Preform: Slicing

Select the Material you would like to print in here

If you are connected to the printer the material info will automatically update to what is loaded in the printer

Use the slider to match the Layer Thickness to the request

You can change the size of the part by scaling it from it's original size

Preform displays a bounding box with the maximum exterior dimensions of the part. It is normally a light blue, but is outlined in orange here for visibility

You can also set an exact dimension for one of the dimensions of the bounding box

Part size always scales proportionally, even when the bounding box dimension is altered, i.e. changing X will also change Y and Z proportionally

Preform will alert you if your part extends beyond the printers workspace

All Formlabs prints require support, and Preform optimizes the orientation for printing support

Click Auto-Orient All under orientation to automatically orient all parts on the build tray

Avoid having flat surfaces parallel to the build plate to avoid bubbles in layers and other errors

For some larger parts, the optimized orientation results in the bounding box extending outside the workspace

You are able to rotate parts about the X, Y, and Z axes of the bounding box using the circles surrounding them, allowing some larger parts to fit

Using the optimized orientation is recommended if possible

You can rotate the model an exact amount about the X, Y, and Z axes by typing a value where it says "Orient _"

Click "Auto-Generate All" or "Auto-Generate Selected" to generate supports

You can hover your mouse above the gray "i" for a brief description

Make sure "Full Raft" is chosen and "Raft Label" is selected to print a label with the model name around the edge of the raft

Density is the number of points where the supports are in contact with the model

Touchpoint size is the size of the support at the point of contact

Increasing density or touchpoint size provides more support, but makes the model harder the clean and creates more/larger surface imperfections

Internal supports create supports with both ends touching the model. This can be two outside surfaces in the first photo, or the inside of the hollow structure in the third

"Layout All" will organize the models on the tray automatically based on the Layout Settings

"Model Spacing" is the distance between the models

If "Overlap Rafts" is selected the program will allow rafts to overlap with one another

"Lock Rotation" translates the models without changing their orientation

You can make copies of a model by inputting the desired amount of copies in "Duplicate Count" the clicking "Create"

Clicking "Array Models" will take you to a menu where you can set the X and Y counts and spacing in the array, and click "Apply" to create the array

By click "Mirror Models" you can quickly flip the orientation of all models on the build plate

You can view the name of the printer (if you are connected to one), the selected resin, and layer thickness under "Printer"

You can view a print time estimate, number of layers, and print volume under "Detail"

"Printability" detects and explains any problems with the print. Green means no problem, Orange is smaller problems, and Red is a serious issue that will result in print failure.

You can view the parts on the build plate under "Model List"

To upload to a printer, select the orange Formlabs button, select a printer you are connected to, and click upload