Hello Snapmaker Team,
I would like to suggest a feature improvement for Snapmaker Orca, especially for the Snapmaker U1 and other printers without an automatic filament changing system.
The U1 is capable of impressive multi-color printing, but there is currently a limitation when printing models with many colors.
The problem:
In the slicer, we can see the virtual filaments and assign them to physical slots.
However, the slicer currently assumes that every virtual filament needs its own permanent physical slot.
Example:
Virtual filament assignment:
Black → Slot 1
Blue → Slot 1
Green → Slot 2
Yellow → Slot 3
Red → Slot 4
In this example, Black and Blue are not needed at the same time. The user simply wants to manually replace the filament in Slot 1 when the color changes.
Currently, the slicer does not understand this situation.
It sees:
“Slot 1 is occupied, therefore the filament is available.”
But the real situation is:
“Slot 1 currently contains Black. Later, Slot 1 needs Blue. A manual filament swap is required.”
The slicer already knows:
- which color is needed,
- where the tool change happens,
- which physical slot is assigned.
The missing step is the logic to automatically insert a pause when two virtual filaments share the same physical slot.
Example workflow:
Start print:
Slot 1: Black loaded
Slot 2: Green
Slot 3: Yellow
Slot 4: Red
During the print:
Black → Blue required
The slicer detects:
Black and Blue share Slot 1.
Automatically insert a pause:
“Please replace Black with Blue in Slot 1 and continue.”
Later:
Blue → Black required again
Automatically insert another pause:
“Please replace Blue with Black in Slot 1 and continue.”
Why this would be useful:
Many multi-color models do not actually need all colors available at the same time.
For example:
- Black and Blue may be used at different stages.
- White may only be needed for a few small details.
- Similar colors can share one physical slot.
Without this feature, users currently have to:
- manually edit G-code,
- search for exact tool-change positions,
- manually insert pauses,
- risk stopping at the wrong point.
A simple “shared physical slot / manual swap” feature would greatly improve the workflow.
Suggested implementation:
Add an option in filament management:
Allow multiple virtual filaments on the same physical slot
Example:
Virtual Filament Physical Slot
Black Slot 1
Blue Slot 1 (manual swap)
Green Slot 2
Yellow Slot 3
Red Slot 4
The slicer could then automatically analyze the tool changes and insert the required pauses with a clear message.
This would make the U1 much more powerful for:
- logos,
- signs,
- TCG accessories,
- personalized products,
- small business production,
- complex multi-color prints without additional hardware.
The hardware is already capable. The missing part is the slicer workflow.
Thank you for considering this feature request!
