Published May 8th, 2014
Note: Cura LulzBot Edition is the supported software for use with LulzBot 3D Printers.
If you've ever wondered what software to use with a LulzBot 3D printer, or which software is compatible with LulzBot 3D printers, then you will have to add another program to the list!
We are excited to announce that you can now download MatterControl open source 3D printing software for your LulzBot. Please note, the name of this program is not spelled with two words (i.e. Matter Control), it's only one word: MatterControl!
This name may sound familiar to you because we recently partnered with Lars Brubaker of Matter Hackers (pictured on the left), the minds behind MatterControl, to host a KITTAZ 3D printer kit workshop with Open Source Ecology.
MatterControl joins a growing list of sophisticated Free Software and open source tools available to the 3D printing and RepRap communities. Others include FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, Libre CAD, Blender, Slic3r, Repetier Host, and PrintRun, to name a few.
Today more free 3D software is available than ever before, and when you combine that with the rapidly growing open source hardware products for 3D printing, it means the power is in your hands.
So what is MatterControl? And what does it do? According to their website:
MatterControl allows you to organize your existing part files and helps manage the process of printing those parts on a 3D printer. Specifically, MatterControl communicates with your 3D printer, sending it the instructions needed to make your part.
That said, MatterControl is not a general design tool. In other words, you import existing three dimensional drawings (in file formats like STL) into MatterControl, then move forward from there.
Now that you know what MatterControl is, you should download it and get started with your LulzBot 3D printer! There are only versions available for Windows and Mac OS X right now, but their team is hard at work developing a version for GNU/Linux.
If you are interested in seeing the MatterControl source code, here's a list of links provided on their website:
- Source Code
- Documentation
For questions on how that development is going, please contact their team using the provided MatterHackers contact form on their website, or you can visit the MatterControl Wiki.
One final note: MatterControl is not exclusive or proprietary software (i.e. it works with other 3D printer companies' products). Stay tuned for updates from the MatterControl team, as well as plug-ins and add-ons that will be developed in the coming months and years ahead!
