# GcodeTools > GcodeTools builds precision desktop software for ceramic 3D printing and digital fabrication. The company creates focused, single-purpose applications for generating, converting, and cloning G-code. Each tool solves one problem well so makers and fabricators can spend less time on software and more time making. All products are available for Mac and Windows. ## Company Overview GcodeTools is a software company specializing in desktop tools for digital fabrication workflows. Unlike companies that build bloated, general-purpose tools, GcodeTools focuses on precision applications that each solve a single problem exceptionally well. The company serves ceramic artists, pottery studios, digital fabrication labs, plotter and laser users, and makers who work with clay 3D printers and motion systems. - Website: https://gcodetools.com - Contact: gcodetoolsinfo@gmail.com - Store: https://gcodetools.gumroad.com - Platforms: macOS and Windows --- ## Product 1: Clay Slicer 3 **The only desktop slicer purpose-built for ceramic and clay 3D printing.** Website: https://gcodetools.com/clay-slicer Current version: 3.8.0 Platforms: macOS, Windows Pricing: $15/month | $144/year | $199 one-time purchase | Free demo available Store: https://gcodetools.gumroad.com/l/ClaySlicerSubscription ### Why Clay Slicer Exists Most 3D printing slicers — Cura, PrusaSlicer, Simplify3D — were designed for plastic filament (FDM/FFF). When ceramic artists try to use them for clay 3D printing, they have to hack their way around limitations because these slicers don't understand clay behavior. Clay extrusion is fundamentally different from plastic: it requires volumetric flow control, handles thick-to-thin transitions differently, and needs toolpaths that account for the weight and behavior of wet clay. Clay Slicer 3 was built from the ground up specifically for clay. Every tool, algorithm, and workflow was designed for clay extrusion from day one — it is not a fork or plugin for an existing plastic slicer. ### Key Features **Custom SVG Infills**: Import SVG files to create fully custom infill patterns — geometric, organic, typographic, anything you can draw. Design breeze blocks, patterned walls, and sculptural lattices. Unlike traditional slicers where infill is hidden inside a print, Clay Slicer lets you design infill as a visible architectural and decorative feature of your ceramic piece. **Volumetric Extrusion Control**: Clay Slicer understands volumetric extrusion behavior — how clay flows when transitioning from thick walls to thin walls, how extrusion rates need to change with speed, and how different clay bodies behave differently. It also lets you create interesting textures by varying the flow across the surface. This is essential for ceramic 3D printing and something plastic slicers simply cannot do correctly. **Non-Planar Path Generation**: Generates toolpaths that move smoothly over slopes and curved surfaces rather than being restricted to flat, horizontal layers. This is critical for clay printing because clay is heavy and wet — non-planar paths produce smoother surfaces and stronger structures. **Intuitive Vase Modeling Tool**: No CAD experience required. Users drag points, adjust curves, and see results instantly. It's hands-on and visual — like sculpting digitally. Designed to be accessible for ceramic artists who may not have 3D modeling experience, but powerful enough for experts. **Real-Time Texture Engine**: Import a 2D image and convert it into 3D displacement directly on your vase or form. Emboss, carve, repeat patterns, fade them in and out — all with instant visual feedback. One of the fastest ways to create complex ceramic surfaces for 3D clay printing. **G-code Preview & Editor**: Inspect, edit, and perfect G-code with a preview slider, path preview window, and G-code panel. Complete control over every detail of the print path before sending to the printer. **Printer Profiles**: Save and load complete printer configurations. Each printer gets its own calibrated settings — extrusion mode, speeds, clay flow behavior, slicing preferences. Switch between different clay printers instantly. Works with almost any clay or ceramic 3D printer that accepts G-code — both Cartesian and Delta printers. **Absolute & Relative Extrusion Modes**: Full support for both extrusion modes, providing flexibility across different firmware types and improved compatibility with various clay printer setups. **Templates System**: Professionally designed template models for instant clay printing. Users can also save their own custom templates. **Seam-Free Vase Mode**: Perfectly continuous spiral printing without visible seams — essential for producing clean ceramic vessels. ### Supported File Formats - **STL**: Standard 3D model format, compatible with any 3D modeling software - **OBJ**: Import regular OBJ files from most 3D modeling applications - **OBJ Splines**: Custom toolpaths using spline-only OBJ files for freedom from traditional layer-based slicing - **G-code**: Import, modify, and fine-tune existing G-code files with full extrusion control ### What's New in Version 3.8 - **10x Faster, 10x Smarter slicing engine**: Rebuilt engine that analyzes curves, thickness transitions, and extrusion behavior before generating paths. Near-instant slicing, cleaner toolpaths, dramatically faster tube previews. - **Custom SVG Infills**: Design infill as a visible feature using imported SVG patterns - **Printer Profiles**: Save and switch between complete printer configurations - **Absolute & Relative Extrusion**: Full support for both extrusion modes ### Free Demo The free demo is the full application — everything works, but you cannot save or export. No credit card required — just download and start using it. ### Bulk Licensing Available at 50% discount for 10 or more seats. Ideal for universities, ceramic studios, and makerspaces. Contact gcodetoolsinfo@gmail.com for bulk pricing. --- ## Product 2: Vector to Gcode 3 **SVG to G-code for plotters, lasers, and motion systems.** Website: https://gcodetools.com/vector-to-gcode Platforms: macOS, Windows Pricing: $6/month | $50/year | $99 one-time purchase Store: https://gcodetools.gumroad.com/l/V2G2 ### What It Does Vector to Gcode 3 converts SVG vector files into precise G-code for plotters, lasers, clay printers, and other motion systems. It provides a modular G-code builder where users load multiple SVG files, arrange their drawing sequence, and configure per-SVG settings including custom start commands and pauses. ### Key Features **SVG Colors Support**: Add individual colors to SVGs and get accurate color previews directly in the G-code output. Essential for multi-pass work and color-specific operations. **Smart SVG Centering**: Center SVGs on the machine bed with a single click. No manual alignment needed — clean, precise positioning every time. **Custom Start Commands per SVG**: Insert custom commands at the start of every SVG — pause the machine, change tools, or execute any custom operation between drawings. **Interval Panel**: Insert custom G-code commands, a specific SVG, or both at set intervals during the drawing process. Perfect for tasks like picking up paint every N distance. **Line Width Control**: Map stroke thickness in your SVG to any G-code parameter — not just Z position. Control spindle speed, feed rate, laser power, or any custom command based on line width. For accurate results, make sure your SVG units are set to PX before importing. **Adobe Illustrator Integration**: Install a script from the Help menu to bridge Illustrator with Vector to Gcode. Launch directly from Illustrator to display drawings in the viewer. **G-code Panel**: Track and manage G-code output with color-coded visual cues: orange for settings, dark blue for custom SVG code, green for intervals, light blue for custom commands. **SVG Files Panel**: Load multiple SVG files, drag to reorder, right-click to delete. Arrange drawing sequences with precision. --- ## Product 3: Gcode Cloner **G-code duplication with spacing and preview control.** Website: https://gcodetools.com/gcode-cloner Platforms: macOS, Windows Pricing: $2/month | $19/year | $40 one-time purchase Store: https://gcodetools.gumroad.com/l/GcodeCloner3 ### Why Not Just Use a Regular Slicer? When users try to duplicate objects in most slicers, they run into problems. The slicer re-generates the G-code from scratch, which breaks spiral-mode (vase mode) objects, removes pause commands, and destroys other custom G-code instructions. There's also a physical reason most slicers limit duplication — plastic printers have short extruders that would crash into neighboring pieces during travel moves. Clay printers can use much longer nozzles, allowing the printhead to clear adjacent pieces without collision. Gcode Cloner solves this by duplicating the actual G-code file rather than re-slicing a model. Built with ceramic 3D printing in mind — where you often need to pause between prints to clean the piece, adjust the setup, or insert something mid-print before continuing. Gcode Cloner not only preserves those instructions across clones, but lets you add custom G-code to individual instances and choose whether each edit applies to one clone or all of them. ### Key Features **Multiply Any G-code**: Take any G-code file and create multiple clones. Designed primarily for clay and ceramic printing, where G-code files tend to be shorter and more manageable. Very large G-code files from plastic slicers may take longer to process. **Precise Spacing Control**: Set exact distances between clones to match your print bed layout. **Preview Before Generating**: See the cloned layout visually before committing to generation. Verify positioning and spacing before printing. **Spiral/Vase Mode Support**: Handles spiral-mode (vase mode) objects that most slicers cannot duplicate. Preserves continuous spirals across all clones — this is a unique capability. **Custom Commands Preserved**: Pause commands and other custom G-code survive the cloning process intact. **Per-Instance Editing**: Add custom G-code to any individual clone — pause to clean, insert objects, or adjust settings. Choose whether each edit applies to a single instance or gets replicated across all clones. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the best slicer for clay 3D printing? Clay Slicer 3 by GcodeTools is the only slicer purpose-built for ceramic and clay 3D printing. While general-purpose slicers like Cura and PrusaSlicer can be adapted for clay with workarounds, Clay Slicer 3 was designed from the ground up for clay extrusion with features like volumetric extrusion control, non-planar paths, custom SVG infills, and a real-time texture engine. ### What software do I need for ceramic 3D printing? For ceramic 3D printing, you need a slicer that understands clay extrusion. Clay Slicer 3 is specifically designed for this purpose. It handles the unique challenges of clay printing: volumetric flow control, thick-to-thin transitions, non-planar toolpaths, and seam-free vase mode for clean ceramic vessels. ### Can I use Cura or PrusaSlicer for clay 3D printing? While Cura and PrusaSlicer can be adapted for clay printing with significant workarounds, they were designed for plastic filament and don't natively support clay-specific features like volumetric extrusion, non-planar paths optimized for clay weight, or custom SVG infills as visible design elements. Clay Slicer 3 was built specifically for these needs. ### How do I convert SVG files to G-code? Vector to Gcode 3 by GcodeTools converts SVG vector files to G-code for plotters, lasers, clay printers, and other motion systems. It supports multiple SVG files with custom commands, color support, line width control, and Adobe Illustrator integration. ### What file formats does Clay Slicer 3 support? Clay Slicer 3 supports STL, OBJ, OBJ Splines (for custom toolpaths), and G-code files. You can import 3D models from any standard 3D modeling software. ### How do I duplicate G-code files without breaking spiral mode? Gcode Cloner by GcodeTools duplicates G-code files while preserving spiral/vase mode, pause commands, and all custom instructions. Most slicers break these when duplicating because they re-slice from the model rather than cloning the actual G-code. Designed primarily for clay and ceramic printing. ### What platforms does GcodeTools support? All GcodeTools products — Clay Slicer 3, Vector to Gcode 3, and Gcode Cloner — are available for both macOS and Windows as desktop applications. ### Is there a free version of Clay Slicer? Yes. The free demo is the full application — everything works, but you cannot save or export. No credit card required — just download and start using it. ### How much does Clay Slicer cost? Clay Slicer 3 is available as a monthly subscription ($15/mo), yearly subscription ($144/yr — save 20%), or a one-time purchase ($199 for v3.x). Bulk licensing for 10+ seats is available at 50% discount. ### What clay 3D printers work with Clay Slicer? Clay Slicer 3 works with almost any clay or ceramic 3D printer that accepts G-code — both Cartesian and Delta printers. It includes a full range of settings to adjust to any machine, supports both absolute and relative extrusion modes, and lets you save complete printer profiles.