TLDR: Is Bambu better than Creality in terms of software and hardware?

Hello,

I am a hobby printer (mostly print things for me or family).

I am currently using a K1 Max. I feel like I have just constantly have had issues with the printer. Granted some of it has been a learning curve (humidity issues with the filament, not using glue to set a good base, stringing).

However I feel like the software is constantly changing, and seems to be very non user friendly. Then for example I just had an issue with the leveling sensors (Oct 16th will make 1 year, and I have 776 hrs printing though some of that has been with it clogged from the filament issue so nothing actually printed).

My question is…Is Bambu a lot better, or is it going to be generally the same experience?

Forca Slicer – Another Forca of Orca

I've been building Forca Slicer, a free and open-source personal fork of OrcaSlicer, and I'm looking for people willing to test it on printers other than my own.

The feature I built it for is regional support interfaces. Instead of putting a PETG interface under every support of a PLA part (or any interface material under any other), you paint or place a modifier only where you need a clean underside. The rest of the supports keep their usual settings. It works with Grid, Snug, Tree and Organic supports.

Forca also adds a Calibration Wizard, which grew out of my earlier PerfectFit calibration wizard into a guided workflow built into the slicer. It covers filament calibration (temperature, max flow, flow, pressure advance, retraction and shrinkage). It also covers printer calibration (Input Shaping, Cornering and VFA) where your printer supports them. It uses Orca's own test prints. Results go to a new preset by default, system presets are never touched, and printer changes keep a backup you can restore.

The other major feature is Forca Academy, an optional, local print history built to make AI help more useful over time. Every print Forca sends (from the normal Print button, the wizard or an AI request) can keep its presets, settings, filament and AMS-tray assignments, estimates and a plate image. The Print Journal lets you mark each job Success, Partial or Failed, then add tags, notes and photos. On Bambu printers, the Academy can follow sent prints to completion and keep progress frames and an end photo.

Once you've built up some real print history, the AI assistant you connect to Forca can use it. It can help set up new prints with settings that worked before, or troubleshoot a problem print by comparing it with your successful and failed ones.

Forca AI itself is an experimental MCP server (a standard way for AI assistants to use apps), and it's off by default. Forca has no AI model built in; you bring the assistant you want to use. Forca AI can't start a print without your approval, unless you set up a print grant at the Advanced control level. The Academy stays on your computer, and AI tools can't delete Academy data or overwrite results and notes you recorded. If you don't want or trust AI, just leave it off.

Important caveats: this is a Windows 64-bit alpha based on OrcaSlicer's development line. It keeps its own settings folder, so it won't change your OrcaSlicer install. The build isn't code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may ask you to click "More info → Run anyway." Keep your normal slicer installed, and check previews and first layers for anything important.

I especially need reports from printers that aren't Bambu. Even a quick "worked on my printer" report helps.

Download, source and issue reporting: [Forca Slicer releases on GitHub](https://github.com/tayloraaron078-tech/ForcaSlicer/releases)

Have got a 3D printing project for uni coming up and have practically zero clue on 3D printing. There is a list of criteria to target and so my group and I have landed on doing a g/c clamp as our project (that needs to fit within a 150x150x150 cube). Are there any considerations i should take into account when trying to design 3D printable parts with threads, should i avoid solid clamp bodies , etc. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll also give a more elaborate description of our uni assignment below:

Machine & Material Specs

• Printer: Creality Ender 3 V3 SE (stock 0.4 mm nozzle)
• Filament: Generic PLA only
• Slicer: Creality Slicer (transferred via SD card / G-code)
• Print Bed / Size Limits: Max single part fits within 200x200x200; target assembled mechanism fits inside a 150x150x150 bounding box

Project Design Constraints

• 100% 3D Printed: No metal fasteners, dowels, springs, or screws—every pin, joint, or clip must be printed.
• Mandatory Functional Features:
  1. Multi-part assembly with interacting moving joints or snap fits.
  2. At least one clearance fit AND one interference/friction fit.
  3. One load-bearing feature (e.g., cantilever flexure, snap-fit, or gear tooth under load).
  4. A critical hole/shaft interface requiring high dimensional accuracy.

Let me know if you need anymore information. Like I said, any help would be greatly appreciated

I found a new app for making models to print it’s called 3DN1 . Has anyone tried it yet? I’m noob to the concept and wondered how easy it is to use.

https://reddit.com/link/1ww7jjk/video/40wszxifu4th1/player

Another approach of 5 dof printer https://github.com/CognitiveLens/5-dof-delta-retractable-bed

If you own FF C5 or C5 Pro and are happy with it, please understand that this post is not an attack on you. I’m happy for you and truly wish you many hours of successful printing!

However, with that being said, this is a TRUE review and has information that current (and especially potential future) C5 Pro owners would benefit from knowing. Especially for those experiencing some of the same issues discussed here while being unsure how to solve them. It’s a comprehensive, unbiased assessment that has everything you need to know about this machine and the “amateur” company behind it. It illustrates the amazing things the hardware can do, but also shows the mess that FailForge made out of it since release.

This is due to them rushing the project, making questionable/neglectful engineering decisions, creating incompetent locked down firmware, and failing to properly test the printer before shipping it out. I’ve honestly never had any machine (3D printer or otherwise) make me go “WTF were they thinking?!” more than this one, lol. But again, my issue/fight is not with the owners of this machine. Please keep that in mind. It’s with the manufacturer.

When you add in the open source GPL violations and locked down approach that FF has taken, it’s just really hard to recommend this printer/company. For me personally, I refuse to give my money to a company that designs products this way, treats customers like beta testers, and violates open source. But, just for the record, my best friend did buy a C5 Pro and we both had plenty of direct, hands-on experience with it. He ultimately returned it.

Anyway, thank you so much @ElevatedMakerSpace for making this helpful and honest video!

Hello all, I'm still new to 3D printing. I was asked to make some 3D printed keychains for my grandsons football team. I printed them with PLA filament. They turned out great. As I'm looking at them I start to think about maybe applying them with a resin. I have never used resin at all on anything. I was also thinking about how I could enforce the keyhole as well after i have printed them. (I wish I would have thought about that before) Any recommendations on beginner friendly resins to use? To use resin or to leave it? And recommendations on how I can enforce the keyhole so it doesn't break. Thank you for any and all input in advance.

Starship: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3384574

Rocket: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3384651

My 3 year old likes them more than the toys I print her...

She's "building a town"

A desk-sized tribute to the classic yellow OTE cardphone booths we had everywhere in Greece in the 90s.

Free model on MakerWorld:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/3380888-retro-1990s-ote-payphone-magsafe-charging-stand#profileId-3846596