Prusa Slicer: Settings

[last updated: 2023-06-26]
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• What are Settings?
  In Prusa Slicer, there are 3 different "Settings"
  They are: Print Settings, Filament Settings, and Printer Settings.
  They must be configured in the slicer software in preparation for slicing and generating gCode.
  Each "setting" is really several pages of many individual parameter settings,
  as well as gCode that will be executed at various times during the print (Start, End, etc.)
  • Print Settings specify parameters like layer height, infill, movement speeds, skirt & brim details, etc.
  • Filament Settings specify filament size and other properties, print temperatures, etc.
  • Printer Settings specify printer hardware and software details, custom gCode for Start, End, Before-Layer-Change, After-Layer-Change, ..., etc.
• View presets/settings:
  • In Prusa Slicer, notice the second menu bar at the top: Plater, Print Settings, Filament Settings, and Printer Settings.
    Clicking on Platter returns you to viewing your imported model on the print bed.
  • If you click Print Settings, for example, you'll see a list of parameters and their values in the center/body of the page,
    and a left side-bar menu with "Layers and Perimeters", "Infill", and other items,
    each of which will open a page of parameters associated with its category.
  • You can view or change any of the parameters shown (see below).
• System presets:
  • The Prusa Slicer comes bundled with default settings for your specific model of printer, as well as different filaments and quality desired.
    On my Mk3, the system presets for Print Settings are named for example:
        0.15mm SPEED @MK3
        -or- 0.07mm ULTRADETAIL @MK3
  • If the system presets work for you, then no problem:
    Pick the factory default settings that most closely match your needs:
    • for Print settings, pick the system preset that matches your printer model and the layer-height/quality desired.
    • for Filament settings, pick the system preset that matches the filament brand and material that you're using.
    • for Printer settings, pick the system preset that matches your printer model and nozzle size.
  • But if you want to tweak the settings for any reason, you can do so.
    Just make whatever changes you want, and they will be active when you slice.
  • If you want to re-use your tweaks in the future, you can save them to a Custom User Preset.

• Custom User Presets:   can be created by editing the default settings and saving to a new file.
  • If you go to any of the Settings pages (click Print, Filament, or Printer on the top menu bar),
    you will see the parameters included in that Setting.
    Select the parameter category you want on the left side-bar menu.
  • Make whatever changes you want.
  • Separate user preset files are saved for each of the main settings (print, filament, & printer).

  • Notice that the box where the parameter value is listed has a little padlock to the left of the field.
    The padlock will either be grey and locked, or orange and unlocked.
    • If it's grey and locked, it indicates that the value listed in the box is unchanged from the saved version.
    • If it's orange/unlocked, that tells you that you've changed a parameter but have not saved it.
  • There is a box at the top left that shows the name of the Setting file that is currently selected.
    If the name is followed by "(modified)", that tells you that you've made changes that have not been saved.
        You don't have to save your changes. Saved or not, parameter values that are selected on the settings page will be active in the slice.
        But if you might want to reuse the edited settings you've done, then save it.

  • Custom g-Code can be specified: (see link above)
    • On Filament settings page, you can specify custom gCode in the Start and End sections.
      This means your custom code will run at the very start and at the end of the printing.
    • On the Printer settings page, you can specify custom gCode to run at Start, End, Before-Layer-Change, After-Layer-Change, and at Tool-change (for CNC)
      (Both Flament and Printer settings pages have sections for custom gCode in Start and End sections.
      No clue why you'd put custom Start gCode in Filament settings vs. Printer settings.)
    • I have used custom gCode After-layer to pause and beep at a specified layer to allow filament change or inserting embedded parts.
      I have used custom code at End to beep to signal the print is finished.
      I have used custom gCode at Start to make a longer Intro line

  • Save Custom Presets:
    If you do choose to save your changes into a "user setting" file, click on the floppy disk icon to the right of the setting name field.
    You will be prompted to name it.
    The system will save your custom settings in a file with that name, with a .ini extension.
    It will be saved in
        ~/.config/PrusaSlicer/...
        in sub-folders: print, filament, or printer.
  • Selecting/Recalling/Restoring saved User Presets:
    Your user-defined setting will be loaded from the .ini file and available as an option whenever you open PS,
    and you can select and use your choice of settings (whether factory default or user-defined)
    from the drop-down to the right of the field at the very top left of each settings page.

  • Gotcha:
    • As of PS 2.4, your saved custom user presets are LOST when you do a slicer version upgrade.
    • One way to preserve them:
      find your .ini files (on my system in /.config/PrusaSlicer/print & .../filament & .../printer) and save them to folders outside the PS config folder.
    • To restore/reload them...
      Copy your saved .ini files back to the ~/.config/PrusaSlicer/[settings folder],
      Then in PS, file --> import --> import config
    • OR [un-tested...] BEFORE doing the upgrade, file --> export --> export config bundle
      Then, after the upgrade: file --> import --> import config bundle
    • Disclaimer: These instructions are sketchy and incomplete at best...

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  • To recap, when you save a "user defined" setting for Print, Filament, or Printer,
    it will include your desired parameter values (temperatures, speed, etc.),
    as well as any custom code you've written to be executed at start, end, etc.

  • Your user-defined setting will be loaded as an option whenever you open PS,
    and you can select and use your choice of settings (whether factory default or user-defined)
    from the drop-down to the right of the field at the very top left of each settings page.
  • When I save my user-defined settings, I name them eg.
        JR-P-xx for Print settings
        JR-F-PET-xx for Filament setings
        and JR-Pr-xx for Printer settings

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  see: ...mstrWorkingFiles/Tech/3Dprinting/Prusa/software/...
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