Normally when it comes to doing anything software related, I usually just pirate what I need and keep on trucking and while I’m sure quite a few of you are using Simplify3D and paid for it, I don’t really like the pricetag, I like free software, and I wanted to see what Cura had going on.On my first few prints with Cura, I already knew a few things I didn’t like. I’m not the biggest fan of “hiding settings” because the user might not be familiar enough with 3D printing to mess with every setting. As it stands, I have three major issues with Cura.The layer view not being mulitcoloredThe ability to tell the program where you want supports, rather than where you don’t(who thought that was a good idea?)Travel is… interestingly weird in Cura. For some odd reason when doing infill, it won’t just do an entire area, it will go here, then here, then over there, then here. It seems inefficient.Other than that… I’m good. I was able to directly copy and paste my starting gcode from Simplify3D into Cura so my prints begin and end the same way they would in Simiplify3D, and I copied over my raft settings into Cura so I could have similar rafts.As far as differences go, with the same support settings, supports are slightly easier to remove in Cura with a 15% zigzag pattern and two layers on the top and bottom of each support which is Simplify3D’s default but it wasn’t always like that. I also have part separation set the same on each which is a must for Cura. Cura’s supports are nigh impossible to remove without giving them that 1 layer bed and top like Simplify3D does.What really matters, though… is which one am I more likely to open up when I have a new print to slice? At this point, with configs that mirror eachother on both programs, I’m slightly inclined to go to Cura as the print quality I get from both is nearly identical. Every time Simplify3D or Slic3r get a new feature, someone puts it into Cura… so…Free doesn’t seem to mean worse. What are you guys using and what are your findings? https://ift.tt/2UIoiA4