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1. Feature Summary
Fixed filament slots per toolhead in Snapmaker Orca for the U1: slot 1–4 should always correspond to toolhead 1–4, and empty toolheads should be shown as “not loaded” instead of being removed during filament sync.
2. Why this feature is needed
On the U1, the numbers in the Snapmaker Orca filament list are project slots, not physical toolheads. This is confusing for a toolchanger with fixed toolheads.
My setup: toolhead 1 is intentionally empty because it has a 0.2 mm nozzle installed, which I only use for fine-detail prints. Toolheads 2–4 are loaded (black, copper, white).
Current behavior (Snapmaker Orca 2.4.1):
- “1” in the filament list does not mean toolhead 1.
- With “Direct Override”, the slot for the empty toolhead 1 is deleted and all other slots move up. Slot 1 then shows black, which is actually loaded in toolhead 2.
- A filament added manually is overwritten or removed by the next sync.
- As a result, the mapping has to be checked before every print, because the slot numbers never match the physical toolheads. This easily leads to wrong-color prints.
With more toolheads, this logic becomes even harder to follow.
3. Expected outcome
- The filament list always shows slot 1–4 = toolhead 1–4.
- Empty toolheads are shown as “not loaded” instead of being removed.
- Sync fills each slot from its matching toolhead, without renumbering existing slots.
- Manually added filaments stay assigned to their toolhead after a sync.
Affected Products
Snapmaker Orca/App
2 Likes
I like that idea, which of course would be completely optional if you don’t sync. I have not explored the >4 filaments possibility – I presume T4 to T31 remain available (virtual toolheads, the indexing starts at zero so Toolhead 1-4 = T0-T3)?
Thanks! Yes, exactly – slots 1–4 (T0–T3) would be fixed to the physical toolheads, and everything from slot 5 upwards (T4–T31) would stay available as virtual filaments that get mapped to a physical toolhead as before. So nothing would be lost, the first four slots would just always match the real toolheads – and as you said, it only matters if you use the sync.
1 Like
Hard to explain, but with the color matching feature of the U1 software, the spools on the “Prepare” tab only provide the color as a reference when preparing the model. It has no relevance to the physical location on the printer. For instance, if you have yellow physically loaded as Spool 2 on the printer, and in the slicer yellow is in position 1. On the print processing screen, the yellow on the model (in poistion 1 in the slicer) should match to the physical spool 2.
If tool 1 has a different nozzle diameter or type, and also has yellow filament. I would expect there’s logic preventing the yellow in position 1 from matching. I don’t have a different diameter loaded, but probably could test by setting on the printer.
They should just remove the numbers on the “Prepare” tab.
That is the case only if you have Settings > Print Preferences > Filament Auto Mapping = ON.
It would (I believe) still be less confusing for users to implement this suggestion. Not so long ago, the filament panel bore no resemblance at all to the physical reality on the printer, and that received so much complaint it got plugged with the sync button. This completes the process.
I am not myself wedded to the need for the filaments for slicing being in sync with the filaments loaded, because my workflow is rooted in ‘traditional’ FDM printing where preparing the model, then slicing it, then printing it, are three distinct and separate phases of the process.
However, people are now growing up with the idea you download a model straight into the slicer and print straight from the slicer, so to suit this modern workflow it would be best that the sync reflects the true state of the printer. This does not impact the traditional workflow.
Hmm… that’s interesting. I don’t have the Filament Auto Mapping option in my Preferences (using Snapmaker Orca). But it would explain an issue I was helping another redditor on…
With the auto-mapping feature, they should just do away with the numbers. Just put the project colors and let the color-matching work.
Okay… I take that back. If you start a print through Fluidd’s Job card, IIRC, it references to the T0-T3 positions.
…refers to the U1 control panel!
Yes, auto-mapping does not currently work for prints initiated through Fluidd (or through SnOrca), but that might change (it has been requested).
Ahh… yes, the settings on the printer. Well if you can disable it, then I guess the spool positions needs to stay… and maybe this request would be needed.
Another issue is that when an sevd project has only one Filament enabled. and you click on sync, it will only sync that filament.
You have to click the ±sign multiple times, and then sync.
Maybe this can also be solved?
Kind regards, Peter