Introduction to Slicing and Cura Lesson

In this lesson, students will be introduced to the concept of slicing a 3D model and learn the basics of Cura 3 slicing software.

Learning Objective:

To slice and prepare a 3D model for 3D printing.

Steps to Success:

  1. Prepare a .STL file for 3D printing and save it as a Cura project and .GCODE.
  2. Investigate and understand different slicing settings and how they affect the print time and finished quality.
  3. 3D print a sliced model.

During the lesson, students will participate in two practical activities, one to complete a series of model manipulation challenges in Cura, the other to investigate the different Cura settings.

The following resources are available to download to accompany this project:

  • Lesson Plan
  • Lesson Presentation
  • Student Worksheets

Log in to download the resources.

In The Classroom

This lesson works best if students are working in pairs for the practical activities as it allows them to discuss their findings with each other.

Cura will need to be installed on all computers prior to the lesson, it can be downloaded free of charge from https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software

Visit our Learn Cura 3 – Video Tutorials resource, a series of 13 short video tutorials to learn more about Cura.