I didn't see this thread until afterI started another thread about slicer. So I'm assuming it's not Slic3r the software I'm using now for my 3-d printer. Dbfletcher-- I've never used netfabb but I'll have to try it out.
thanks.
FXP
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Designer 1.187
Homemade CNC machine
Homemade 3-d printer
Netfabb basic doesn't give you the tilt and rotate capabilities of the slicing plane that Slicer has. You can only slice in one axis direction at a time. The pay version of Netfabb, that gives you some of Slicer's functions, is about $350. It's a British company so the price is in pounds and fluctuates a little now and then. Slicer is mainly designed for CNC use and its tools lend itself to that application the best, though 3D printers can definitely utilize the same tools to make larger assemblies. As this software progresses, we have plans to add many more functions to it to enhance its use.
Does Slicer?Netfabb won't make you a ptn.
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All I will say is I don't really agree with Joe's synopsis (you absolutely can slice in any arbitrary plane... you may just have to be a little creative to get there-- rotate the object instead of rotating the plane). I would just recommend any users who are interested in buying slicer, to try the free options out there first (netfabb being just one of them). I don't own slicer so I cant do a side by side comparison, but I do own the STL importer. From personal experience I haven't run into a situation that I couldn't solve with netfabb and/or other tools. Meshlab is another great program for manipulating STL's/
Doug Fletcher
You don't have to own it to try it...I don't own slicer