My own add on for Orca Slicer and quick print w/extras

[skcncx]

Thanks to the community and especially @bolsover adventures for creating a C# based add on I could learn from. I've been able to relatively easily cobble together an add on using VS w/C# to add a quick Orca Slicer tab and button to auto export my part to STEP and automatically open it in OrcaSlicer for printing.

I know other's have done this but I wanted to give it a try myself and I plan to bake in a few extra features I'd prefer for my work flow. I was frustrated initially the the cumbersome process of exporting (and it never defaulted to a logical folder... I.E. not the same folder my part was in) and then navigating to the windows folder to open my STEP export into orca slicer. When you repeat this process a lot I wanted to grease the wheel. A custom add on for Atom3D is a really fantastic option. Kudos for Alibre allowing custom add ons.

For the moment, I'm proceeding with Atom3D, after trial usage in design expert, and an easy upgrade in future, I think I can live with Atom3D. Plus I don't even have the experience to utilize and know how to leverage the fancier sketching and part design tools .. the script options though were not possible, plus I like the OEM feel of the add on button/menu options.

Since I don't every really care about the STEP export file, other than getting it into a 3MF file for orca slicer to package up the model and all print settings, I'm going to augment this addon to just create/edit the 3MF file and delete the intermediate STEP export file. If I tweaked any particular print settings, it'll retain those but have the new model replaced in 3MF file. I've even thought about the print dialog add on I could influence some print parameters... but likely just better to leave to up to the slicer.

One of the features I needed, because I constantly exported my model but not in the fully generated state is the print dialog (not seen in pic) will have a check box or two buttons that allows me to easily (not forget) to export my fully generated model before going to the print process setup and realize I forgot the regen to last feature/all option.




I have lots to cleanup and allow for some configurable settings and just giving thought to how things are named... I'm pretty pleased it's up and working and seeing the benefit of it. Even with a few paths hard coded at the moment in the addon dll.

 

[skcncx]

More tweaking my 3D export to step >> launch orca slicer >> slice & print.

I added in 3mf template print slicer settings and checkbox to generate all... if that's not the current state my part is in.

I originally wanted to package up my own 3MF file. It's possible but more effort than I cared for. "Good enough" is good for now.

I found that you can use an empty (or not) orca slicer 3mf file as your template. This will contain all your slicer settings. Even if the 3mf template has a model included (from your last print) it still works, you just get slightly different behavior on load and saving any changes.

Launching this command tells orca slicer to run, use the 3mf as your default settings and add the STEP model file to it.

c:\parthto\orca-slicer.exe "c:\pathto\template.3mf" "c:\pathto\mypart.stp"

No UI awards won here and the text is mainly gratuitous but just shows the 3 files that it sees. The 3mf file may not be there yet or if you didn't don't save it after first launch. Many small prints, all the defaults are fine and I don't want a lingering 3mf file anyway.





I'm using a very simple naming convention based on my part file name and location.


After the first launch you just save the 3mf. Remove your model first. If you don't clear your model, the next time you launch this from Alibre it just adds a second model for you. You'll have to clear the one you don't want. Orca acts different when saving if you launched it from an empty 3mf or one that has model. If you launched orca from an empty model 3mf, save acts like "Save As..." and are prompted for a new file location. If the 3mf already had a model, save just saves it over the 3mf that was used to launch it. If you are in the first scenario, launching orca using an empty 3mf file and you made filament/slicing changes, clear your model, press save and re-pick your base file when it asks for save as file location. Now you have an updated settings files for your next round of part changes and print cycle.


You will get this prompt if Orca Slicer launches from a 3mf file with no models in it already... just click yes and your new model as the last parameter the add on sent will then be added.



With all that...
This is not the most robust experience and I'm banking on behavior that orca provides with some very simple command line arguments.... if that changes in the future this won't work as nicely. Though, the couple orca slicer command line arguments seem pretty basic... so I don't anticipate any changes.

If anyone made it this far, I can provide my code and or the 3 files to place in the add on folder if you want it. I still have the path to orca slicer hard coded... but can easily put that in a config file.