OrcaSlicer Configuration Management

Expert assistance with OrcaSlicer slicer configuration, profile management, and G-code generation for the Ender 3 V2.

Overview

This skill provides procedural knowledge for managing OrcaSlicer profiles and configurations. Use this skill when asked to:

• View or edit OrcaSlicer profiles (machine, filament, process)
• Compare profile settings or track changes
• Troubleshoot print quality issues related to slicer settings
• Backup or restore profile configurations
• Sync G-code between OrcaSlicer and Klipper
• Work with the E3V2-tagged custom profiles

Configuration Locations

Primary Directories

• Main Config: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/
• App Settings: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/OrcaSlicer.conf
• Logs: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/log/

Profile Directories

User Profiles (customized settings):

• Machine: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/machine/
• Filament: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/filament/
• Process: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/process/

System Profiles (factory defaults):

• Machine: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/system/Creality/machine/
• Filament: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/system/Creality/filament/
• Process: ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/system/Creality/process/

E3V2 Custom Profiles

Three custom profiles are tagged with [E3V2]:

1. [E3V2] Ender-3 V2 (machine) - Configured for Klipper at 192.168.1.23:7125
2. [E3V2] PLA (filament) - Tuned flow ratio (0.95) for the specific printer
3. [E3V2] 0.20mm Structural (process) - Enhanced strength with 35% infill, 6 top layers

Common Tasks

Viewing Profiles

# View E3V2 machine profile
cat ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/machine/[E3V2]\ Ender-3\ V2.json | jq .

# View E3V2 PLA filament settings
cat ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/filament/[E3V2]\ PLA.json | jq .

# View structural process profile
cat ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/process/[E3V2]\ 0.20mm\ Structural.json | jq .

# List all user profiles
ls -la ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/*/

Editing Profiles

Important: Close OrcaSlicer before editing JSON files directly.

# Edit machine profile (use your editor)
vim ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/machine/[E3V2]\ Ender-3\ V2.json

# Validate JSON syntax after editing
jq . ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/machine/[E3V2]\ Ender-3\ V2.json > /dev/null

# Changes take effect when OrcaSlicer is restarted

Backing Up Profiles

Use the backup script:

scripts/backup_profiles.sh

Or manually:

# Backup all user profiles
cp -r ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default ~/backups/orcaslicer-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)

# Backup just E3V2 profiles
mkdir -p ~/backups/orcaslicer-e3v2-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
cp ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/machine/\[E3V2\]* ~/backups/orcaslicer-e3v2-*/
cp ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/filament/\[E3V2\]* ~/backups/orcaslicer-e3v2-*/
cp ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/process/\[E3V2\]* ~/backups/orcaslicer-e3v2-*/

Comparing Profiles

Use the comparison script:

scripts/compare_profiles.sh "profile1.json" "profile2.json"

Or manually:

# Compare two process profiles
diff <(jq -S . ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/process/[E3V2]\ 0.20mm\ Structural.json) \
     <(jq -S . ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/system/Creality/process/0.20mm\ Standard\ @Creality\ Ender3V2.json)

Checking Klipper Sync

Use the sync checker:

scripts/check_klipper_sync.sh

This verifies that OrcaSlicer's machine profile G-code matches the Klipper configuration.

Viewing Logs

# View recent OrcaSlicer logs
tail -100 ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/log/orcaslicer.log

# Search for errors
grep -i error ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/log/orcaslicer.log

Creating Profile Variants

# Duplicate existing profile as starting point
cd ~/.config/OrcaSlicer/user/default/process/
cp "[E3V2] 0.20mm Structural.json" "[E3V2] 0.20mm High Speed.json"

# Edit the new profile (change name, settings, etc.)
vim "[E3V2] 0.20mm High Speed.json"

Integration with Klipper

The [E3V2] machine profile connects to Klipper/Moonraker at:

• Host: 192.168.1.23:7125
• Note: This should match printer@192.168.1.216 from the klipper skill

Important Considerations

1. G-code Macros: Machine profile includes START_PRINT and END_PRINT macros that must exist in Klipper config
2. Print Host Address: Verify IP 192.168.1.23 resolves to printer at 192.168.1.216
3. Upload Directory: G-code appears in ~/printer_ender3v2_data/gcodes/ on the printer
4. Macro Parameters: START_PRINT receives EXTRUDER_TEMP, BED_TEMP, CHAMBER_TEMP

Profile Inheritance

OrcaSlicer profiles use inheritance to reduce duplication:

[E3V2] Ender-3 V2 (user)
    └─ inherits: Creality Ender-3 V2 0.4 nozzle (system)

[E3V2] PLA (user)
    └─ inherits: Creality Generic PLA (system)

[E3V2] 0.20mm Structural (user)
    └─ inherits: 0.20mm Standard @Creality Ender3V2 (system)

User profiles only store settings that differ from their parent.

Best Practices

1. Always backup before editing: scripts/backup_profiles.sh
2. Close OrcaSlicer before editing JSON files directly
3. Test incrementally: Change one setting at a time and test print
4. Use inheritance: Create new profiles that inherit from existing ones
5. Document changes: Add notes in profile descriptions
6. Validate JSON: Use jq to check syntax after manual edits
7. Keep system profiles: Don't modify system/ files - they're overwritten on updates

Reference Material

For detailed information, refer to:

• references/profile_types.md - Machine, filament, and process profile details
• references/e3v2_profiles.md - Complete E3V2 profile specifications
• references/setting_keys.md - Common setting keys and their meanings
• references/troubleshooting.md - Common issues and solutions

Resources

scripts/

• backup_profiles.sh - Automated profile backup with timestamps
• compare_profiles.sh - Profile comparison with readable diff output
• check_klipper_sync.sh - Verify OrcaSlicer/Klipper G-code sync

references/

• profile_types.md - Detailed explanation of profile types and inheritance
• e3v2_profiles.md - Complete E3V2 profile documentation
• setting_keys.md - Reference for common setting keys
• troubleshooting.md - Common problems and solutions