The new version 5.5 of the 3D printing slicer Ultimaker Cura comes with extensive improvements. According to the announcement, the manufacturer Ultimaker is primarily introducing more flexibility for plugin developers.
With the so-called engine plugins, the slicing process can now be adapted using various programming languages such as Python or C++. For example, developers can create their own infill patterns or modify the generated GCode. According to Ultimaker, this should significantly expand Cura’s customization options.
For example, a plugin has already been integrated that prevents abrupt changes to the material flow. Further preconfigured plugins are to follow in the future. Users will be particularly interested in various new settings that allow them to configure the print behavior even more granularly, especially for top and bottom pages.
According to the changelog, Ultimaker printers in particular will benefit from a range of new presets and optimizations. The print time estimates should now be more accurate. The arranging algorithm for multiple models on the build plate has also been improved.
In addition to the plug-in interface, Ultimaker has also improved the user-friendliness. Settings can now be switched through using the tab key. For Mac owners, the software has also been adapted for the M1 chip and now also runs natively on ARM architecture.
Cura is available free of charge on the Ultimaker website and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
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