UltiMaker Cura: the most widespread slicer and exporting a model

What Cura is

Cura started as a small program for printers from Ultimaker, but it gradually became a universal slicer for hundreds of printers. The source code is on GitHub. It has a simple mode for beginners as well as detailed settings for advanced users, and it can be extended with plugins.

What to send from Cura

If you have the model as STL, 3MF or OBJ, upload it directly. Cura can also open and save a project in 3MF format. For multicolour printing, though, Cura does not have as clear a colour assignment as PrusaSlicer or OrcaSlicer, so use one of those for multicolour parts.

Do not send us G-code from Cura, we cannot use it.

Why you do not need to worry about settings

After upload we genuinely prepare the model for printing on our server and calculate the price and the lead time from real grams and time. You choose the strength in the calculator: infill of 10%, 15% or 40%. Supports are added automatically and are included in the price. So you do not need to carry over values from your Cura.

What to use Cura for with an order

Cura is excellent for quick work with simple models. The slice preview shows how the layers build up, where the supports will be and what the infill looks like. It also has useful tools for scaling and rotating a model. For an order with us, however, there is nothing to set, send the model as you have it.

You can use it to check whether a model is suitable for printing: how it looks in slices, where the overhangs would be and whether some walls are too thin. The time and grams in Cura will not match our printers exactly though, treat them only as a rough estimate.