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Custom mode

 

In Ultimaker Cura there are two modes available in the settings panel: recommended and custom. The recommended mode is perfect for beginners, while the custom mode offers more settings for experienced users. On the first use page we explained how slicing in the recommended mode works; on this page, we explain how to use the custom mode.

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Profile

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Depending on your machine, print core and material setup, a variety of profiles are available to print out of the box. These profiles are a perfect start point to base your own custom profiles on. These profiles are anywhere between 'extra fine' and 'sprint' and provide variable layer heights, print speeds, and many more settings.

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Based on the selected printer, nozzle size and material Ultimaker Cura will automatically update each profile with the right settings. Please note that not all profiles will be visible for each nozzle size. With a 0.8 mm nozzle it is for example not possible to print at 'extra fine' quality and with a 0.25 mm nozzle you can’t use the 'sprint' profile.

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The search bar

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The custom mode features a search bar to easily access new settings or to filter the currently visible settings to your needs:

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  • This input field (1) can be used at all times to filter and search for settings

  • Dark settings (2) are visible, even without the filter

  • Light settings (3) are visible now, but only because it is currently filtered on

  • Ensure the 'custom' mode (4) is active

  • Choose a base profile (5) to customize here

  • Click the 'cross' (6) to clear the filer

  • 'Right click' a setting (7) to have 3 options; Copy the value to all extruders, hide/show the setting or go to the settings preferences

CustomSearchBar.png

Adjusted, hidden and calculated settings

 

The settings in Ultimaker Cura sometimes show indicator icons. The meaning of these icons are explained here:

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  • The reset icon (1) indicates that this setting has been adjusted manually, and does no longer correspond to the profile setting. Click the icon to set the value back to the profile setting

  • The calculated setting icon (2) indicates that the value was calculated by Ultimaker Cura, but is now overwritten by an absolute value. Click the icon to change the value back to the calculated value

  • The chain icon (3) indicates that the value set here is synchronized for all extruders. It is only visible on dual extruder machines

  • If an input is greyed out (4), it means that the value is overwritten by values in its child settings

  • The settings icon (5) can be used to configure setting visibility settings

  • The info icon (6) indicates a user-customized setting is hidden. Click the icon to unhide it

  • The category arrow (7) can be used to view or hide all category settings

CustomModeIcons.png

Settings

 

The settings in the side panel are divided in categories, so you can easily navigate through it. These are the available categories:

  • Machine: Machine related settings

  • Quality: Settings that define the (visual) quality of the print

  • Shell: Settings related to the outside of the print

  • Infill: All settings that have to do with the inside of the print

  • Material: Material related settings

  • Speed: Speeds at which the print head moves while printing

  • Travel: How the print head behaves during travel moves

  • Cooling: Settings that define how the plastic is cooled

  • Support: Options for printing with support structures

  • Platform adhesion: Defines the adhesion of your model to the build plate

  • Mesh fixes: Options for fixing faults in models

  • Special modes: Features that influence the way of printing

  • Experimental: Experimental new features

 

All categories can be (un)folded by clicking on the arrow icon at the right side, which reveals the available settings. Ultimaker Cura shows a selection of most common settings by default, but it’s possible to adjust the visibility of settings to your own preferences. To change the settings visibility take the following steps:

 

  1. Go to Preferences > Settings or click on the gear icon of one of the categories

  2. Select or deselect the settings you want to have displayed in the sidebar

 

Furthermore, all settings have tooltips, providing a short description of each setting's functionality.

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