> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://stem-docs.intellectualpoint.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Slicing and software
> Turn 3D models into G-code with Orca-Flashforge, understand key slicer settings, and send prints over Wi-Fi.
## From model to machine instructions
A 3D printer cannot read a 3D model directly. It needs **G-code** - a step-by-step list of moves, temperatures, and extrusion amounts. The software that creates G-code from a model is called a **slicer**, because it cuts your model into hundreds of thin horizontal layers.
## The software you will use
A desktop slicer that imports your model, applies print settings, generates G-code, and sends the job to your printer. This is where you control quality, speed, and supports.
The phone app you bound to your printer during setup. Use it to send jobs, monitor prints, and control the printer remotely.
Orca-Flashforge is Flashforge's version of the popular open-source **OrcaSlicer**. Other common slicers include Cura and PrusaSlicer - the concepts are the same across all of them.
## The slicing workflow
Design your own in CAD software (Tinkercad, Fusion 360, or Onshape), or download a ready-made model from a site like Thingiverse, Printables, or MakerWorld. Models come as **STL**, **OBJ**, **STEP**, or **3MF** files.
Open Orca-Flashforge and set it up with your **machine (Adventurer 5M)** and **material (PLA)**. Import your model onto the virtual build plate.
Place the model flat and stable on the plate. Orientation affects strength, surface quality, and how many supports you need.
Set layer height, infill, speed, and supports (explained below). Start with a preset profile if you are unsure.
Click **Slice**. The software generates G-code and shows a preview with the estimated **time** and **filament** usage. Scrub through the layers to check for problems.
Send the job over Wi-Fi through Flash Maker, or export the G-code to a USB drive. Then start the print from the printer or the app.
## Key slicer settings
These are the settings you will adjust most often. Understanding them is the difference between a good print and a failed one.
How thick each layer is, in millimeters. **Smaller (0.1 mm)** means finer detail but slower prints. **Larger (0.3 mm)** means faster prints but visible layer lines. **0.2 mm** is a great all-around default.
The internal fill pattern and density (as a percentage). **10-20%** is fine for decorative prints; **40-60%+** for strong, functional parts. More infill means stronger, heavier prints that use more filament and time.
How fast the nozzle moves. Faster saves time but can hurt quality and adhesion. Slow down for tall, detailed, or tricky prints.
Removable scaffolding printed under **overhangs** that would otherwise print into thin air. Enable supports when your model has steep overhangs (roughly beyond 45 degrees) or floating parts.
Extra material around the first layer to help it stick. A **brim** adds a flat border for grip; a **raft** prints the model on a removable base; a **skirt** just primes the nozzle without touching the model.
Nozzle and bed temperatures for your material. The slicer sets sensible defaults per filament, but you can fine-tune them (you will learn material temperatures on Day 4).
## Understanding G-code
G-code is just text - a list of simple commands the printer follows in order. You do not have to write it by hand, but it helps to know what it looks like:
```gcode theme={null}
G28 ; home all axes
M104 S200 ; set nozzle to 200 C
M140 S60 ; set bed to 60 C
G1 X50 Y50 Z0.2 ; move to a position
G1 X100 E5 ; move while extruding 5mm of filament
```
Each line is one instruction: home the axes, set a temperature, move to a coordinate, or extrude filament. Your slicer generates thousands of these automatically.
When you scrub the layer preview before printing, you are watching your G-code play back. Catching a problem here - like missing supports or a detached part - saves hours of wasted filament.
## Ways to send a print
| Method | How it works | Best for |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Wi-Fi (Flash Maker) | Send the job wirelessly from the app | Everyday convenience |
| USB drive | Export G-code, plug the drive into the printer | No network, or large files |
| Ethernet | Wired network transfer | The most stable connection |
| Cloud | FlashCloud or Polar Cloud remote printing | Printing while away |
You understand the model-to-print pipeline: get a model, import and orient it, choose settings, slice to G-code, preview, and send. You know what layer height, infill, speed, and supports do.
## Up next
You know how to turn a model into a print. Next we look closely at the **nozzle** - the small part that shapes every line of plastic - and how choosing the right one changes your results.