Learn 3D printing in 7 days, day 7: hidden slicer features

Day 7: the slicer features most people never find

This is day 7, part 1 of PrintPal's learn 3D printing in 7 days series. After six days of settings, tools and filaments, this one covers the hidden slicer features you'll use all the time once you know where they are. The slicer in the video is Bambu Studio, and OrcaSlicer has the same features in nearly the same places.

The layer slider

After you slice, the vertical slider on the right of the preview lets you step through every layer of the print. The horizontal slider at the bottom plays a single layer line by line, so you can watch exactly where the nozzle goes. It's the fastest way to spot a gap, a missing wall or a floating part before you waste filament. The free G-code viewer does the same in your browser for any sliced file.

Add a pause or a filament change

Right-click a layer on the slider to add a pause there. The printer stops at that layer so you can drop a magnet, a nut or an NFC tag into a pocket, then resume and it prints over it. Pick the last layer of the pocket, and make sure the part sits flush or below the surface, or the nozzle will hit it. See how to easily add magnets to your 3D prints and NFC business cards with a pause.

The same menu adds a filament change, which switches to another filament from that layer up. It's the easiest way to get a two-tone print, like a raised name in a different color from its base. On a printer with a single spool, add a pause at that layer instead and swap the filament by hand.

Change what the preview colors show

By default the preview colors each line by type: outer wall, inner wall, infill and so on. Switch the color scheme to speed, fan speed or another view to find problems before you print, like a section that prints far faster than the rest or a layer where the fan is off. Day 3, part 2 explains the speed settings behind it, and day 6 covers the fan.

Settings for each plate

If your project has more than one plate, click the small settings button on a plate to give it its own settings. The plate settings in the video include plate type, print sequence, spiral vase and the filament order. That way one project file can hold every print, each set up correctly. Switching one plate's print sequence to by object can save hours on plates full of small parts (see day 4, part 2 and print multicolor parts with no waste).

The calibration tab

The most useful hidden feature is the Calibration tab at the top of the slicer. It generates test prints, such as temperature towers and flow rate tests, prints them on your printer, and helps you save the best result into your filament profile so your prints come out more exact. Run it every time you try a new filament. Step-by-step guides are in calibrations you should run, part 1 and part 2, and the flow rate calculator does the math.

What's next

Day 7, part 2 is the last episode of the series, covering the slicer's right-click menu. Catch up on day 1, how a 3D printer works, day 2, day 3, day 3, part 2, day 4, day 4, part 2, day 5, day 5, part 2, day 6 and day 6, part 2.

FAQ

How do I pause a 3D print at a certain layer?
Slice the model, right-click the layer on the preview slider and add a pause. The printer stops when it reaches that layer and waits for you to resume.

How do I change filament color mid-print?
Right-click the layer where the new color should start and add a filament change. On a single-spool printer, add a pause there and swap the spool by hand.

How often should I calibrate?
Every time you start a new filament, even a new color of the same brand.