Flashprint is a great slicing tool for 3D printer beginners. Unfortunately, Flashforge are retiring this software package in favour of their new slicer Flash Studio. Other similar alternatives such as Orcaslicer exist if you do not wish to rely on Flashforges servers for slicing and cloud printing. NOTE: Many of the steps in this tutorial will also apply to Bambu Studio and other Orca Slicer derivatives.
Flashprint may still be used with printer models 5MPro and older if you do not wish to upgrade the firmware to newer than 5.1.7 it's possible to continue using Flashprint.
At some point you will want to upgrade to Flash Studio. Although Flashprint has a nice simple UI, it lacks many features of modern slicers. Most modern slicers can be a little overwhelming but this article aims to help you transition to this new slicer software and find all the options and tools you are familiar with.
Note: You may be prompted to register an account on opening the newly installed slicer software. This is only necessary if you want to use cloud features such as monitoring the print from your mobile device from anywhere with the flash studio mobile app.
Starting a project
In Flashprint you could save any slicer modifications you had made to a .fpp file, sort of like a project settings file. In flash studio you start a project file on the home tab. Once you've create a project you then enter the prepare tab.
Selecting a Printer
Selecting your 3D Printer is thankfully a simple process. In the prepare tab of Flash studio there is a drop down list for printer selection. If nothing appears here click "Select/Remove Printers". Tick the box for the printers you will be using with the software.
Loading a model
In the object hierarchy of flashprint which appears in the upper left hand corner of the app, you would load a file by clicking the cube + icon. The icon looks pretty similar in Flash Studio, just flattened. Once a model is imported into flash studio all the icons for modifying the model will change from greyed out to accesible.
Manipulating a model
For many print jobs you may want to move the model around the build plate, rotate it to find the perfect orientation and scale the model up or down if it is not the correct size.
These model manipulation tools in Flashprint have moved from the right hand menu to the top bar in Flash Studio.
Clicking on the move, rotate or scale icons will make a gizmo appear. Dragging on the interactive arrows or cubes will allow you to carry out these actions. You can also use the xyz dialog boxes to enter a specific coordinate or degree of rotation.
If your model has a large flat surface you wish to use as the base, you may wish to use the lay flat tool. The lay flat tool shows an interactive overlay of each face that can be snapped to the base. In this example I click the shape on the base to snap the trophy to the plate so it's facing up right.
The auto orient function serves a similar function, but will decide for you which is the best orientation for the model.
Sometimes there may not be a perfect orientation with a flat base or orientation where no supports are needed. In this case we will need to either use the cut tool to make a flat base or add supports to scaffold any overhanging parts on the model.
Optimise with the cutting tool
The cut tool in Flashprint allowed you to select from x, y and z planes and dragging for setting the cutting plane.
Although the equivalent tool in flash studio is a little less intuitive there is more functionality embedded here. To choose the angle of cut you need to use the rotation gizmo tool. Once the desired angle and depth are selected you can perform a cut, add dovetail joints or even connectors to join the 2 pieces together after printing.
Adding supports
If your 3D model has any degree of complexity it may need supports adding to scaffold awkward overhangs and tricky angles. In Flashprint, basic adding of support was possible with two types and a few options.
In Flash Studio there are many more support options, although maybe too many. For a simple setup that will work across most prints, first select the support tab and make sure the "enable support" checkbox is ticked.
There are two general types of support available. "Normal" and "Tree". Normal uses straight vertical columns whereas Tree, looks like tree branches.
Another difference with Flash Studio is you won't be able to see what the supports look like or how long the print will take until you press "slice plate"
These are the basic tools you will need to successfully slice your 3D print in Flash Studio. Although Flash Studio might seem overwhelming in comparison to Flashprint, once you get used to the interface you will never want to go back. If you are unsure of what a tool does you can simply hover over it for a short description.
