Import one or more 3D models and place, scale, rotate or duplicate them on your virtual bed. Slice your plate with different slicers and optimal settings for perfect results. Check the result completely, in regions or layer for layer. When you have all the variables managed, you can print straight from MatterControl - no need for multiple programs - MatterControl does it all.īeside being able to export to STL (one of the most common formats for 3D printing), MeshLab can be used to prepare 3D models for printing by creating inner shells, resampling/remeshing the 3D model to make slicing easier, closing small holes to obtain watertight meshes, and flattening the bottom area to have a better platform adherence. You can also slice your designs using a variety of advanced settings for customized support generation, software bed leveling, and integrated controls for dual extrusion using powerful 64-bit processing.
With MatterControl, you can design your parts from scratch using the Design Tools, or visit the Design Apps to browse existing projects. MatterControl is a free, open-source, all-in-one software package that lets you design, slice, organize, and manage your 3D prints.
Ultimaker Cura is free and open source software.
Slic3r is based on a community of people working collaboratively on GitHub, discussing new features and testing them. All of these features were first introduced in Slic3r and are now part of the commercial software out there. Slic3r, being a true non-profit community project, allowed the people to experiment with several original new features that have become common thereafter such as multiple extruders, brim, microlayering, bridge detection, command line slicing, variable layer heights, sequential printing (one object at time), honeycomb infill, mesh cutting, object splitting into parts, AMF support, avoid crossing perimeters, distinct extrusion widths, modifiers, and much more.
Readability and maintainability of the code are among the design goals. The code and the algorithms are not based on any other previous work. The Slic3r project was born in 2011 within the RepRap community as an effort to provide the growing 3D printing technology with an open and flexible toolchain. It cuts the model into horizontal slices (layers), generates toolpaths to fill them and calculates the amount of material to be extruded. Slic3r is the tool you need to convert a 3D model into printing instructions for your 3D printer.