4 Best Slicer/Software for Resin 3D Printers
If you have been resin 3D printing, you might also wonder which slicer is the best for resin 3D printing since they don’t work the same with filament slicers.
This article will go through some of the best slicers that you can get for your resin 3D printer to give you the best opportunity for success.
1. Lychee Slicer
The Lychee Slicer is quite new on the scene when compared to other original resin slicers, but because of this, they had a great framework to work from. Mango3D created this advanced slicer software which is compatible with almost all LCD and DLP 3D printers.
It’s free to use, though it has a Pro version which allows you some extra capabilities in terms of functionality, as well as being able to skip the 20-second ad for each export of a sliced file.
For all the features you’re getting, as well as the functionality of the software itself, the ads aren’t very bothersome.
You may be wondering, just how much is this Pro version you speak of? At the time of writing, it will set you back a respectable €2.49 per month with their yearly subscription.
They even give you a chance to use this slicer for 1 month on trial basis, so you can figure out whether its for you. I’d definitely recommend it if you are into resin 3D printing.
The Pro version gives you the following features:
- All the function of the Free edition of Lychee Slicer
- No advertising before slicing
- Advanced support editing mode (IK type)
- Multiple options for supports managements (tips, base, shapes, etc.)
- Ball-type for supports tips
- 3D hollowing and hole punching at speed
- More raft types
- Pixel perfect mode
- Variable layers
- Over-exposed supports
- 3D Measurements
- Automatic 3D Model replacement
- And more!
This slicer brings many high-quality functionalities such as creating 3D print models, adding supports by using automatic or manual settings, automatically creating the media, setting print orientation, and many more.
The Lychee Slicer can help you with most of the SLA 3D printers such as those Anycubic Photons, Elegoo Mars/Saturn printers, and plenty more out there so give it a go today.
Lychee Slicer helps you to design and build your 3D models easily, slice them with high precision, and provide you with a lot of amazing features including an island detector and real-time visualization of your print.
Download and try the Lychee Slicer today.
Major Features of the Lychee Slicer
- User-Friendly Interface
- Algorithms for Automatic Supports
- Manual Supports
- Supports Many Languages
- Automatic Print Orientation
- Clipping Mode for Real-Time Visualization of the Print
- Built-in NetFabb model-repairing abilities
Pros of the Lychee Slicer
- It analyzes the model and suggest changes that can improve your 3D printing model.
- Fully-automatic means that it can automatically set the print orientation and create its media as well.
- Supports numerous 3D printers including ELEGOO Mars, Anycubic Photon S, Longer Orange 30, and many more.
- Provide users with maximum control over the operations.
- Fast and high accurate algorithms for better slicing and successful 3D printing.
- For auto supporting, just click on the “Generate Automatic Supports” and the slicer will add supports where they are necessary.
- You can set the density of the supports between low, medium, high, and ultra-high.
- Regular updates quickly such as taking on the Anycubic Photon Mono X file type before any other slicer!
Cons of the Lychee Slicer
- Number of features can get overwhelming at first, but it gets easier with a few tutorials
- You will have to buy its PRO version after one month of trial.
2. PrusaSlicer
PrusaSlicer is well-reputed and considered one of the best LCD and DLP slicer. The slicer facilitates 3D printer users with various amazing functions and features allowing you to easily scale, rotate, and slice the models with high efficiency.
When this slicer first entered the scene, many people looked at it with intrigue and wonder, but it was missing many features.
After much tweaking and upgrades, the PrusaSlicer is a well-respected, top of the range slicer that help you slice your prints like a professional.
Due to its frequent updates, PrusaSlicer is a complete software that includes almost all the features you need for optimal 3D printing.
Users can add supports with one click using the automatic button. The slicer has the “Points” mode that allows the user to manually edit or alter the auto-added supports if needed.
Their supports are especially loved by users, with their unique rafts and large amount of supports to ensure that your models print nicely, from start to finish.
Major Features of the PrusaSlicer
- Open Source and Completely Free
- The Simplest User Interface & Slicing Process
- Smooth Variable Layer Height
- Supports Different Types of Printing Materials (Filament & Resin)
- Supports 14 Languages
- Custom & Auto-Generated Supports
- Auto-Updating Profiles
- Color Print
Pros of the PrusaSlicer
- Years of experience in the printing industry are applied in the slicer’s upgrades.
- The slicer allows the user to control all the printer’s operation through the web browser with its Octoprint application.
- One of the most used slicers by a large group of 3D printer users which show its reliability and efficiency.
- The slicer is capable of using modifier meshes using its powerful tools.
- Available for Windows, Mac, and Linus as well.
- Allows you to save all your necessary parameters, customizations, and settings in a file so that you can use them in the future.
- Support STL file exporting.
Cons of the PrusaSlicer
- The user interface comes with a less modern, older style look which can be boring for some users.
- Navigating through this slicer can be confusing and tricky at times
3. ChiTuBox Slicer
ChiTuBox is a free, powerful, and easy to use 3D printing slicer software. It’s simple and easy to understand user interface makes it convenient for beginners and allows them to use its features without any hassle.
This slicer has jaw-dropping capability when it comes to multiprocessing, and you will realize this at the time of uploading 3D models, slicing models, and adding supports to the models.
When I first got my resin 3D printer, I thought I was stuck with the clunky slicer called the Anycubic Photon Workshop, the proprietary software that is used with Anycubic brands of resin machines.
Luckily, with a bit of research I ran into the ChiTuBox Slicer, which could handle models a lot easier and cleaner. I had many crashes when using the Photon Workshop, but after changing over, those crashes ceased to exist!
I think the best thing about ChiTuBox is the speed and easy navigation you get with it.
Lychee Slicer and PrusaSlicer feel like they have larger learning curves, especially when you are a complete beginner to 3D printing and haven’t touched an FDM filament printer before.
They do have many useful features that you can enjoy in your 3D printing journey.
In addition to its one-click support generating features, it provides many other features such as rotating, scaling, mirroring, hollowing, etc.
The slicer allows you to preview the model in a layer-by-layer view so that it can analyze the printing process and see if there is any improvement needed.
Major Features of the ChiTuBox
- Very Fast Slicing Speed
- Auto Arrange Feature
- Efficient UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface)
- Supports STL files
- Auto-Generate Supports
- Supports 13 Languages
- Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux
Pros of the ChiTuBox
- It has the capabilities of solid supports generation with perfect density.
- Includes hollowing command for hole creation purposes.
- Includes a “List” feature to provide an easier workflow while working with multiple models
- With the auto-arrange feature, it can arrange the models on the build plate perfectly.
- ChiTuBox slicer is compatible with almost all types of resin 3D printers.
Cons of the ChiTuBox
- You are required to create an account in order to download the slicer.
- Design looks quite boring and monotone, but gets the job done nicely
4. MeshMixer
Meshmixer is a free 3D printing software that allows the users to easily create, correct, and modify your 3D print models.
Depending on its existing volume, features, and easy to use tools, it is an ideal choice for creating 3D models properly with high precision.
Unlike the common CAD models, the 3D polygon mesh models are represented by the infinity of vertices, faces, and edges that can ultimately define the spatial shape or occupying space of the 3D models.
This great Teaching Tech video goes into a tutorial on how to merge some CAD files from Thingiverse to 3D print.
Common CAD software that are widely used by 3D printer users may not be able to represent the models in meshes and this is the point where MeshMixer is utilized.
This is a unique software that not only have several features that you’ll find in common slicer software, but also the other meshing properties for its main use.
Major Features of the MeshMixer
- Hollowing or Holes Creation
- Drag and Drop Mesh Mixer to Join Objects
- Auto Surface Alignment
- 3D Surface Stamping and Sculpting
- 3D Patterns and Lattices
- Branching Support Structure
- Hole Filling and Bridging
- Mirroring and Auto Repair
- Precise 3D Positioning with Axis
- Mesh Smoothing
- Available for Windows and macOS
Pros of the MeshMixer
- Easy to use and operate
- It can easily handle/machine the large model without any hassle
- Comes with an efficient support structure processing
- It is extremely reliable and perfect for hollowing or hole creation tasks
Cons of the MeshMixer
- It is not able to create G-Codes for the common SLA 3D printers
- May require a moderate level graphics card for heavy processing