based interface to create, modify, and release parametric products — connecting raw product resources such as meshes, textures, and materials to user inputs, business logic, visualisation, and manufacturing outputs.
As a partner or agency, the Graph Editor is where you will spend the majority of your implementation time. Understanding how to structure and build product logic in the editor is the most critical skill in delivering a TwikBot project.
While not required, a basic understanding of CAD software and parametric workflows is beneficial when working with the Graph Editor, as many concepts build on similar principles.
What the Graph Editor Does
The Graph Editor provides a visual environment where product behaviour is assembled by connecting nodes — each node representing a specific input, transformation, logic operation, or output. By linking nodes together, you define how a customer's choices drive the visual output, pricing, and manufacturing files of a configured product.
At a high level, the Graph Editor allows you to:
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Define user inputs — Set up the parameters and options that customers interact with when configuring a product
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Link inputs to geometry and materials — Connect parameter values to 3D assets and materials so the visual output updates in real time
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Build logic and rules — Define conditional behaviour, dependencies, and constraints between parameters
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Configure outputs — Prepare manufacturing files, export data, and other outputs based on the active configuration state
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Control the 3D environment — Adjust scene settings including camera angles and lighting to shape the visual experience
Key Features
Node-based design — Product logic is built visually by connecting nodes, making complex relationships between inputs, geometry, and outputs easier to manage and understand than code-based approaches.
Real-time visualisation — Changes made in the Graph Editor are reflected immediately in the live product preview, allowing you to verify visual output as you build.
Resource management — Assets including CAD data, textures, and materials are managed directly within the editor and linked to the relevant nodes in the product graph.
3D environment control — Camera angles, lighting, and scene settings are configurable within the editor, giving you full control over how the product is presented to end users.
CAD software integration — The Graph Editor integrates with CAD tools such as Rhino Grasshopper, enabling parametric geometry workflows to be connected directly to TwikBot's configuration engine.
Node Types
The Graph Editor uses different categories of nodes, each with a distinct role in the product graph:
|
Node Category |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Input nodes |
Represent user-facing parameters — the options a customer selects when configuring a product |
|
Geometry nodes |
Manage 3D assets and handle geometry transformations driven by input values |
|
Material nodes |
Define and apply materials and textures to geometry based on configuration state |
|
Logic nodes |
Implement conditional rules, calculations, and dependencies between parameters |
|
Output nodes |
Define what the product exports — manufacturing files, BOM data, visualisation output |
For a full reference of all available node types and modifiers, refer to Graph editor | Modifiers.
Working in the Graph Editor
When building a product in the Graph Editor, a typical workflow follows this sequence:
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Import resources — Bring in 3D assets, textures, and materials that will power the product
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Set up input nodes — Define the parameters and options the customer will interact with
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Connect geometry and materials — Link parameter values to the corresponding 3D assets and material definitions
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Build logic and rules — Add conditional nodes to enforce valid configurations and drive dependent behaviour
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Configure outputs — Set up export nodes for manufacturing files, BOM, and any other required output formats
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Preview and iterate — Use the real-time preview to verify behaviour and refine the graph
Each of these steps is covered in more detail in the subsequent pages of this section.
Developer Resources
|
Resource |
Location |
|---|---|
|
Graph Editor Overview |
|
|
Node & Modifier Reference |