Machines
MakerVault lets you track which machine a design file is intended for — laser cutters, CNCs, vinyl cutters, or any other device in your shop. Once set up, you can filter and sort your library by machine and assign machines to many files at once.
Setting up machines
Section titled “Setting up machines”Machines are managed in Preferences → Machines. The Machines preference panel has three tabs: Machines, Types, and Manufacturers.
Machines tab
Section titled “Machines tab”This is your list of actual machines. To add a machine:
- Open MakerVault → Preferences (or press Cmd+,).
- Go to the Machines section.
- Click Add Machine.
- Fill in the fields (see Creating a machine below).
You can rename or remove machines from the same panel at any time.
Types tab
Section titled “Types tab”Machine types define the categories of machines you work with. MakerVault comes pre-seeded with 10 common types:
- CO2 Laser
- Diode Laser
- Fiber Laser
- MOPA Laser
- Infrared Laser
- 3D Printer
- CNC Router
- Vinyl Cutter
- Embroidery
- Pen Plotter
You can add custom types, rename existing ones, reorder the list by dragging, or delete types you don’t use. A type cannot be deleted if any machines are assigned to it.
Each type has a Has Z axis toggle. When enabled, machines of that type show a Bed Depth field in addition to the standard width and height dimensions. Enable this for 3D printers, CNC routers, or any machine with meaningful depth.
Manufacturers tab
Section titled “Manufacturers tab”The Manufacturers tab holds a list of machine brands. Each entry has a name and an optional website URL. You can add, rename, reorder, and delete manufacturers the same way as types.
Creating a machine
Section titled “Creating a machine”When you add or edit a machine, the following fields are available:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Type | Required. Chosen from your Types list. |
| Manufacturer | Optional. Chosen from your Manufacturers list. |
| Model | Text field for the model name (e.g., “Pro”, “S1 Pro”, “4 XL”). |
| Bed Width | Work area width in mm. Always shown. |
| Bed Height | Work area height in mm. Always shown. |
| Bed Depth | Work area depth in mm. Only shown when the selected type has “Has Z axis” enabled. |
| Nickname | Optional. A friendly name shown in the interface (e.g., “Big Laser”). |
| Watts | Optional. Machine power. |
| Max Speed | Optional. Maximum speed in mm/s. |
If you added machines before the Types and Manufacturers tabs were introduced, their type and manufacturer fields were automatically migrated.
Assigning a machine to a file
Section titled “Assigning a machine to a file”Single file
Section titled “Single file”- Select a file to open the detail panel.
- Find the Machine field in the detail panel.
- Click the dropdown and select a machine.
Bulk assignment
Section titled “Bulk assignment”When you need to assign a machine to many files at once:
- Select multiple files (Cmd+click for individual files, Shift+click for a range, or use bulk select mode).
- The bulk action bar appears at the bottom of the file list showing how many files are selected.
- Click Machine in the bulk action bar.
- Choose a machine to assign it to all selected files, or choose Unassign to clear the machine from all selected files.
Machine column in list view
Section titled “Machine column in list view”The Machine column is available in list view. Click the columns icon at the far right of the filter bar and enable the Machine column to show it. Once visible, you can sort by machine to group files by their intended device.
See List View Columns for more on managing columns.
Filtering by machine
Section titled “Filtering by machine”Use the filter popup to filter your library to files assigned to a specific machine.