OrcaSlicer 2.3.0-beta: New filament management and improved print quality

The popular open source slicer software OrcaSlicer has released beta version 2.3.0. This brings extensive improvements, particularly in the areas of filament management and print quality.

A major new feature of version 2.3.0-beta concerns filament profile management. Previously, users had to create separate filament profiles for each printer type. This led to considerable effort, especially for users who operate different printers in parallel. OrcaSlicer now offers a global filament library that allows filament profiles to be used universally. At the same time, these profiles can be individually adapted to specific printer models. In future, filament manufacturers will be able to transfer their own profiles directly to the global library, saving users even more time.

The so-called “fuzzy skin” feature has also been revised. This is used to visually reduce surface errors during printing. While previous versions generated random patterns, OrcaSlicer now uses structured noise algorithms such as Perlin or Voronoi noise. These offer visually more appealing surfaces and at the same time minimize unwanted horizontal line formation.

Another technical enhancement concerns the new “2D Lattice” infill type. This has been specially developed for lightweight construction in model aircraft. The structure consists of a two-dimensional grid, the angle of which can be individually adjusted. This makes it possible to produce particularly lightweight yet stable wing structures.

OrcaSlicer has also optimized the extrusion rate. Previously, print optimization using “extrusion rate smoothing” resulted in significantly larger G-code files, which in turn had a negative impact on the printing speed. Thanks to an improved algorithm, OrcaSlicer now significantly reduces the redundancies in the generated G-code commands, enabling faster and more efficient printing processes.

In addition to these main features, the new version offers smaller improvements, such as the cooling of bridges and the handling of adaptive layer heights.

Another new feature is that Printables now supports the “Open in OrcaSlicer” function. This allows you to open models directly in OrcaSlicer from Printables. The download is available at GitHub.