Orca Slicer Wiki
Complete Documentation and Settings Guide
Welcome to Orca Slicer Wiki
Orca Silcer is a user-friendly software with slicing tools for your 3D printing project. First-time users of this software sometimes feel confused about the configuration. So, we have provided a brief guide on setting up the software based on your print. Read our WIKI guide and use the application efficiently.
Printer Settings
Before using Orca Slicer, set up your 3D printing machine for a quick and flawless output. Find a comprehensive printer setup guide to make everything easier. The appropriate settings of the machine allow you to print 3-dimensional objects. You need no professional assistance for the configuration process. Our software has integrated features that streamline printer setup.
Air filtration handling
Your printing chamber should be free from UFPs and VOCs. So, you might have installed exhaust fans or air filtration systems. However, their configuration becomes easier if you leverage the built-in settings of our software. Simply use commands to adjust the settings. Even external fans are configurable without additional software.
Chamber Temperature Control
Our Orca Slicer 3D printing software has a special feature to control the chamber temperature. It is essential to set the right temperature for the best output. Maintain and control the temperature based on the chosen material. The presets in our software make your task easier. But, you may also create controls using a few commands.
Adaptive Bed Mesh
For every 3D printing project, the first layer is the adaptive mesh bed. Thus, your filament also sets in this layer and creates the base of the 3D model. Appropriate settings will save you from dimensional issues.
Multiple Bed Types Settings
To make your DIY 3D printing successful, learn everything about the bed type and settings. Once you have understood it, you will receive perfect 3D prints. Orca Slicer lets you choose the bed type and printer settings based on your needs.
Material Settings
Settings for every material should be different to get professional-grade results. The most important parameters for settings are temperatures and print speed. You can also set the fan before starting the printing process. With proper settings, your printer may get damaged. Check the guide on how to set up the printer.
Single Extruder Multimaterial
There are different options in the settings to manage the base of your print. You may also adjust the filament during your 3D print. Especially, the prime tower temperature’s position needs to be mentioned for ramming. You can manage these settings in your multi-color printing as well.
Pellet Printers
Large pellets replace the filaments in your complex printing projects. The material quantity and the filament size are different, and you can measure them in the flow coefficient.
It is essential to understand how filament printing differs from pellet printing. This will help you set up the printing machine easily.
Process Settings
After adjusting the printer and material parameters, define the KPIs. You have to monitor the parameter to manage the print quality. Let us help you optimize the settings as a pro.
Quality Settings
The right settings will make your print more attractive. The print quality will meet your anticipations.
Layer Height
The print quality and the layer height are inversely proportional. In other words, you will have a better print quality with the smaller layer height.
Line Width
The extruded filament’s size is another factor in your printing project. Control the settings to manage the thickness of the line. You may fix the value of the diameter.
Seam Settings
There are starting and ending points in every print. Thus, the final view is referred to as the seam. Adjust the seam and improve the print quality.
Ironing Settings
Ironing is a way to reprint the final layer and make the surface finish smooth. The height should be consistent for the ultimate layer, but the speed needs to be slow for a finished look.
Wall Generator
The quality of the wall’s inner and outer sides is easy to control with the Wall Generator. Access the software and adjust the extrusion settings. Maintain the filament extrusion at a speed that provides the desired quality. The built-in settings let you manage various factors, such as distribution count and filter margin.
Wall And Surfaces Settings
It is another module, allowing you to control walls and surfaces accurately. Send the appropriate command to adjust the printing order. Set the parameters for your walls and print the infill first. Optimization of the wall loop direction also affects the integrity and quality of walls.
Overhangs
You need some expertise to deal with overhangs. The settings must not lead to structural issues. Orca Slicer lets you adjust the maximum angle and overhang wall. Thus, set the most important parameters for your printing project and find the best output.
Bridging
3D printing professionals should have a clear concept of settings and bridging. It is challenging to have a 3D print of an object containing gaps and voids. Orca Slicer helps you print it even though there are gaps and distances. It presents various settings to manage bridge quality. Remove filament sagging and regulate the flow rate with a few clicks.
Strength Settings
Surface finish and dimensional accuracy are the most significant aspects of a printing project. But, you must not overlook the longevity and strength of your 3D prints. Thus, optimize the settings and increase the strength of your 3D output.
Walls
The 3D print’s exterior lining refers to the wall. You have to select the settings that allow filament to have better strength and adhesion. Identify wall loops and work on thin walls. Wall settings also help you manage structural integrity. So, go to the Strength tab of our software and access the Wall settings.
Bottom and Top Shells
These settings enable you to control and decide how to print the bottom and top layers. The options for shell thickness and surface density are customizable. These built-in factors are available in Orca Slicer and allow you to control the print.
Infill
The term ‘infill’ represents your 3D print’s internal structure. The infill settings are crucial, as they let you manage the material usage and quality. The infill density is also adjustable with a few clicks. You can filter out gaps and command the anchors.
Fill Patterns
Determine the layer patterns directly affecting the print layer’s quality and density. The setting also influences the print speed and flexibility. Although the patterns appear similar, they have different details. Thus, adjust the settings based on the unique needs of your project.
Template Metalanguage for infill rotation
Here, you can define the direction and the rotation of an infill pattern. From basic instructions like choosing the angle to a complex template, you can customize every parameter.
Advanced Strength Settings
Advanced strength settings help you align infill direction to the model, bridge infill direction, minimize sparse infill threshold, and detect narrow internal solid infill. All in all, you can monitor and control infill quality with these advanced settings.
Speed Settings
In speed settings, you can select the print speed you need for your 3D printing. You can select the speed for the initial layer, travel speed, overhang speed, acceleration, extrusion rate, and others. Let’s see the details of each.
Initial Layer Speed
The initial speed layer defines the print speed of the first layer, usually kept slow, as it is widely recommended in 3D printing. The slower speed helps the initial layer adhere strongly to the printing bed.
Other Layer Speeds
After controlling the initial layer speed to start a progressive and successful printing, you can set the speeds for maximum volume, outer wall, inner wall, acceleration, jerk, and many other parameters.
Overhang Speed
This option allows you to slow down and control the print speed for all the overhangs according to their angles.
Travel Speed
Travel speed is different from the extruding speed, and it is the speed at which the printing head moves. Set it right and don’t miss out any printing steps, or avoid ringing artifacts.
Acceleration
A common 3D printer’s acceleration setting is normally set in the Firmware settings of the printer, which may be overridden if the printer’s acceleration value is other than zero. Orca slicer helps you limit the acceleration value configured with the printer’s settings.
Jerk (XY)
With Jerk settings, you can control the acceleration change of various values, directional changes, and transitional movements during printing.
Advanced Speed Settings (Extrusion Rate Smoothing)
Printing large flow rates and high acceleration extrusion is tricky, as it requires fast speed change and command control for Extrusion Rate Smoothing (ERS). Here is the complete guide to avoid deformities like bulging or missing prints.
Support Settings
Special structures are crucial for some settings to ensure efficient printing. Orca Slicer helps you optimize the structures and manage their properties.
Raft
Raft is the base layer that helps your 3D print adhere better to the printing bed.
Filament
Support filament settings offer you filament material customization for support structures. You can control material wastage by controlling settings for base, interface, and type of support.
Advanced Settings
Advanced settings help you set your printer for Z distance, support wall loops, base pattern spacing, pattern angle, layer expansions, and many other useful parameters using Orca Slicer.
Multimaterial Settings
Many 3D models are printed using different materials. You can master multimaterial settings for top-notch print quality.
Prime Tower
Set your prime tower printing at optimum settings. This helps you prevent structural issues in your output. The chamber pressure in the nozzle will be stable.
Filament Of Features
When running the multimaterial extruder printing machine, its settings should be adjusted. Select the values for infills and walls using our 3D printing software.
Ooze Prevention
The filament should not ooze out for inactive extruders. So, understand the way to manage the temperature levels using the software. You can set low temperatures for inactive extruders.
Flush Options
Orca Slicer has the Flush feature that lets you pass the material through the narrow nozzle. Clean the nozzle before starting the actual printing process. The built-in settings in the software allow you to manage purging in infills. Change the filament and achieve your cleaning goal.
Advanced Settings
The advanced settings for the multimaterial option enable you to regular complex structures. Beam directions and interlocking beams are controllable from the settings menu.
Others Settings
Access the Others section in our Orca Slicer software’s interface. Check the details that you can adjust from the Settings menu.
Skirt
The skirt formation around the main layer can be controlled with a few clicks. You can keep the prime stable and efficiently manage the extrusion.
Brim
The Brim refers to the flat layer that you can print around the model’s base. You may tailor it through the Orca Slicer’s settings.
Special Mode
The settings menu allows you to manage the special mode intended to control printing and slicing. It includes other parameters like the printing order and layer processing.
Fuzzy Skin
Another important feature in the settings is Fuzzy Skin which lets you adjust the 3D model’s surface finish. You will be able to create patterns or textures. It conceals the surface issues; however, the printing time will take more time.
G-Code Output
Our Orca Slicer software offers G-Code settings where you can determine the way to generate G-Code files. Creation of G-Code files may affect the print behavior and readability.
Post Processing Scripts
Add more instructions after creating your G-code files.
Notes
Save instructions to find everything as comments or notes.
Prepare
The most important step is to get your model ready for the 3D printing project.
STL Transformation
This section is intended for converting STEP into STL files for better quality print.
Calibrations
The comprehensive Calibration Guide is about calibrating the application and testing the final step.
Temperature
Regulate the filament performance and print quality with temperature calibration. Temperature settings make a difference in your printing project. These settings allow you to adjust nozzle temperature and tower temperature. You can also control other segments’ temperature.
Flow Rate
Extrusion of a particular quantity of material varies with your calibration and flow rate. It also affects the print quality because high or low flow rates may cause overprinting. Ensure you have chosen the right settings from our software’s interface.
Pressure Advanced
This is a technique for balancing low and high pressure in the nozzle. This helps you avoid oozing problems and inconsistency in extrusion.
Adaptive Pressure Advance
Our software has the settings for pressure level adjustment. You can also manage the bridges and the flow rate to align with the values.
Retraction
Control the procedure to pull back the filament to the printer’s nozzle. You should learn everything about the settings and conduct the retraction test before applying it.
Tolerance
When using the filament and the print file, you need to use different tolerance settings. Moreover, the settings are not the same for every printer.
Advanced Calibration
Check the parameters for settings-
Volumetric Speed
Control volumetric speed to manage problems, such as excessive materials and nozzle blockage.
Cornering
Manage the flow of filament at the curves and corners. With proper settings, you will have premium quality prints at the right sites.
Input Shaping
Use the input shape and manage the vibrations in high movement extrusion. It leads to ringing in the 3D print’s surface.
VFA
Vertical fine artifacts are minor imperfections in the print at corners and walls. They can cause direction changes at any time. Orca Slicer has settings that provide the best surface finish.
Ready to Master Orca Slicer?
Explore our comprehensive documentation to get the best performance from your printer using Orca Slicer.