Over the past decade, the hobbyist 3D printing community has seen several technological advances that have increased the quality and speed of hobby-level printing by leaps and bounds. One of these advances has been input shaping. Input shaping has the ability to make your 3D printer faster and more accurate, and the best part of all is that it’s incredibly cheap and easy to implement! In this article we’ll discuss what input shaping is, as well as how to use it.

Introduction​

If you’ve ever wondered how people create those gorgeously smooth, hollow prints that look like ceramic vases straight from an artisan’s studio, you’re about to discover their secret. It’s called Spiral Vase Mode, and it can turn your 3D printer into a wizard of single-wall printing. Picture your extruder gliding in one continuous loop around a shape, steadily building a spiral from the bottom up. Gone are the days of multiple perimeters, infill grids, and cluttered top layers. In their place, you’ll find a single, graceful helix of filament that forms a delicate but surprisingly impressive object.

For many 3D printing enthusiasts, vase-mode prints represent a sweet spot between practicality and artistry. They can be quick to produce, visually striking, and mesmerizingly smooth on the surface. In short, they’re different from your average print. And thanks to Orca Slicer—a slicer admired for its user-friendly design and flexible feature set—accessing Spiral Vase Mode has never been simpler.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Spiral Vase Mode in Orca Slicer. We’ll talk about what it is, why it’s so popular, and how to set it up. We’ll also cover vital details about nozzles, layer heights, water-tightness, tricky designs, and the all-important calibration steps. By the end, you’ll be ready to bring your own vase-mode dreams to life. Whether that’s a lamp, a prototype shell, a decorative piece, or an actual vase you can put flowers in, is entirely up to you.

So, you’ve got a Bambu Lab 3D printer—maybe a fancy X1 Carbon, or maybe a more modest A1 or P1P—and you’re absolutely in love with how quickly and smoothly it prints. These machines are kind of like the Ferraris of the consumer 3D printing world, right? Super-fast, often come with neat features like built-in cameras, enclosed builds, multi-color printing capabilities, and even some AI-based magic that tries to detect when your print turns into the dreaded “spaghetti monster.” You know what I’m talking about: that moment when your once-promising print becomes a pile of tangled filament resembling something you’d serve with meatballs.

But here’s the catch: Not all Bambu Lab printers have the same level of AI detection built in. Models like the Bambu X1 Carbon are decked out with advanced AI spaghetti detection and even LiDAR to inspect that first layer. Meanwhile, other models—like the Bambu A1 series or the P1P—lack AI features altogether. Maybe you went from a Creality printer that you’d meticulously set up with OctoPrint and had all sorts of plugins running, including advanced failure detection. Then you jumped ship to a Bambu Lab machine and realized you miss that robust ecosystem. Or maybe you just love tinkering and want to integrate Obico’s AI-based spaghetti detection and remote monitoring into your Bambu workflow.

Well, good news: With a bit of creativity, a spare single-board computer (like a Raspberry Pi or Orange Pi), a camera (such as a trusty old Logitech C920), and some software tweaking, you can get AI failure detection working via Obico on your Bambu printer—no matter which model you have. This can transform your Bambu printer setup into something that feels both luxurious and smart, catching failures before they waste days of print time and tons of filament.

In this “case study” or super-long how-to, I’ll walk you through a scenario: Let’s imagine you have a Bambu A1 printer. You love it, but you want AI failure detection similar to what you might have had with other printers integrated with Obico. We’ll talk about using OctoPrint as a virtual “bridge,” installing plugins, setting up a camera, and linking everything to Obico’s cloud so you can watch your prints from anywhere, get notifications if something goes wrong, and even pause or stop the printer remotely. And if you’re on a higher-tier Bambu like the X1 Carbon, you might not need this as much—but it’s still super cool to have another layer of AI detection from Obico’s machine-learning setup.

I’ll also share some links to relevant GitHub repos, documentation pages, and other helpful guides.

The QIDI Plus4 is not just a 3D printer; it’s a game changer for those who want precision, reliability, and advanced features. Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, the QIDI Plus4 has features that will take your entire printing experience to the next level. Pre-installed with Klipper firmware, equipped with a heated chamber, and packed with intelligent monitoring capabilities, this amazing 3D printer ensures that your prints are accurate, consistent, and efficient.

In this article, we will go in-depth on the QIDI Plus4 features and guide you through setting up remote access and AI monitoring with Obico.

The 3D printing world has just got a new game changer: the Prusa Core One. This is not just a new printer; it’s a leap forward in design, functionality, and performance. The new CORE One printer offers a CoreXY design, active chamber temperature control, and a host of user-focused innovations. It combines speed, precision, and versatility in a sleek, compact package.

Whether you are a hobbyist looking to expand your creative possibilities, a professional engineer in need of reliable prototypes, or a teacher exploring 3D printing, the Prusa CORE One has something for everyone.

Let’s take a closer look together at what makes this new printer a true standout.

3D printing is more than a hobby; it’s a tool for innovation, design, and creativity. As technology gets better, the tools we use to optimize the print process get better. Orca Slicer is one of the best slicing software options out there for users who want precision, efficiency, and customization. One of its many features is the ability to create and manage your own filament profiles, and that’s a game changer for getting great results every time.

In this article we’ll go deep into filament profiles in Orca Slicer, what they are, why they matter, and how you can create, fine-tune, and optimize your own custom profiles for your material.

Back in 2019, I built The Spaghetti Detective. It was the first AI tool made specifically for the 3D printing community. Fast forward a few years, and we’re in the GenAI era. But there have been no GenAI apps for the 3D printing.

Well, that’s about to change. Meet JusPrin, the first GenAI app for 3D printing. No slicing. Just print.

When you first get into 3D printing, the process of turning a digital model into a physical object can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Every project starts with an idea, which is then turned into a digital 3D model that needs to go through the process of "slicing." Slicing is a crucial part of 3D printing, as it breaks down a 3D model into layers and converts them into instructions that a 3D printer can follow. But for this to be as smooth as possible, you need a good slicing tool, and that’s where Obico online slicer comes in.

Obico offers an online slicing solution that’s easy, powerful and accessible from anywhere. This makes it perfect for both beginners and advanced users who want flexibility, control, and ease of use.

In this article, we’ll go into detail about Obico’s online slicer, from its features to a step-by-step guide on how to use it. Whether you want to print functional objects or creative sculptures, we’ll take you through the entire slicing process with Obico so you can get from model to print in no time.

In the 3D printing world, the initial setup of your print is just as important as the model you’re trying to bring to life. One of the most critical and often overlooked components of this setup is the Start G-code, a set of instructions that prepares your 3D printer for the actual print. Whether you use Orca Slicer, a feature-rich slicing software that is based on Bambu Studio and PrusaSlicer, or another slicer, understanding and customizing the Start G-code can be the key to better prints and a smoother workflow.

In this article, we will go deep into what is Start G-code, why it’s important for perfect prints, how to edit it in Orca Slicer, and how to customize it for any 3D printer. We will also explain the Start G-code in the well-known Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro in Orca Slicer as an example for better understanding.

By the end of this article, you will know how Start G-code works, how to tweak it for best results, and how to use advanced techniques like Klipper macros to make your G-code simpler more readable and easier to update.

As a 3D printing enthusiast, you’ve probably faced the quality vs. speed dilemma. We’ve all been there—you’re printing a beautiful model with curves and slopes, but when it’s done, the surface is full of those telltale “stepped” layers.

That’s where adaptive layer height comes to the rescue like a superhero and saves the day by balancing speed and precision. Orca Slicer has an amazing tool to fine-tune your layer heights and get smoother prints in less time.

This guide will cover everything you need to know to master adaptive layer height and get better 3D prints.