FOSS gamedev and creative worlds

Lately, I have been working on a idea loosely based on basic_machines constructor and the Stargate MCD from gmod.

What I am wondering is, has anyone seen anything like this in the past, and is there even a interest in a device that can just make other stuff out of one single ingredient?

What the mod would do:
Add several new nodes, the foremost being the Atomic Construction Unit (ACU) which, when crafted would allow the player to use Carbon 12, extracted form coal and diamonds, to create any node/item in the default game. (with the exception of the dreaded cloud block and water/lava buckets. Others?) However, the ACU would be very difficult to build, and would require that you could construct all of the required modules before you could craft the main device itself. Once built, the device would use varying amounts of C12 to make other items from the game, including materials that could be refined to make a second ACU

I understand that this is super OP, but, I still think that it would be cool, and I just want some advice on whether or not to limit it's power or uses.

Story behind the name:
The first time I saw a 3D printer I had an idea for a mod that used some kind of substance to build stuff in Minetest.
I started playing around with it, and then I thought, what if I used Carbon 12 as the substance for it to build with. That got me thinking that no real 3D printer actually uses just straight carbon to make stuff, so, I played around with different ideas on what it should be, and eventually decided to settle on the Atomic Construction Unit, as we humans live in a carbon-base universe, therefore, it would be perfectly logical to have a machine that could make any substance in the universe out of carbon.

It should be very expensive to operate, something you dump your resources when you have just too many diamonds.

1. http://technicpack.wikia.com/wiki/Categ ... t_Exchange

2. you can use basic_machines and smelt/grind dusts to get more metal (with lots of upgrades it gets fast), and use lava stone generator + grinder to produce cobble, dirt, sand,... Then use autocrafter to make other items

It is an interesting idea, and could be fun to play with. I've never seen a mod that does anything like this. Some items can be hard to find in certain areas, and being able to just create them from carbon. Possibly some way to make the carbon from trees, or some renewable item, with several steps to get it to a usable state. Maybe cook a tree block to make coal, press several pieces of coal to make a diamond, and then turn the diamond to elemental carbon.

The "Free stuff generator" does nearly the same: https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=13801
It is a cool idea and I tried it in a game. At the end of the day I gived up the search for new diamonds, mese blocks and obsidian since I was able to clone them. The game balance was moved to be more "creative".

UPDATE

I started working on a way to build/power the thing, and my ideas are kinda that you would have to have a very powerful generator of some type to use it. After all, you are trying to cause nuclear fusion pretty much, so I thought that logically, you would need a strong (for lack of a better term) force to power it.

My ideas on how to construct it:

lots of parts. Made form other parts. Made form yet more parts. Made form refined materials. Made form raw materials. You get the picture yet? :D