The art of 3D printing is much more than just choosing a file and sending it to the printer. You have to take the time to understand the nuances of your machine and how to optimize settings both on the device and in your files to get the best prints possible. This results in a lot of time spent doing test runs and subsequently losing more filament. What if you could eliminate this issue entirely? That seems to be what developer 5minlab has done with their creation dubbed 3D Printer Simulator.
The application might be hosted on itch.io, a platform known for sharing indie games, but this creation is much more than a game. This simulator acts as a digital FDM 3D printer that is capable of printing any model you slice for it. This lets you see exactly how the print will likely be reproduced in reality without wasting any filament.
3D Printer Simulator offers a handful of features, including g-code support, the ability to adjust printer settings and also generate print artifacts for a realistic effect. You can also move about freely to observe the printing with the ability to make the nozzle transparent and even adjust the lighting to fully optimize your print viewing experience. The application at the moment is set up to emulate an Ender 3 with the implication that this can later be changed.
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Some of the printer-specific features that are emulated include the head position, diameter of the nozzle and filament flow volume. The simulator also allows you to fast forward through the printing process so you don’t have to watch objects print in real time to see the end result. This can save you loads of time when it comes to honing in your slicing settings for new prints.