Slicer 3D

Overview

Slicer 3D converts 3D models into layer-by-layer printpaths for 3D Concrete Printing. The user uploads an STL or Rhino file containing a 3D mesh, configures slicing parameters (layer height, contour mode, surface thickness), and the slicer computes horizontal cross-sections at each layer to produce a continuous printpath.

Before slicing, the tool provides a full model analysis (geometry stats, dimensions, unit scaling) and an overhang analysis to help the user evaluate printability. The user can also rotate the model to adjust its print orientation.

Supported File Formats

Accessing Slicer 3D

Navigate to Slicer 3D using either:

• The Slicer 3D Model button on the main dashboard.
• The sidebar menu → Slicer 3D.

Workflow

1. Import a Model

Drag and drop or select an .stl or .3dm file. The system loads the model and performs an initial analysis, displaying:

• Number of faces and number of edges of the mesh.
• Dimensions of the model (length, width, height) in the currently selected unit.
• Watertight status — if the model contains holes (i.e., is not a closed manifold), a warning is displayed. A non-watertight model can still be sliced, but the results may require the appropriate contour transition mode to handle gaps in the geometry (see Contour Transition below).

2. Set Units

Use the unit selector to match the units of your source model. Available options:

• mm (millimeters)
• inches
• feet

If the displayed dimensions appear incorrect (e.g., a model that should be 700 mm wide shows as 27 mm), the source file was likely created in different units. Changing the unit rescales the model accordingly.

3. Rotate the Model (Optional)

The model can be rotated around any of the three axes (X, Y, Z) in full 360° increments before slicing. This allows the user to change the print orientation — for example, rotating a model 90° to print it on its side.

Rotation affects both the overhang analysis and the final slice output, since the slicer cuts layers along the Z axis.

4. Overhang Analysis (Optional)

Click the overhang analysis control to visualize areas of the model that may be difficult to print. The analysis highlights surfaces in red where the angle from the vertical (Z axis) exceeds a configurable threshold.

• Threshold: Defined in degrees from vertical. The default is 10°. Surfaces angled beyond this threshold relative to the Z axis are flagged.
• Output: Purely visual. Red overlays appear on the 3D model to indicate problem areas. No numeric score is generated.

This is especially useful after rotating a model — it lets you verify that the chosen print orientation does not introduce excessive overhangs.

5. Configure Slicing Parameters

Layer Height

Set the vertical distance between consecutive slicing planes, in mm. No minimum or maximum is enforced. Lower values produce more layers with finer detail; higher values produce fewer, thicker layers.

Contour Transition

Select how the slicer connects the contour paths on each layer:

Surface Thickness

This setting fundamentally changes how the slicer interprets the model geometry.

Surfaces Have Thickness — Enabled

Use this when your 3D model has double-walled surfaces — i.e., the mesh represents a shell with an inner and outer face separated by a measurable thickness (as is typical for models designed with wall thickness in CAD). When enabled, the slicer computes the midline between the inner and outer surfaces at each layer and generates the printpath along that centerline. The print nozzle path runs through the middle of the wall, which is the standard behavior for most 3DCP workflows.

Surfaces Have Thickness — Disabled

Use this when your 3D model is a single surface with no wall thickness — i.e., the mesh is a zero-thickness shell (one face, no inner/outer distinction). When disabled, the slicer generates the printpath directly on the surface of the model. The contour at each layer follows the exact geometry of the mesh cross-section without any midline calculation.

Infill

Infill adds an internal fill pattern to each layer, in addition to the contour (wall) path described above. Enable it with the Add Infill toggle, which reveals the infill parameters below. Infill is independent of the Contour Transition and Surfaces Have Thickness settings — it can be combined with any Model mode (Open, Closed, Mixed) and either state of Surfaces Have Thickness; all selected settings are sent together in the same slice request.

When Add Infill is off, the slicer produces only the contour printpath. When enabled, the slicer also generates internal fill tracks for each layer, using the pattern parameters below together with the path, connector, and seam settings that control how the infill connects to the walls.

Infill currently supports a single pattern: straight, parallel tracks at a configurable angle. There is no separate infill pattern-type selector (e.g. grid, honeycomb) — variation comes from the angle, density, and the alternating layer angle described below.

Pattern Parameters

Unless noted otherwise, none of the numeric fields below enforce a minimum or maximum value.

• Wall Count: Number of contour wall loops printed around the perimeter of each layer before the infill pattern begins. Numeric (integer). Default: 1.
• Track Width (mm): The width of each infill track. Numeric, in mm. Default: 10 mm.
• Density (%): Controls how tightly packed the infill tracks are. Together with Track Width, it determines the Track Distance — the spacing between the centers of consecutive infill lines — which is calculated live and shown beneath the field: Track Distance = (Track Width ÷ Density) × 100. Higher density produces closer, denser infill; lower density produces wider spacing and sparser infill.
• Angle (deg): The orientation of the infill lines, measured from the axis selected in Angle Ref. Axis. Default: 45°.
• Angle Ref. Axis: Whether the Angle above is measured from the X Axis or the Y Axis. Default: X Axis.
• Alt. Layer Angle (deg): An additional angle offset applied on alternating layers, rotating the infill direction from one layer to the next — for example, a 90° offset produces a cross-hatch pattern instead of parallel lines repeated on every layer. Default: 0° (no alternation).
• Edge Clearance (mm): The clearance kept between the infill lines and the model's wall/edge contour. Numeric, in mm. Default: 0 mm.

Path and Seam Behavior

These settings control how the infill connects to the walls, and how the seam — the start/end transition point of each layer — is handled:

• Seam Gap (mm): The size of the gap left at the seam. Numeric, in mm. Default: 1 mm.

Slicing Output

After clicking Slice, the system computes the printpath and displays the result on the 3D canvas. The path is color-coded:

The user can inspect the path layer by layer, verify transitions, and check the start/end points of each layer. Once satisfied, the user can save the design. This creates a new Design in the library and opens it in the main workspace, where the user can view the simulation, edit metadata, adjust the transition point, and export G-code (a separate feature).

Measurements and Visibility

The 3D canvas displays dimension annotations (length, width, height in mm) for the loaded model. These can be toggled on or off using the measurements visibility control.

Quick Reference