Creality Print Skill
You are preparing a file that a human will open in Creality Print (or Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer)
and send to a printer. The deliverable is a .3mf that opens as one object with N parts, each part
on a filament slot, sitting inside the bed, with no manual fixing required. Everything below is
verified against Creality Print 7.2.1 source (bbs_3mf.cpp, a Bambu Studio fork) and real files —
see reference/sources.md for citations and reference/pitfalls.md for what went wrong before.
1. When to use / when not
Use this skill when the user wants any of:
- a multi-colour print (CFS / AMS): "plate black, text white", "logo in a second colour"
- text, names, logos or dates added to an existing model
- an STL/OBJ/Blender scene turned into something Creality Print opens correctly
- a diagnosis of a 3MF that shows no colours, loses a part, or lands off the plate
Do not use it for: resin printers (Halot uses .cxdlp, no multi-colour), G-code editing
(never hand-edit G-code), texture/painted-surface colour (that is the slicer's paint tool, not
part assignment), or printers from other vendors that do not read Bambu-style 3MF.
2. Mental model (read once)
geometry (STL/OBJ/Blender) ──► 3MF container ──► sliced G-code (slicer's job)
mm, z-up, watertight ONE object, you never produce this
N <part>s,
part.extruder = slot
- A 3MF is a ZIP. The parts that matter:
3D/3dmodel.model (object tree, placement),
3D/Objects/object_2.model (meshes), Metadata/model_settings.config (names + per-part
extruder), optional Metadata/project_settings.config (printer/filament presets + colours).
- Colour = filament slot, not RGB. A part with
extruder="2" prints with whatever is in slot 2.
Colours in project_settings.config are only what the slicer shows; the CFS/AMS mapping at
print time decides the real filament.
- One object, many parts — never N separate objects. Separate objects trigger "too close to
others", can be dropped on load, and are re-arranged independently.
- Model-only vs project 3MF. Without
project_settings.config the file opens with the
user's current printer/filaments (portable, recommended for sharing). With it, the file carries
a full preset (use --project-from on a 3MF the user's own Creality Print saved).
3. Workflow
- Inspect the input —
python3 creality3mf.py inspect in.3mf (or read the STL bbox).
Note printer, bed, existing parts, whether it is already sliced (sliced: True means the
gcode inside is stale the moment you change geometry).
- Confirm the printer —
python3 creality3mf.py printers K2 → bed and height come from
Creality's own vendor profiles (data/printers.json). Ask if unknown; never guess a bed size.
- Decide the parts — one part per colour region. Typical:
Plate (slot 1), Body (slot 2),
Lettering (slot 2 or 3). Parts may touch; avoid overlapping volumes (double walls).
- Build geometry in millimetres — pure Python (
examples/nameplate.py) when the parts are
boxes/cylinders/pixel text and Blender is not installed; Blender (examples/blender_text_plate.py)
when you need real fonts, booleans, or to split/repair an existing mesh. Rules in §4. Raised features sit on a surface (z = top), inlays
need a matching pocket; do not leave a part floating.
- Export parts — Blender:
scripts/blender_export_parts.py (STL, mm, manifest with slots).
CadQuery / OpenSCAD / build123d / trimesh snippets: reference/geometry-sources.md.
Then python3 creality3mf.py check a.stl:1 b.stl:2 --printer … --slots N — fix every ❌,
read every ⚠️ (non-watertight, unit mix-up, overlapping parts).
- Assemble —
python3 creality3mf.py build -o out.3mf --printer "Creality K2 Pro" \ --part Plate.stl:1 --part Lettering.stl:2 [--filament "#000000" --filament "#FFFFFF" \ --project-from users_own.3mf]. The tool centres the group on the bed, drops it to z = 0,
and refuses to write a file that does not fit. No --project-from at hand? Ship a model-only
3MF (omit --filament); the user's current printer/filament presets apply and part slots still
work. Ask the user for any 3MF their Creality Print saved if they want colours embedded.
- Verify —
python3 creality3mf.py inspect out.3mf: exactly one object, all parts listed
with the intended extruder, bbox inside the bed. If Creality Print CLI is available and the
GUI is closed, CrealityPrint --info out.3mf must exit 0 (see §6).
- Deliver with instructions: File → Open Project, check the filament list shows N slots,
load matching filament in CFS slots 1..N, slice. Say that a prime/purge tower is automatic
and adds time/material.
4. Design rules for multi-colour FDM (0.4 mm nozzle)
| Feature |
Minimum |
Why |
| Wall / stroke width |
0.9 mm (2 perimeters at 0.45 mm) |
thinner strokes are skipped or single-walled |
| Raised text height |
0.8–1.0 mm (4–5 layers at 0.2) |
fewer layers look faint; 1 mm is crisp |
| Cap height for text |
≥ 10 mm, bold sans/rounded face |
thin serifs fall below stroke minimum |
| Standalone island (dot of an i) |
≥ 2 mm |
adhesion and purge quality |
| Plate under lettering |
≥ 2.4 mm thick |
rigidity, no warping on a 200 mm plate |
| Colour change count |
keep parts few and large |
every colour swap purges ~30–60 mm of filament |
Dark-after-light transitions purge more than light-after-dark; put black on slot 1 when
possible. Prime tower is enabled automatically for >1 filament — do not disable it.
5. Blender (headless) recipe
blender --command extension install ThreeMF_io # once; extensions.blender.org "3MF Import/Export"
blender -b --python examples/blender_text_plate.py -- --text "HELLO" --out /tmp/p --build
- Headless scripts must enable the extension themselves:
addon_utils.enable("bl_ext.blender_org.ThreeMF_io", default_set=True). Operators are
bpy.ops.import_mesh.threemf / bpy.ops.export_mesh.threemf.
- Units: the importer scales mm → metres (object scale 0.001). Keep one convention per scene and
export STL with
global_scale=1000 * scene.unit_settings.scale_length.
- Text:
cu.extrude = h/2 gives total thickness h; convert to mesh, remove_doubles, then
place its bottom on the plate top. Fonts on macOS: /System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/*.ttf.
- Mark slots with material names
E1_…, E2_… or an object custom property extruder.
- Blender's 3MF exporter writes per-object extruders from materials but centres the whole scene
at (0,0) and makes every object a separate 3MF object → use it for import, use
creality3mf.py for output.
6. Creality Print CLI
/Applications/Creality Print.app/Contents/MacOS/CrealityPrint (macOS) supports --info,
--export-3mf, --export-stl(s), --slice 0|N, --load-settings "machine.json;process.json",
--load-filaments "f1.json;f2.json", --arrange 0|1, --outputdir, --debug N --logfile F.
- Version gate: the CLI refuses a 3MF whose major version differs from its own or whose minor
is newer (
CrealityPrint.cpp ~L1505). --allow-newer-file bypasses it. creality3mf.py
stamps the file with --app-version (default 7.2.1.5476) so --info passes.
--load-filament-ids "1,2" is per input file, not per part.- Observed on macOS: the CLI segfaults (exit 139) whenever the GUI is running; close the GUI
first. Not confirmed in source — treat as a local observation.
- Headless multi-colour slicing is unreliable (CrealityPrint#574). Validate with
--info;
let the human slice in the GUI.
7. Pitfalls (short form — full table in reference/pitfalls.md)
| Symptom |
Cause |
Fix |
| Model in the corner / "laid over the boundary" |
coordinates centred at (0,0) |
build centres on the bed |
| Grey/dark object in the viewport |
outside the plate |
same |
| Lettering missing, plate shows a pocket |
text was a separate object and got dropped |
one object, N parts |
| "too close to others; collisions" |
separate objects within clearance radius |
one object, N parts |
| Colours not applied |
part extruder missing, or object has 1 volume |
inspect shows extruder= per part |
| Only 1 filament in the list |
no project_settings, or arrays length ≠ slots |
--project-from + --filament ×N |
| CLI "File Version … not supported" |
version gate |
--allow-newer-file or matching --app-version |
| Blender renders every material grey |
lights ×100 too strong → exposure, not materials |
irrelevant to printing; lower light energy |
8. Compatibility
| Slicer |
Reads one-object/N-part extruder |
Notes |
| Creality Print 7.2.1 |
✅ verified (GUI + CLI --info) |
primary target; adds Metadata/creality.config |
| Creality Print 6.x |
expected |
same loader; the source template for project settings was a 6.3 file |
| Bambu Studio 1.x–2.x |
expected |
same loader lineage; ignores creality.config — unverified |
| OrcaSlicer 2.x |
expected |
same — unverified |
| PrusaSlicer |
⚠️ |
needs Slic3r_PE_model.config (not written) — import as plain 3MF |
| Cura |
⚠️ |
reads geometry only; colours lost |
9. Hand-off rules
- Upstream: any CAD skill/tool that writes STL (
$cad from text-to-cad, CadQuery, OpenSCAD, Blender).
Downstream: the human's slicer. This skill never sends anything to a printer and never
edits G-code; default is dry-run — produce the 3MF, verify, hand over.
- Always return the artifact path plus the
inspect block, and the source geometry.
10. Delivery checklist
中文速览
- 目标交付物：一个物体、多个 part、每个 part 绑定一个耗材槽 的 3MF，落在平台内，用户打开即切片。
- 颜色 = 耗材槽号，不是 RGB；文件里的颜色只是切片软件的显示，真正用哪卷料由 CFS 映射决定。
- 千万不要输出多个独立物体（会被判"太近"、可能被丢、会被分别摆放）。
- 流程：
inspect 输入 → 确认机型（printers）→ 拆 part → Blender/Python/CadQuery/OpenSCAD 建几何（毫米）→
导出 STL → check 排查 → creality3mf.py build → inspect 验证 → 交付并说明"打开工程、对应槽位、擦料塔"。
- 只产文件不发打印、不改 G-code；把 3MF 路径、
inspect 输出和源几何一起交给用户。
- 0.4 喷嘴规则：笔画 ≥ 0.9 mm，凸字 0.8–1.0 mm，字高 ≥ 10 mm 粗体，孤立小点 ≥ 2 mm。
- CLI 坑：版本门（
--allow-newer-file）、--load-filament-ids 按文件不按 part、GUI 开着时 CLI 崩。
1---2name: creality-print3description: Author print-ready, multi-colour 3MF models for Creality (创想三维) FDM printers — K2 / K1 series with CFS — and for Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer, which read the same 3MF dialect. Use when asked to prepare, colour, split, letter, resize or repair a model for Creality Print; to add raised text or logos to a print; to turn a Blender scene into a printable multi-colour file; or when a 3MF opens with no colours, missing parts, "outside the plate" or "too close to others" errors.4---56# Creality Print Skill78You are preparing a file that a human will open in **Creality Print** (or Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer)9and send to a printer. The deliverable is a `.3mf` that opens as **one object with N parts, each part10on a filament slot**, sitting inside the bed, with no manual fixing required. Everything below is11verified against Creality Print 7.2.1 source (`bbs_3mf.cpp`, a Bambu Studio fork) and real files —12see `reference/sources.md` for citations and `reference/pitfalls.md` for what went wrong before.1314## 1. When to use / when not1516Use this skill when the user wants any of:17- a multi-colour print (CFS / AMS): "plate black, text white", "logo in a second colour"18- text, names, logos or dates added to an existing model19- an STL/OBJ/Blender scene turned into something Creality Print opens correctly20- a diagnosis of a 3MF that shows no colours, loses a part, or lands off the plate2122Do **not** use it for: resin printers (Halot uses `.cxdlp`, no multi-colour), G-code editing23(never hand-edit G-code), texture/painted-surface colour (that is the slicer's paint tool, not24part assignment), or printers from other vendors that do not read Bambu-style 3MF.2526## 2. Mental model (read once)2728```29 geometry (STL/OBJ/Blender) ──► 3MF container ──► sliced G-code (slicer's job)30 mm, z-up, watertight ONE object, you never produce this31 N <part>s,32 part.extruder = slot33```3435- A 3MF is a ZIP. The parts that matter: `3D/3dmodel.model` (object tree, placement),36 `3D/Objects/object_2.model` (meshes), `Metadata/model_settings.config` (names + per-part37 `extruder`), optional `Metadata/project_settings.config` (printer/filament presets + colours).38- **Colour = filament slot, not RGB.** A part with `extruder="2"` prints with whatever is in slot 2.39 Colours in `project_settings.config` are only what the slicer shows; the CFS/AMS mapping at40 print time decides the real filament.41- **One object, many parts** — never N separate objects. Separate objects trigger "too close to42 others", can be dropped on load, and are re-arranged independently.43- **Model-only vs project 3MF.** Without `project_settings.config` the file opens with the44 user's current printer/filaments (portable, recommended for sharing). With it, the file carries45 a full preset (use `--project-from` on a 3MF the user's own Creality Print saved).4647## 3. Workflow48491. **Inspect the input** — `python3 creality3mf.py inspect in.3mf` (or read the STL bbox).50 Note printer, bed, existing parts, whether it is already sliced (`sliced: True` means the51 gcode inside is stale the moment you change geometry).522. **Confirm the printer** — `python3 creality3mf.py printers K2` → bed and height come from53 Creality's own vendor profiles (`data/printers.json`). Ask if unknown; never guess a bed size.543. **Decide the parts** — one part per colour region. Typical: `Plate` (slot 1), `Body` (slot 2),55 `Lettering` (slot 2 or 3). Parts may touch; avoid overlapping volumes (double walls).564. **Build geometry in millimetres** — pure Python (`examples/nameplate.py`) when the parts are57 boxes/cylinders/pixel text and Blender is not installed; Blender (`examples/blender_text_plate.py`)58 when you need real fonts, booleans, or to split/repair an existing mesh. Rules in §4. Raised features sit *on* a surface (z = top), inlays59 need a matching pocket; do not leave a part floating.605. **Export parts** — Blender: `scripts/blender_export_parts.py` (STL, mm, manifest with slots).61 CadQuery / OpenSCAD / build123d / trimesh snippets: `reference/geometry-sources.md`.62 Then `python3 creality3mf.py check a.stl:1 b.stl:2 --printer … --slots N` — fix every ❌,63 read every ⚠️ (non-watertight, unit mix-up, overlapping parts).646. **Assemble** — `python3 creality3mf.py build -o out.3mf --printer "Creality K2 Pro" \65 --part Plate.stl:1 --part Lettering.stl:2 [--filament "#000000" --filament "#FFFFFF" \66 --project-from users_own.3mf]`. The tool centres the group on the bed, drops it to z = 0,67 and refuses to write a file that does not fit. No `--project-from` at hand? Ship a model-only68 3MF (omit `--filament`); the user's current printer/filament presets apply and part slots still69 work. Ask the user for any 3MF their Creality Print saved if they want colours embedded.707. **Verify** — `python3 creality3mf.py inspect out.3mf`: exactly one object, all parts listed71 with the intended extruder, bbox inside the bed. If Creality Print CLI is available *and the72 GUI is closed*, `CrealityPrint --info out.3mf` must exit 0 (see §6).738. **Deliver** with instructions: *File → Open Project*, check the filament list shows N slots,74 load matching filament in CFS slots 1..N, slice. Say that a prime/purge tower is automatic75 and adds time/material.7677## 4. Design rules for multi-colour FDM (0.4 mm nozzle)7879| Feature | Minimum | Why |80|---|---|---|81| Wall / stroke width | 0.9 mm (2 perimeters at 0.45 mm) | thinner strokes are skipped or single-walled |82| Raised text height | 0.8–1.0 mm (4–5 layers at 0.2) | fewer layers look faint; 1 mm is crisp |83| Cap height for text | ≥ 10 mm, bold sans/rounded face | thin serifs fall below stroke minimum |84| Standalone island (dot of an i) | ≥ 2 mm | adhesion and purge quality |85| Plate under lettering | ≥ 2.4 mm thick | rigidity, no warping on a 200 mm plate |86| Colour change count | keep parts few and large | every colour swap purges ~30–60 mm of filament |8788Dark-after-light transitions purge more than light-after-dark; put black on slot 1 when89possible. Prime tower is enabled automatically for >1 filament — do not disable it.9091## 5. Blender (headless) recipe9293```bash94blender --command extension install ThreeMF_io # once; extensions.blender.org "3MF Import/Export"95blender -b --python examples/blender_text_plate.py -- --text "HELLO" --out /tmp/p --build96```97- Headless scripts must enable the extension themselves:98 `addon_utils.enable("bl_ext.blender_org.ThreeMF_io", default_set=True)`. Operators are99 `bpy.ops.import_mesh.threemf` / `bpy.ops.export_mesh.threemf`.100- Units: the importer scales mm → metres (object scale 0.001). Keep one convention per scene and101 export STL with `global_scale=1000 * scene.unit_settings.scale_length`.102- Text: `cu.extrude = h/2` gives total thickness `h`; convert to mesh, `remove_doubles`, then103 place its bottom on the plate top. Fonts on macOS: `/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/*.ttf`.104- Mark slots with material names `E1_…`, `E2_…` or an object custom property `extruder`.105- Blender's 3MF exporter writes per-object extruders from materials but centres the whole scene106 at (0,0) and makes every object a separate 3MF object → use it for import, use107 `creality3mf.py` for output.108109## 6. Creality Print CLI110111`/Applications/Creality Print.app/Contents/MacOS/CrealityPrint` (macOS) supports `--info`,112`--export-3mf`, `--export-stl(s)`, `--slice 0|N`, `--load-settings "machine.json;process.json"`,113`--load-filaments "f1.json;f2.json"`, `--arrange 0|1`, `--outputdir`, `--debug N --logfile F`.114- **Version gate**: the CLI refuses a 3MF whose major version differs from its own or whose minor115 is newer (`CrealityPrint.cpp` ~L1505). `--allow-newer-file` bypasses it. `creality3mf.py`116 stamps the file with `--app-version` (default 7.2.1.5476) so `--info` passes.117- `--load-filament-ids "1,2"` is **per input file**, not per part.118- Observed on macOS: the CLI segfaults (exit 139) whenever the GUI is running; close the GUI119 first. Not confirmed in source — treat as a local observation.120- Headless multi-colour *slicing* is unreliable (CrealityPrint#574). Validate with `--info`;121 let the human slice in the GUI.122123## 7. Pitfalls (short form — full table in `reference/pitfalls.md`)124125| Symptom | Cause | Fix |126|---|---|---|127| Model in the corner / "laid over the boundary" | coordinates centred at (0,0) | `build` centres on the bed |128| Grey/dark object in the viewport | outside the plate | same |129| Lettering missing, plate shows a pocket | text was a separate object and got dropped | one object, N parts |130| "too close to others; collisions" | separate objects within clearance radius | one object, N parts |131| Colours not applied | part extruder missing, or object has 1 volume | `inspect` shows `extruder=` per part |132| Only 1 filament in the list | no `project_settings`, or arrays length ≠ slots | `--project-from` + `--filament` ×N |133| CLI "File Version … not supported" | version gate | `--allow-newer-file` or matching `--app-version` |134| Blender renders every material grey | lights ×100 too strong → exposure, not materials | irrelevant to printing; lower light energy |135136## 8. Compatibility137138| Slicer | Reads one-object/N-part `extruder` | Notes |139|---|---|---|140| Creality Print 7.2.1 | ✅ verified (GUI + CLI `--info`) | primary target; adds `Metadata/creality.config` |141| Creality Print 6.x | expected | same loader; the source template for project settings was a 6.3 file |142| Bambu Studio 1.x–2.x | expected | same loader lineage; ignores `creality.config` — unverified |143| OrcaSlicer 2.x | expected | same — unverified |144| PrusaSlicer | ⚠️ | needs `Slic3r_PE_model.config` (not written) — import as plain 3MF |145| Cura | ⚠️ | reads geometry only; colours lost |146147## 9. Hand-off rules148149- Upstream: any CAD skill/tool that writes STL (`$cad` from text-to-cad, CadQuery, OpenSCAD, Blender).150 Downstream: the human's slicer. This skill never sends anything to a printer and never151 edits G-code; default is dry-run — produce the 3MF, verify, hand over.152- Always return the artifact path plus the `inspect` block, and the source geometry.153154## 10. Delivery checklist155156- [ ] `check` has no ❌; every ⚠️ was either fixed or explained to the user157- [ ] `inspect` shows 1 object, N parts, expected extruders, bbox inside bed, `sliced: False`158- [ ] every part is watertight or the slicer repaired it (`--info` → `manifold = yes`)159- [ ] filaments listed = slots used; slot 1 holds the plate/base colour160- [ ] user told: Open Project (not Import), map CFS slots, prime tower expected161- [ ] source geometry (.blend/.py) handed over so the next edit does not start from a 3MF162163## 中文速览164165- 目标交付物：**一个物体、多个 part、每个 part 绑定一个耗材槽** 的 3MF，落在平台内，用户打开即切片。166- 颜色 = 耗材槽号，不是 RGB；文件里的颜色只是切片软件的显示，真正用哪卷料由 CFS 映射决定。167- 千万不要输出多个独立物体（会被判"太近"、可能被丢、会被分别摆放）。168- 流程：`inspect` 输入 → 确认机型（`printers`）→ 拆 part → Blender/Python/CadQuery/OpenSCAD 建几何（毫米）→169 导出 STL → `check` 排查 → `creality3mf.py build` → `inspect` 验证 → 交付并说明"打开工程、对应槽位、擦料塔"。170- 只产文件不发打印、不改 G-code；把 3MF 路径、`inspect` 输出和源几何一起交给用户。171- 0.4 喷嘴规则：笔画 ≥ 0.9 mm，凸字 0.8–1.0 mm，字高 ≥ 10 mm 粗体，孤立小点 ≥ 2 mm。172- CLI 坑：版本门（`--allow-newer-file`）、`--load-filament-ids` 按文件不按 part、GUI 开着时 CLI 崩。
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