Favorite Slicer?

What's your favorite slicer? (I'm using Windows).

I know about Skeenforge but I've heard some warnings about it being complicated and slow. I've downloaded Slic3r and was thinking to use that one but just heard about KISSlicer and it might even be easier to use.

What's your favorite and why?

I like Kisslicer as it produces the best prints and its easy to get good results. It also has a good gcode viewer, good support generation, Releases are mostly bug free.

Second Is Cura. It is based on Skeinforge so it produces really clean code at the expense of speed (although faster than Skeinforge by a lot). It has a good project planner and support generation and deals with the worst of files relatively easily.

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I've used SFact/skeinforge, Slic3r, KISSlicer, and Cura. My favorite is Slic3r. I think the interface is the most intuitive of all of them, and the latest version 0.9.8 produces gcode that is IMO on par with the others. Slic3r is also the easiest to get started with, IMO.

You can get really great prints from any of them, it's mostly a question of preference and how much time you are willing to spend tweaking the settings to make it work well with your specific printer.

I really like the interface to Slic3r, but I've been getting better prints with KISSlicer. I could not get Skeinforge to work for me and gave up after a week of trying. I haven't tried Cura yet, but intend to in a few days. Currently, I use Slicer if I'm printing only one object, and KISSlicer for multiple objects. I think KISSlicer is better at 'coloring within the lines' than Slic3r, but if I'm trying something new or challenging to print, I find Slic3r easier to modify and tweak.

Lately I have been using Kisslicer. Quality of the prints is what pushed me over the edge. Slic3r is a close second but I have not been able to match the quality of Kisslicer.

Tried SKeinforge a couple times but just way too complicated to start out with.

Once you try Kisslicer you never go back (in my experience of course!). Cura/Skeinforge is good but somewhat overcomplicated and perhaps bloated. Slic3r is a never-ending stream of bugs - I found myself on github checking bugs too frequently.

I have been using slic3r for a week of course I don't count since I'm new one thing I can say is .that I've been slowly tweaking my printer and my prints are getting better with each tweak but I may have to try kisslicer

KISSlicer has beat out Slic3r by far for me. Far less perimeter crossing than Slic3r.

Im a slic3r guy. Ive tried KISSlicer... with bad results. I couldn't find an input for nozzle diameter, or other basic printer info...

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-Nick

I use Kisslicer for almost everything, I find it's print quality superior to Slic3r for even seemingly trivial shapes, if it fails I resort to Cura.
There is a lot to like about Cura, I'd prefer to set the extrusion width manually, but the paths are probably the cleanest of the 3, Kisslicer still does a couple of things better, the way it starts and stops perimeters is cleaner and wipe is a huge win if you're using a bowden tube.

Kisslicer has no nozzle diameter setting because the Nozzle diameter doesn't directly affect anything, it's used by other Slicers to calculate some sort of optimal extrusion width which you set explicitly in Kisslicer.

I have only used Slic3r for the past year so i tried out the Kisslicer last night. The movements seem more smooth for some reason and the print quality was as good as ever but it didnt look any better than the slic3r quality to me.

The things that have me puzzled -

No matter what i changed i could not get it to print above maybe 15~20mm/sec. I had the speed settings at 80mm/sec for fast and 10mm/sec for slow. When i move the slider to the fast side for sliceing it actualy slowed the print down.

And isnt it kinda backwards to have the slowdown feature set to slow the print down if the layer print time is ABOVE a certain time instead of BELOW? Maybe im just not understanding it right.

All in all i like it so far but the lack of adjustable settings and tweaks compared to Slic3r isnt enough to get me on board yet.

GITRDUN Wrote:
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> The things that have me puzzled -
>
> No matter what i changed i could not get it to
> print above maybe 15~20mm/sec. I had the speed
> settings at 80mm/sec for fast and 10mm/sec for
> slow. When i move the slider to the fast side for
> sliceing it actualy slowed the print down.

If you are printing with large layers, thick paths or a large nozzle yo may be exceeding the max flow rate. Try increasingi it and see if it speeds up. Or it could be you are using a profile created on a mac or linux on a windows computer that does not understand that the a return or new line are the same thing and you don't actually need both. This causes the profile to not automatically save which means it does not get used for the slice. If it is the windows thing try creating a new folder and put the Kisslicer executable in it. Then start Kisslicer without any profiles in the folder so it creates new ones with windows so it can understand it correctly. Then you can open the other one and manually copy the settings over.


>
> And isnt it kinda backwards to have the slowdown
> feature set to slow the print down if the layer
> print time is ABOVE a certain time instead of
> BELOW? Maybe im just not understanding it right.

The min layer time does slow it down.


> All in all i like it so far but the lack of
> adjustable settings and tweaks compared to Slic3r
> isnt enough to get me on board yet.

If you used the current release then yes it has very few features. Try the RC1 or wait a few weeks for the next release. After this next release I feel the only setting missing is bridge speed (although I have not found it was required with Kisslicer even printing the Eiffel tower).

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Thanks everyone for chiming in on this. I've installed KISSlicer and Slic3r both. I'll proably end up using KISSlicer for a while but I'll keep Slic3r around in case I have issues or need to try other things.

Well after a couple days of using Kisslicer it is now my fav slicer. I printed a few prints that have always been difficult for me and it handles them much better than Slic3r. I dont understand why or how but it definately seems superior.

Right now Slic3r is my favorite, only cause I have that one working. I haven't tried Cura or Skeinforge yet, but KISSlicer sends my machine all over the place.

I use and support Slic3r because it's open source, which imho fits better with the RepRap philosophy and goal. So far it has been fulfilling my requirements, but I do tend to stay with a release that's stable for me, as the bugs can be troublesome at times. I've previously used the java reprap host, repsnapper and various skeinforge versions.

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--
-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

Nudel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use and support Slic3r because it's open source,
> which imho fits better with the RepRap philosophy
> and goal. So far it has been fulfilling my
> requirements, but I do tend to stay with a release
> that's stable for me, as the bugs can be
> troublesome at times. I've previously used the
> java reprap host, repsnapper and various
> skeinforge versions.


I have been having some issues with Slic3r lately, when I change from 0.4mm layer height to 0.3mm layer height my STLs end up with walls being thinner than designed. Slice at 0.4mm and its perfect.

Nudel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use and support Slic3r because it's open source,
> which imho fits better with the RepRap philosophy
> and goal. So far it has been fulfilling my
> requirements, but I do tend to stay with a release
> that's stable for me, as the bugs can be
> troublesome at times. I've previously used the
> java reprap host, repsnapper and various
> skeinforge versions.

Are you a Linux user because if you are a Windows or Mac user you may want to rethink your philosophy on software choices. I personally am a Debian user because Linux it is by far the best base for an OS with the least crashes, no viruses, customizable, fast, light weight, etc etc. I am now a Kisslicer user because it works better and I do not limit the use based on the source. But if it came down to two slicers that created the exact same quality of print and one was open and one was closed I would go with the open one out of principal.

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I've been having problems with Slic3r 0.9.8. Perimeters and top layers haven't been printing with the correct number (too little). So I've gone back to 0.9.7.

I haven't been able to get Skeinforge to work with my Mendel90. I'm not sure if it's user error or not. Maybe I'm just forgetting to enter a setting in one of the million tabs.

Kisslicer? Cura? looks like I know what i'll be testing over the weekend.

When I printed the Mendel90 calibration object with Kisslicer the holes came out too small. Even the hex nut traps. Same machine prints them the correct size with Skeinforge.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

Interesting. The plastic parts the came with my prusa 2 kit have the same problem. All the hex nut traps are slightly too small and I need to go in with an exacto knife to open them up and get them to fit. I wonder if there is some setting that influences this in KISSlicer.

Kisslicer for me.

I like the z-offset, bed roughness settings, for creating a custom first layers.
I like the speed of slicing, as large parts take a long time to slice.
I like the Pro feature Crowning Threshold, which tries to eliminate short segments (your definition)
I like the hollow and vase modes.
I like the path view with transparent model overlayed.
Prime/suck/wipe are working well for me.
I like Jonathan, his steady emotional view on everything, and the community at the forum.

I want better control on the support at all layers, their spacing, style, offset, etc.
I want Joris spiral printing for single walled vases.
I want model rotating about any axis (I rarely have models come in oriented as I need)
I want it integrated to Repetier Host (not Jonathans to accomplish)

Dave

The people behind KISSlicer are top-notch. Very quick to address bugs and issues, while another 'slicer' team will tell you the problems are on your end and not with the slicer.

The Reprap magazine article on slicing software speaks for itself.

@davew_tx,
Do holes come out the right size? Low vertex count polygons, i.e. those that should not shrink.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

@Lions3,
I distribute a working skeinforge profile for Mendel90 with the kits. Do you want a copy?

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I haven't noticed specifically, but I've only done around 50 parts so far.
Most all my holes have been clearance and not a press fit, like for a bearing or shaft.

I can check this weekend maybe, after I repair a car.

Is there a good test part STL.

I'm running an older version of skeinforge because I went through a painful experimentation/ analysis process to get dimensional accuracy. I found that when I got the flow rate right to properly 100% fill objects, the objects were slightly too large (dovetails would not fit together). I managed to find a combination of flow feed and width settings that made the perimeter path wider without additional flow so that my parts were dimensionally accurate with the model. I could then print nut traps and dovetails where the nuts fitted pretty much perfectly and the dovetails were also a nice friction fit. I have been scared of upgrading ever since for fear hat I would have to go through the process again. I have tried slic3r and liked its slicing speed, but its g code was definately not up to scratch compared to skeinforge (I particularly dislike its reckless disregard for perimeter crossing).

The test stl I use is [github.com]. The nut traps come out too small to insert the nuts with kissslicer.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

Out of interest did you calibrate the flow rate after swapping to KISSlicer?
I know it's flow calculation is VERY different to Slic3rs and the difference can be as high as 10-15%
There is a clearance setting in the current RC but that affects all perimeters, useful for things like dovetails as long as the setting consistent for all of the parts.

nophead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The test stl I use is
> [github.com]
> bond/stls/printed/cal.stl. The nut traps come out
> too small to insert the nuts with kissslicer.


What size nuts does it use? M3 M4 and M6? I am printing it now and will report back

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2013 06:34PM by Sublime.

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