About SuperSlicer
First released on November 14th, 2011, SuperSlicer has always been one of the most powerful slicers available.
It is an entirely free Open Source software project, released under the AGPL v3 licenses. Funded entirely by the generosity of it’s user base. With a very strong loyal public and commercial following.
SuperSlicer is based on PrusaSlicer by Prusa, which is based on Slic3r. They are both skinned versions of Slic3r by Alessandro Ranellucci & The RepRap Community. With the primary focus being on a substantial amount of additional control over the slicing process.
What is a slicer?
A 3D printer works much like a 2D printer. It prints one layer at a time, using a physical material “filament” as opposed to ink.
What a slicer application does is take your finished model, “slice” it into layers and then generate the instructions that your 3D printer uses to print your model one layer at a time.
These “instructions” are known as GCode. They are largely based on the Marlin implementation of the GCode instruction set.
Going a little off topic, in it’s very essence a 3D Printer is a form of a CNC machine. With CNC being an acronym standing for “Computer Numerical Control”. So yes to answer the question on your mind GCode is also what is used for CNC Machines, Lasers Cutters, and more. All having slight variants to the core implementation of the language for needed feature for the type of machine it is being used on. For example with Laser Cutters the intensity of the beam.
To sum this all up. The slicer takes your model, first slices it into layers, and then creates the GCode to direct the printer on where and how to extrude the filament.
Many people over think this, there is no magic here. Simple start, stop, move, extrude, more commonly referred to as speeds and feeds.
Feature Set
SuperSlicer has the largest feature set out of all of the available slicers, putting a level of control, power, and options into your hands that is just not found elsewhere.
Powerful Configuration Options
SuperSlicer was born out of the need to have a greater level of control of the printing process. With it’s evolution over ten plus years nothing has come close to the flexibility it encompasses. Simply put it puts the power to print your designs the way YOU want to, not the way someone else thinks you should.
Advanced Profiles
Amongst the huge feature set is the ability to create your own printer, filament, and print profiles. These profiles can start from a huge selection of pre-defined profiles or right from scratch.
Each profile is entirely self contained. Meaning if a system profile updates it does NOT alter your custom profile. Your profiles are just that your’s. This prevents any loss of all the hours you put in tweaking and refining your settings for your prints.
Unrivaled Slicer Algorithms
Along side of all of the additional control a truly advanced set of slicing algorithms needed to be developed.
With advanced controls, being combined and used in an unlimited fashion, a truly advanced methodology was required. With 10 plus years of work by our highly skilled team and contributors our engine is far beyond what you will find elsewhere.