Orca Slicer is one of the most popular 3D printing slicers in the 3D printing community due to its rich feature set, clean design, and ease of use. But where did Orca Slicer come from? Is it safe to use? Who made it? Is it related to Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, or Slic3r? And how do I download it? Let’s answer those questions!
Who Created Orca Slicer?
The history behind Orca Slicer is fascinating.
Orca Slicer is an open-source project created by GitHub user SoftFever. SoftFever released the first version on July 16th, 2022, and it has rapidly become one of the go-to slicers for the 3D printing community. One of the biggest reasons is SoftFever’s responsiveness to the community, Orcas Slicer’s clean interface, and the removal of many Bambu Studio features from the slicer.
Is Orca Slicer Bambu Studio or PrusaSlicer?
Orca Slicer is a fork of Bambu Studio, which is a fork of PrusaSlicer, which is a fork of Slic3r!
A “fork” is a term used in computer science to describe a code base that has split from the original. The “forked” code base might pull updates from the forked base code or continue on standalone.
Bambu Lab launched Bambu Studio to accompany their line of 3D printers. Bambu Studio will work with any 3D printer, not just Bambu Lab 3D printers, but it integrates many features designed for Bambu Lab 3D printers. Bambu Studio became popular because it took the powerful features of PrusaSlicer and added a new, clean, web-based UI. The new UI made the slicer easier for entry-level users but still exposed the advanced features pro 3D printing users want.
PrusaSlicer was created from Sli3r. PrusaSlicer is a powerhouse slicer still developed by Prusa Research; it receives regular updates that add better UI and new features. PrusaSlicer became popular because it took the power of Slic3r software and added an easier-to-use UI on top of the raw slicer features. Unlike Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer focuses its features on tools that help the entire 3D printing community, not just users of Prusa Research 3D printers.
Finally, Slic3r is one of the oldest and original slicers for 3D printing. Developed by the Slic3r team, It invented many of the modern 3D printing slicing techniques used today. Slic3r is still an active product and continues to add cutting-edge features and innovations in the 3D printing slicer space today.
So how do all Slic3r, PrusaSlicer, and Bambu Studio combine into Ocrca Slicer? As the other slicers did in the past, Orca Slicer took the new and innovative work built in Bambu Studio and added even more. Beyond adding new features,
Do You Need A Bambu Lab or Bambu Studio Account To Use Orca Slicer?
You do not need a Bambu Lab account to use Orca Slicer. One of the significant reasons Orca Slicer became popular was that you could use the full powerful feature set of Bambu Studio without needing to log in to a Bambu Lab account or send any data to Bambu Lab. You can log in to your Bambu Lab account to use Orca Slicer with a Bambu Lab printer, like the Bamb Lab X1, P1, or A1 series or printers, but it’s not required.
Bambu Lab makes incredible 3D printers, but some have criticized the company for its poor 3D printer security and transparency.
Is Orca Slicer safe to use?
Yes! Orca Slicer is one of the top slicers used by the 3D printing community. SoftFever is a fantastic developer active in the Orca Slicer community and very responsive to concerns. The 3D printing community recommends Orcas Slicer for new and advanced users due to its ease of use, open-source nature, and powerful features.
How Do I Download & Get Started With Orca Slicer?
Orca Slicer can be downloaded directly from the GitHub repo. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Setup is a breeze, and the user interface will guide you through the setup of your 3D printer. For more tips, check out our guide on How To Use Orca Studio.
