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Learn 3D printing in 7 days, day 5: slicer tools to place your model

Day 5 of learning 3D printing in 7 days: the slicer buttons that place your model, from add, auto-orient and arrange to move, rotate, scale, lay on face and cut, and why orientation changes strength and supports.

Tutorials Beginner 1:05 94 views Nov 09, 2026
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About this video

Day 5: the slicer tools that place your model

This is day 5, part 1 of PrintPal's learn 3D printing in 7 days series. After four days of settings, today covers the buttons along the top of the slicer. They decide where and how your model sits on the plate, which changes both how strong it is and how many supports it needs.

Tool What it does When to use it
Add Imports a model from your computer Every new print
Add plate Adds another build plate to the project When one plate isn't enough
Auto-orient Turns the model to the position that needs the fewest supports Right after importing
Arrange Spreads all models across the plate so they don't touch Several parts on one plate
Move, rotate, scale Place and size the model by dragging or typing numbers Exact placement or resizing
Lay on face Click any flat face and the model lies down on it A model that imports standing the wrong way
Cut Splits the model into pieces The model is bigger than your printer

Why orientation matters

The way a model sits on the plate controls two things you learned earlier in the series:

  • Supports. Every overhang needs support (day 4), so a model turned the right way can need far fewer, or none.
  • Strength. A print is weakest between its layers (day 3). Turn functional parts so the load runs along the layers instead of pulling them apart.

Auto-orient is a good first click, but it only optimizes for supports. It doesn't know how a part will be loaded, so check functional parts yourself before you slice.

Lay on face

Some models import standing on a corner or upside down. Lay on face fixes that in one click: pick the flat side you want on the plate and the model lies down on it. A flat face on the plate also gives the first layer the most contact.

Cutting models that are too big

Cut splits a model into pieces you can print separately and glue back together. Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer can add connectors to the cut so the pieces line up. See the 5 best connectors you can add in the slicer. For more control, the free 3D model splitter cuts a model in your browser and adds pegs, dowels or dovetails.

What's next

Day 5, part 2 covers the tools that change how your model prints: support, seam and color painting, variable layer height, text and measure. Catch up on day 1, how a 3D printer works, day 2, day 3, day 3, part 2, day 4 and day 4, part 2.

FAQ

What does auto-orient do?
It rotates the model to the position that needs the fewest supports.

How do I make a model fit my printer?
Scale it down, or cut it into pieces and glue them together after printing.

Should I always use auto-orient?
It's a good start. For parts that carry weight, check that the layers run along the direction of the load.

Full Transcript

Day 5 of teaching you 3D printing in 7 days. Let's go over the buttons at the top of the slicer, starting with the ones that place your model. Everything starts with Add, which brings in a model from your computer, and when one plate isn't enough, Add plate gives you another one. Once your model is in, Auto-orient turns it the best way, so it needs as few supports as possible. And when you have more models, Arrange spreads them over the plate, so they don't touch, and the printer can reach all of them. But if you want full control, move, rotate, and scale, let you place the model exactly where you want, and change its size by typing the numbers or just dragging it. Sometimes a model comes in standing the wrong way, and that's where lay on face helps. You click any flat side, and it lies down on it. And if the model is too big for the printer, cut splits it into two pieces, which you can glue back together later. All of this matters because the way your model sits on the plate changes how strong it is and how many supports it needs, so always check it before you slice.