G-code
Provenance: maintained in earthtojake/text-to-cad.
Use the installed local skill files as the runtime source of truth; the
repository link is only for provenance and release review.
Slice with OrcaSlicer, headless (below) or by opening the model in the
OrcaSlicer app for the user. The agent never contacts a printer: for a Bambu
Lab printer, hand the result to $bambu-labs; for any other printer, give the
user the .gcode.
Install OrcaSlicer
- macOS:
brew install --cask orcaslicer. The command line is
/Applications/OrcaSlicer.app/Contents/MacOS/OrcaSlicer.
- Windows and Linux: install a release from
https://github.com/OrcaSlicer/OrcaSlicer/releases. The command is
orca-slicer; on Linux, run it from the AppImage or Flatpak.
Below, <orca> is that command.
Slice headless
OrcaSlicer's command line (https://www.orcaslicer.com/wiki/cli/cli_mode) needs
complete presets: it doesn't fill in a preset's parent settings, and it slices
only with a process whose compatible printers name the printer.
scripts/orca_presets.py (Python 3, no dependencies) writes them from
OrcaSlicer's presets, searching the user's own first, then OrcaSlicer's
built-in profiles.
-
Find the user's printer, process and filament presets. Prefer the presets
the user prints with; never invent one, since a wrong bed size or
temperature can damage the printer.
python scripts/orca_presets.py --list machine --match "MK4S"
python scripts/orca_presets.py --list process --match "@MK4S 0.4"
python scripts/orca_presets.py --list filament --match "PLA @MK4S"
-
Write the complete presets:
python scripts/orca_presets.py --printer "Prusa MK4S 0.4 nozzle" \
--process "0.20mm SPEED @MK4S 0.4" --filament "Prusa Generic PLA @MK4S" \
--out presets
-
Slice. Give --outputdir an absolute path:
<orca> model.stl \
--load-settings "presets/process.json;presets/printer.json" \
--load-filaments presets/filament-1.json \
--arrange 1 --slice 0 \
--outputdir /absolute/path/to/out --export-3mf model.gcode.3mf
This writes plate_1.gcode, the plain G-code, and model.gcode.3mf, the
sliced 3MF, into that folder. The command line reads .stl,
.3mf, .obj and .amf; export STEP to STL or 3MF with $cad first.
Override one setting with --<setting>=<value>, using the setting's key
with hyphens for underscores, such as --layer-height=0.16.
Open in OrcaSlicer
When the user would rather pick presets and slice themselves, or no preset can
be found, open the model in the app: open -a OrcaSlicer model.stl on macOS,
Start-Process model.stl on Windows when OrcaSlicer opens that file type, or
orca-slicer model.stl on Linux. The app also reads STEP.
Check before printing
-
<orca> model.stl --info prints the model's size; it has to fit the bed.
-
Check the slice's settings, which OrcaSlicer writes at the end of the G-code:
grep -E '^; (printer_model|nozzle_diameter|filament_type|nozzle_temperature|hot_plate_temp|bed_temperature) =|printing time' out/plate_1.gcode
Confirm they match the user's printer and material before anyone prints it.
Hand off
- A Bambu Lab printer:
$bambu-labs, with the .gcode.3mf.
- Any other printer: the user prints the
.gcode from their printer's app, its
web interface (PrusaLink, OctoPrint, Mainsail, Fluidd) or an SD card.