< 3D Printing
Cura, a common slicer, running on a laptop.

Slicers

A slicer converts a 3D model of an object into layers that a 3D printer can understand.

Many slicers include convenience features. A common example includes printer and material presets.[1] Some FFF slicers include uncommon features that help with complex geometry and print reliability.[2]

SLA slicers produce different support structures then FFF slicers.[3]

Infill

Infill examples.

Infill determines the amount of material on the inside of a print.

A number of creative infill patterns can be used for different purposes, such as 3D infills[4] and gradient infills.[5]

GCode

Many 3D printers use GCode for instructions on operation. However not all generated GCode is the same.

There are a number of software packages oriented around GCode. Some software analyses GCode and provides helpful information about a print.[6] GCode post processors can improve print speed and quality.[7] Non-planar GCode can also improve 3D printing results.[8][9]

Slicer features

Some slicing software supports features that improve build adhesion, such as a sacrificial brim or raft.

Layer Height

Some slicers support variable layer height, allowing for the printer to slow down on detail heavy areas for better quality, and speed up printing for less detailed areas.[10]

Pausing

Some slicers allow prints to be paused to allow operators to swap materials partway through, or to add things like magnets to the internals of the print.[10][11]

References

  1. "PrusaSlicer - Prusa3d.com - 3D printers by Josef Prusa". https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/.
  2. "Pathio: New 3D Slicer From E3D". 24 February 2019. https://hackaday.com/2019/02/24/pathio-new-3d-slicer-from-e3d/.
  3. "How to slice 3D objects for the Original Prusa SL1 [updated with video guide"]. 19 June 2019. https://blog.prusaprinters.org/how-to-slice-3d-objects-for-the-original-prusa-sl1_30323/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  4. "3D Internal Structure For Better 3D Printed Objects". 10 June 2016. https://hackaday.com/2016/06/10/3d-internal-structure-for-better-3d-printed-objects/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  5. "Gradient Infill Puts More Plastic Where You Want It". 21 January 2020. https://hackaday.com/2020/01/20/gradient-infill-puts-more-plastic-where-you-want-it/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. "GCode Analyzer/Visualizer by hudbrog" (in en). https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35248. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. "This GCode Post-Processor Squeezes Lines Into Arcs". 3 November 2020. https://hackaday.com/2020/11/03/this-gcode-post-processor-squeezes-lines-into-arcs/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  8. "3D Printering: Non-Planar Layer FDM". 27 July 2016. https://hackaday.com/2016/07/27/3d-printering-non-planar-layer-fdm/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  9. "makertum/non-planar-layer-fdm". 6 November 2020. https://github.com/makertum/non-planar-layer-fdm. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. 1 2 "PrusaSlicer 2.2.0 is out! Hollowing, support for 3rd party printers and more!". 25 March 2020. https://blog.prusaprinters.org/prusaslicer-2-2-0-is-out-hollowing-support-for-3rd-party-printers-and-more_32728/. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  11. "Change Filament At Z Cura Plugin by rawlogic" (in en). https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2077884. Retrieved 6 November 2020.

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