Netherlands-based 3D printer manufacturer, Ultimaker has released a new version of its slicing software. Ultimaker Cura 3.0 will enhance the performance of Ultimaker’s 3D printers, and features an updated interface and workflow integration between industry-standard CAD applications.
The release of Cura 3.0 is the first in the series of software upgrades to enhance existing hardware. The upgrades form part of Ultimaker’s renewed upgrade strategy, announced in September 2017, which aims to make its machines “future-ready”.
Features of the new software
The Ultimaker Cura 3.0 software features CAD integration, Updated UI and UX design, new skin settings, and a faster start-up time.
As part of the CAD integration the software is also open to third-party plugins from engineering and 3D design CAD applications partnered with Ultimaker, including SOLIDWORKS and Siemens NX, which can be accessed through the plugin browser.
The software will also improve the prints themselves. In addition to reducing the start-up time by half, print control settings can be adjusted more intuitively, and the new skin settings will improve print details and reduce the density of supports.
Helping Ultimaker help its users
Paul Heiden, Senior VP of Product Management at Ultimaker, stated that the addition of plugins to Ultimaker Cura 3.0 would increase the capability of its printers and enable users to create workflows specifically tailored to their products.
Heiden added that this would help Ultimaker too, stating, “the solutions created by our partners will offer us valuable insights to the desires and needs of end-users, which will help to guide us in the continuous innovation of our entire ecosystem, from hardware to software, materials and services.”
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Featured image shows a user with the Ultimaker Cura 3.0 Interface. Photo via Ultimaker.
