[3D Printing News] High-performance 3D printing using Ultimaker Cura 3.4

What are the new features of Ultimaker Cura 3.4?

● New integrated plugins for 3D CAD software, such as Autodesk Inventor 2018, Blender, FreeCAD, and OpenSCAD.
● A new settings backup plugin lets you save your settings to the cloud. Use your preferred settings on multiple platforms in different locations, or share your settings with multiple users. ● Smoother search for settings in custom mode. Read on to learn more about the features:
Plugin Update Toolbox. The plugin browser has been redesigned and includes graphical elements to provide more information about available plugins.
Cura Backup. During installation, settings, materials, and plugins in Ultimaker Cura can be backed up to the cloud. Create an account on our encrypted and secure server, log in with your Ultimaker Community account, and store your configuration settings anywhere in the world, anytime, anywhere.



Back up your settings to the cloud and access them anytime. Showcase your preferred settings to multiple users in an office, workbench, studio, or classroom.
AutoDesk Inventor integration. Open AutoDesk Inventor files (parts, assemblies, sketches) directly in Ultimaker Cura.
Blender integration. Open Blender files directly in Ultimaker Cura.
OpenSCAD integration. Open OpenSCAD files directly in Ultimaker Cura.
FreeCAD integration. Open FreeCAD files directly in Ultimaker Cura.
OctoPrint plugin. A new version of the OctoPrint plugin for Ultimaker Cura.
The slicing engine has been upgraded with infill support. When enabled, infill is generated only when needed, and a specialized support generation algorithm is used to create the internal support structure of the part. The use of infill material has been optimized, reducing printing time.



Only generate fill in areas requiring support, reducing printing time by printing the outer perimeter before punching holes. This reduces the risk of removing the hole perimeter from the print platform when the print nozzle moves by prioritizing the exterior. This setting should only be effective if the outer layer is printed before the inner wall.
Controlling the pullback. The new option allows for better control over the pullback:
Maximum combing distance, no backflow. When set to a non-zero value, backflow will be used for combing strokes longer than this distance to maintain optimal nozzle pressure for better print quality.
Maximum combing resolution. Maintain a combing length of at least 1.5mm during the combing process to prevent buffer underloading and achieve better print quality.
Avoid supports during operation. Add settings to specify supports to avoid during printhead movement. This minimizes the risk of the printhead colliding with support material, improving printing reliability.
Number of support walls. Increases the number of walls that can be configured to print supports.
UFP modifier mesh. The modifier mesh was displayed in the UFP image preview shown on the Ultimaker S5 screen and in the Cura Connect queue. This has been fixed and can be ignored.
Cross-fill image. Import an image with controllable cross-fill and cross-fill density. Note that you may need to adjust the fill density percentage to see the effect.
The UX interface has been enhanced for anonymous data sharing. The "Send Anonymous Data" pop-up disable button has been replaced with a "More Messages" button, which has options to enable or disable anonymous data and view the specific data being shared.



Set filter timeout. For better performance, the filter is now set to be triggered on input or after a 500ms timeout.
Automatically selects the model after import. New preference settings for configuring the selection behavior of newly imported models.
Event Measurement. Add logging during specific events, including startup time, file load duration, number of items on the print platform during slicing, slice duration, and performance when moving items on the print platform. This data can be used to test the performance of different machines.
Error correction assistance is provided. Potential configuration file errors, such as incorrect or duplicate files in material or quality settings, will be automatically detected and displayed in a pop-up window. Saving information helps prevent the same errors from occurring in the future.
Upgradeable bundled resources. Multiple versions of the bundled resources can now be installed: the bundled version and download upgrades. If the software is upgraded, the bundled version will not be loaded. If it is not present, Ultimaker Cura will revert to the bundled version.
Third-party printer and stability fixes have added new printer definitions for the Felix Tec4 printer, Deltacomb, and Rigid3D Mucit.
Ultimaker Cura 3.4 includes numerous bug fixes for a high-quality user experience:
Blank filename. If a blank filename is sent to Cura Connect, Ultimaker Cura will acknowledge that it has been sent, but it will not appear in Cura Connect's queue. Now, blank filenames are detected and set to "Unnamed" to prevent this from happening.

Print job names are resliced. Fixed the behavior where print job names would revert to their original names when reslicing.
Named Curaproject. Fixed a bug related to two "curaprojects" entries in the archive when saving projects.
The Ultimaker S5 pauses at heights. This fixes a bug where the Ultimaker S5 Z motor stopped supplying power, causing the base to lower due to gravity when pausing in the height script.
Message box styles. Fixed bugs related to message box styles, such as the button overlapping the progress bar in the "Send Data" popup.
Wire diameter and linewidth. Adjust the wire diameter to calculate the linewidth in the GCODE analyzer.
Korean translation. Correcting errors in the Korean translation.
ARM and Mali systems. The graphics pipeline for ARM and Mali systems has been fixed.
Discard/Keep. Fixed an issue where the "Discard or Keep" dialog box was not provided when changing materials in customization settings.
GCODE USB not supported. Fixed an issue where GCODE was not supported when the printer's USB port was enabled.
To get the full list of fixes for this release, please see the release notes or open Ultimaker Cura 3.4 and navigate to Extensions > Changelog > Show Changelog for free download. Special thanks to our community contributors: fieldOfView, jwalt, ohrn, ngraziano, smartavionics, BagelOrb, and thopiekar.
Download Ultimaker Cura 3.4 and get the best performance from your 3D printing workflow.
By joining our 3D printing expert community in discussions, provide us with your feedback on this release.


Original link: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52657-high-performance-3d-printing-with-ultimaker-cura-34