Whats better then Simplify3D

I currently use Simplify3d but im finding that its not getting updated very often. feels like its stalled

are there any new innovative slicers out now that have some cool new features.

I heard about a slicer that would adapt layer height based on model detail. which sounds very cool so some layers are thick and some thin. choosing automatically

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2016 08:01PM by makerparts.

---

Makerparts.ca
Your Canadian source for V-Slot Extrusion, CNC and 3D Printing Parts and Accessories.
we are proud to be an official Openbuilds distributor.

Not saying Matter Control is better but they have a new version which apparently will resume a print, sounds like something worth having, though so far there has only been about 3 times it would have come in handy.

Having tried S3D, Slic3R (various versions), and Cura (various versions), I'm of the opinion that the perfect slicer has yet to be developed but my needs are perhaps different to others. I need support for multiple extruders (at least 3) and firmware retraction using G10/11. For my particular needs, the Prusa fork of Slic3R is showing promise.

Not the better slicer, but an ok alternative, does custom support placement, have a nice preview, a few points ideaMaker is free and little known:
[www.raise3d.com]

Quote
orea
Not the better slicer, but an ok alternative, does custom support placement, have a nice preview, a few points ideaMaker is free and little known:
[www.raise3d.com]

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't heard of that one. Sure seems fast. The assumption that the nozzles are the same size on all extruders is a bit limiting.

It appears to only be able to set the hot end temperature for the entire print instead of by layer(s).

I'm finding S3D very limiting as well. Its support structures are not as great as they make out, You can't set a process to only print support. You can't set a separation distance for support (only a layer amount, eg 2 layer seperation)

This becomes a problem if you want to print a separate material and layer height for support, and also you can never get the perfect separation distance (which should be the same regardless of layer height) as not all layers fit into multiples of each other. I've found a good separation distance to be 1.5 - 2mm, but this is impossible to set if I use 300 micron layers. I can't set processes on support, only assign an extruder. So if for example, I wanted to switch the material for support towards the top (eg, PLA for bulk of support and end layers in PVA) then I can't.

With enough fiddling, I've found S3D to be the most versatile, with its use of supports and custom processes but in the end it has not become as streamlined as I'd like. For example, You can't make multiple material and resolution presets. OR rather you can but it is limiting, with only a few changeable options for each unless you delve into the .FFF files which is a pain in the arse. The processes are for the most part a gimmick with the odd bit of use. Arcane knowledge still required to operate.

/RantOver. I still like S3D.... It is marginally better than the rest, or perhaps just needs a bit less tinkering than Slic3r. Not sure if it is worth the cash in the end, who knows? I don't regret my purchase at any rate

Slic3r is undeniably feature rich. It does feel like the developers are over-reaching a little, resulting in things not quite working right (the gap fill problems and subsequent negative extrusion rates were a classic example). That's said, it's still the slicer that I use most often, and because of previous problems I've ended up running with the development branch which exposes me to more instability than if I used a stable release, so I have to take some of that as a consequence of my own choices. If/when they can get a stable release with a reasonably low bug count it will be great.

I print a lot of parts that get screwed together or to other objects. One thing I find very useful is the ability to load modifiers in Slic3r. I create solid filled areas around holes that provides for plenty of plastic for screw threads to bite into and to support compressive pressure if a bolt is put through the printed part. I haven't seen any other slicer that lets you use such modifiers, including S3D. S3D lets you change fill density by Z level, but I haven't found that useful at all.

---

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Agreed, Slic3r's modifiers are an excellent feature.

I gave ideaMaker another look this evening and made a couple of prints. It's definitely a bit lean on features; as well as the lack of control over the first layer temperature, there's also no obvious way of setting line widths. Both single wall perimeters and infill were done at exactly nozzle width as far as I could tell. Also a complete mystery is the cooling settings which have the expected min and max fan speeds and a min layer time, but no indication of when the fan would start to be used. I ended up manually controlling the fan speed when it was obvious that the settings weren't producing sufficient cooling.

Another limitation was a lack of support for off-center beds. Perhaps not a surprise given the obvious intent of mainly supporting their own printers, but it does make it more difficult to use with a machine like mine where testing new extruder designs has left me with a printable region that starts at Y=30.

I couldn't get the software to connect to my printer, it's not clear if it's supposed to be able to talk to a usb connection or not. And since I couldn't connect I have no idea if there is a manual control interface like repetier host provides or not. At least saving the gcode to SD card works ok, although it writes an extra file of unknown purpose at the same time.

Perhaps the biggest omission is the lack of any pop-up help for the settings, and a help link that just dumps you at the manufactures home page. It's a shame, because otherwise the streamlined feature set would make this a good choice for newcomers to 3d printing. The slicer is very fast, the software seems relatively bug free, and the generated tool paths look clean and fast. Despite the limitations it seems to get the job done. But you can't recommend a slicer with apparently no documentation to a beginner.

If you're looking for something that points the way forward, I think Voxelizer has a lot of stuff that will become more important and multi material/multi color printing becomes more practical. Instead of using a surface made of triangles,design files are broken into 3D voxels, each with an assigned material, color, and many other possible properties.

---

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]