Why are all settings in "Quality" & "Material"



  • I understand the motivation to have distinct "quality" "material" settings. But you can edit all settings in either one, so what's the point? Should I (we) just make filament category settings changes for "material" and all other settings for "quality"?



  • MatterControl's slice settings work on a system of layers. Each layer can override the settings in the layers below it. The settings view shows you which layer each setting is coming from based on the color it is highlighted.

    At the bottom is the base layer. These are the default settings provided by your printer's manufacturer. All settings are included in the base layer. In the settings view, if a particular setting is not highlighted with any color (orange, yellow, blue, etc.) then that means the baseline setting is being used. The baseline settings are never changed, which means that you can always revert back to your manufacturer's defaults if something goes wrong.

    The next layer is the user layer. This contains any changes that you have made in the settings view. They are highlighted in blue. To clear a change and revert to the baseline setting, click the X to the right of that setting. This is where you should make changes that are not related to either quality or material. For instance, I like to use hexagonal infill instead of triangles, but that has nothing to do with wither the print quality or the material being used.

    Next is the Quality layer. If a setting from this layer is being used, it is highlighted in yellow in the settings view. Your printer profile comes with a few Quality presets to choose from, but you can also edit them and make your own. This typically contains settings related to layer height and speed. However, you are free to use your discretion about what belongs here. Any setting can be added. For instance, if I wanted to make a quality setting for high strength prints, I could name it "Strong" and then add settings like the infill density and number of perimeters.

    The top layer is the Material layer. These settings are highlighted orange. They override everything else. Typically the materials presets contain your temperature settings, however you are free to include any other setting in this layer as well. For instance, if I am printing a flexible material I might want to slow down the speed and disable retraction. These kinds of settings would not normally be included in a preset for PLA or ABS.

    This system is very powerful, but it is up to you to use it in whatever way you see fit. The labels "Quality" and "Material" are really just guidelines. You can actually use them for whatever you like.



  • Thanks. Very helpful info.


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