3D Printer Workflow and Software

Abstract

People are often startled and intimidated when they discover that a 3D printer is not really the same as a paper printer. Although some consumer 3D printers have a ``print'' button, there are some steps needed to get to the point of pushing it, not to mention the need to monitor what happens afterward. We prefer to think of 3D printing as more like cooking than printing. Just as you would not expect to cook by just pressing a ``bake'' button without setting some temperatures and timers first, 3D printing requires some knowledge of your printer, the materials you are using, and the design you are trying to print. If any of those have issues, getting good results is challenging.