Cura (software)

Last updated
Cura
Developer(s) David Braam, Ultimaker
Stable release
5.6.0 [1]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 28 November 2023
Preview release
5.7.0 beta 1 [2]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 16 March 2024
Repository https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura
Written in C++, Python, QML
Operating system Windows, macOS, Linux
Available in15 languages
List of languages
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Finnish, Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Type 3D printer slicing application
License Free and open-source LGPLv3
Website ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura

Cura is an open source slicing application for 3D printers. [3] It was created by David Braam who was later employed by Ultimaker, a 3D printer manufacturing company, to maintain the software. Cura is available under LGPLv3 license. [4] Cura was initially released under the open source Affero General Public License version 3, but on 28 September 2017 the license was changed to LGPLv3. [5] This change allowed for more integration with third-party CAD applications. [6] Development is hosted on GitHub. [4] Ultimaker Cura is used by over one million users worldwide and handles 1.4 million print jobs per week. It is the preferred 3D printing software for Ultimaker 3D printers, but it can be used with other printers as well. [7] [6] [8]

Contents

Technical specifications

View of STL file in Ultimaker Cura Zamenhof Bust in CURA cropped screenshot.png
View of STL file in Ultimaker Cura

Ultimaker Cura works by slicing the user’s model file into layers and generating a printer-specific g-code. Once finished, the g-code can be sent to the printer for the manufacture of the physical object. [9]

The open source software, compatible with most desktop 3D printers, can work with files in the most common 3D formats such as STL, OBJ, X3D, 3MF as well as image file formats such as BMP, GIF, JPG, and PNG. [9]

Major software versions

Plugins

Screen of Cura on an Apple Macbook Air 2008-2017 Cura software.jpg
Screen of Cura on an Apple Macbook Air 2008-2017

Release 3.0 introduced plugin capability. Users can develop their own plugins or use plugins commercially available. Plugins simplify workflow for users by allowing them to quickly perform tasks like opening a file from a menu or exporting a file from an application. [20] Starting with Release 4.0, users can rate plugins using a star system. [17]

Current plugins include: SolidWorks, Siemens NX, HP 3D Scanning, MakePrintable, Autodesk Inventor. [21] [22] [23] [24]

Media coverage

On August 31, 2014, Cura was included in a review of 3D slicing software by Think3DPrint3D. [25]

In the summer of 2015, Ultimaker released Cura 2.0. [26] [27] [28]

On January 1, 2018, All3DP named Cura one of the best 3D slicer software tools. [9]

In 2019, Cura was named one of the top free 3D printing tools by the industry blog, G2. [29]

Cura was named Software Tool of the Year at the international 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards ceremony [30] in London.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STL (file format)</span> Standard Tessellation Language. File format for 3D printing and scanning applications.

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. Chuck Hull, the inventor of stereolithography and 3D Systems’ founder, reports that the file extension is an abbreviation for stereolithography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MakerBot</span> American desktop 3D printer manufacturer company

MakerBot Industries, LLC was an American desktop 3D printer manufacturer company headquartered in New York City. It was founded in January 2009 by Bre Pettis, Adam Mayer, and Zach "Hoeken" Smith to build on the early progress of the RepRap Project. It was acquired by Stratasys in June 2013. As of April 2016, MakerBot had sold over 100,000 desktop 3D printers worldwide. Between 2009 and 2019, the company released 7 generations of 3D printers, ending with the METHOD and METHOD X. It was at one point the leader of the desktop market with an important presence in the media, but its market share declined over the late 2010s. MakerBot also founded and operated Thingiverse, the largest online 3D printing community and file repository. In August 2022, the company completed a merger with its long-time competitor Ultimaker. The combined company is known as UltiMaker, but retains the MakerBot name for its Sketch line of education-focused 3D printers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thingiverse</span> Design-sharing website

Thingiverse is a website dedicated to the sharing of user-created digital design files. Providing primarily free, open-source hardware designs licensed under the GNU General Public License or Creative Commons licenses, the site allows contributors to select a user license type for the designs that they share. 3D printers, laser cutters, milling machines and many other technologies can be used to physically create the files shared by the users on Thingiverse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shapeways</span> New York-based 3D printing marketplace and service

Shapeways, Inc. was a global, 3D printing marketplace and service, publicly traded company. Users design and upload 3D printable files, and Shapeways prints the objects for them or others. 3D printing resources are available for university students, faculty, and educators with an .EDU email

Printrbot is a 3D printer company created by Brook Drumm in 2011 and originally funded through Kickstarter. Printrbot printers use fused deposition modelling to manufacture 3-dimensional artifacts.

MatterHackers is an Orange County-based company founded in 2012 that supplies and sells 3D printing materials and tools. MatterHackers is developing their 3D printer control software, MatterControl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimaker</span> Dutch 3D printer manufacturer

Ultimaker is a 3D printer-manufacturing company based in the Netherlands, with offices and assembly lines in the US. They make fused filament fabrication 3D printers, develop 3D printing software, and sell branded 3D printing materials. Their product line includes the Ultimaker S5 and S3, Ultimaker 3 series, Ultimaker 2+ series and Ultimaker Original+. These products are used by industries such as automotive, architecture, healthcare, education, and small scale manufacturing.

A 3D printing marketplace is a website where users buy, sell and freely share digital 3D printable files for use on 3D printers. They sometimes also offer the ability to print the models and ship them to customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3D, LLC</span> American manufacturer of 3D printers

M3D, LLC is an American manufacturer of 3D printers in Fulton, Maryland. The company's flagship product is the "Micro 3D" or "Micro".

MyMiniFactory is a file 3D printable object-sharing platform where 3D printers can share their design and ideas. It was founded in 2013 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The online platform hosts digital creators with a primary focus on hobbyist with an interest in 3D printing.

3D Slash is a 3D modeling software application produced by Sylvain Huet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AstroPrint</span>

AstroPrint is a cloud platform and application marketplace designed for consumer 3D printing by 3DaGoGo Inc., a private San Diego-based technology company.

Artec 3D is a developer and manufacturer of 3D scanning hardware and software. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg, with offices also in the United States, China (Shanghai) and Montenegro (Bar). Artec 3D's products and services are used in various industries, including engineering, healthcare, media and design, entertainment, education, fashion and historic preservation. In 2013, Artec 3D launched an automated full-body 3D scanning system, Shapify.me, that creates 3D portraits called “Shapies.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prusa i3</span> 3D printer product line and related designs

The Prusa i3 is a family of fused deposition modeling 3D printers, manufactured by Czech company Prusa Research under the trademarked name Original Prusa i3. Part of the RepRap project, Prusa i3 printers were called the most used 3D printer in the world in 2016. The first Prusa i3 was designed by Josef Průša in 2012, and was released as a commercial kit product in 2015. The latest model is available in both kit and factory assembled versions. The Prusa i3's comparable low cost and ease of construction and modification made it popular in education and with hobbyists and professionals, with the Prusa i3 model MK2 printer receiving several awards in 2016.

3YourMind is a Berlin-based 3D printing software company, founded by Aleksander Ciszek and Stephan Kuehr. The company was launched in 2014.

Marlin is open source firmware originally designed for RepRap project FDM 3D printers using the Arduino platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OctoPrint</span>

OctoPrint is an open source 3D printer controller application, which provides a web interface for the connected printers. It displays printers' status and key parameters and allows user to schedule prints and remotely control the printer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prusa Mini</span> Czech open-source fused deposition modelling 3D printer

The Prusa Mini, stylized as the Original Prusa MINI, is an open-source fused deposition modeling 3D printer that is manufactured by the Czech company Prusa Research. The printer is the lowest cost machine produced by Prusa Research and is designed as a first printer or as part of a 'print farm'.

Markforged is an American public additive manufacturing company that designs, develops, and manufactures The Digital Forge — an industrial platform of 3D printers, software and materials that enables manufacturers to print parts at the point-of-need. The company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the Greater Boston Area. Markforged was founded by Gregory Mark and the chief technology officer (CTO) David Benhaim in 2013. It produced the first 3D printers capable of printing continuous carbon fiber reinforcement and utilizes a cloud architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polar Cloud</span>

The Polar Cloud is an American software platform for 3D printers that is owned and operated by Polar3D, LLC. The platform was launched in March 2017 and is now home to over 500,000 users in 160 countries. The platform is home to several programs and initiatives, including the Boys & Girls Club of America, GE's Additive Education Program, and a COVID-19 Mask Making effort.

References

  1. ↑ "UltiMaker Cura 5.6.0".
  2. ↑ "UltiMaker Cura 5.7.0-beta.1".
  3. ↑ "Cura home page". Ultimaker. Ultimaker. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Cura Github development page". GitHub. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Changing AGPLv3 to LGPLv3". GitHub. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Ultimaker Cura and Cura Connect launch at TCT 2017" . Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  7. ↑ "Which 3rd party printers are supported?". Ultimaker. Ultimaker. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  8. ↑ MANUFACTUR3D (2019-07-01). "Ultimaker Moves to New Headquarters as Company Expands on Global Scale". MANUFACTUR3D. Retrieved 2019-07-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 3 "17 Best 3D Slicer Software Tools for 3D Printers (Most are Free) | All3DP". All3DP. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  10. ↑ "Cura 2.1.2 has been released".
  11. ↑ "Cura 2.3 Update: New Features, Major Improvements on the 3D Slicer | All3DP". All3DP. 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  12. ↑ "Ultimaker launches Cura 3.0 slicing software" . Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  13. ↑ Davies, Sam (2017-11-07). "Ultimaker announces availability of Cura Connect". TCT Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  14. ↑ Watkin, Hanna (2018-10-09). "Cura 3.5 Update: New Slicing Features and Improved UX | All3DP". All3DP. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  15. ↑ "Ultimaker Announces Alliance Partnership Program for Engineering Materials at RAPID | 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing". 3dprint.com. 2018-04-24. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  16. ↑ Griffiths, Laura (2018-11-15). "Ultimaker introduces optimised 3D printing material profiles for BASF, Clariant, DuPont and more". TCT Magazine. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  17. 1 2 "Ultimaker Cura 4.0 Released with Improved User Interface and Updated Custom Mode Panel". All3DP. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  18. ↑ "Get ready for a breakthrough in 3D printing with Ultimaker Cura 5.0 beta". Ultimaker.com. 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  19. ↑ "Ultimaker Cura 5.0 stable release". Ultimaker.com. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  20. ↑ "Cura 3.0 Brings Shiny UI, Fractal Infill Patterns, and 3rd Party Plugins | All3DP". All3DP. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  21. ↑ 4DR, DEVELOP3D, X3D Media Ltd. 465C Hornsey Road, 1st floor, Unit 7, London N19 (27 September 2017). "DEVELOP3D blog - Ultimaker Cura software adds 3rd-party CAD integration and 3D print farm management". DEVELOP3D. Retrieved 2018-05-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "MakePrintable Integrates with Cura — MakePrintable.com". MakePrintable.com. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  23. ↑ Davies, Sam (2018-03-15). "Ultimaker integrates HP 3D scanning technology with Cura 3D printing software". TCT Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  24. ↑ "5 Must-Have Cura Plugins to Pimp Your Printing". All3DP. 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  25. ↑ "Slicing software printed support review - evaluating Slic3r, Cura and Meshmixer". blog.think3dprint3d.com. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  26. ↑ "Cura Gets a Facelift: Ultimaker Releases Overhaul on Cura Software | 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing". 3dprint.com. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  27. ↑ "Ultimaker releases the latest version of their free Cura software". 3ders.org. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  28. ↑ "Big Updates for 3D Printing Slicers | Make". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  29. ↑ Gigante, Michael. "8 Best Free 3D Printing Software to Try in 2019". learn.g2.com. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  30. ↑ "2019 3D Printing Industry Awards winners announced". 3D Printing Industry. 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
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