When slicing a model for 3D printing, the part is divided into a stack of flat, 2D layers. But there’s an alternative in the form of non-planar slicing, where the layers can follow 3D curves.… ...

D printing lithophanes is where you turn 2D images into 3D models, which, when you 3D print and backlit, it reveals the image ...

See, a slicer is a piece of software for your PC or Mac that can convert a 3D model file -- normally with the file extension .STL, .3MF or .OBJ -- into a file that is usable by your 3D printer.

As the name implies, it slices the model into many layers, with each printed by the printer itself. The support structure is also important, as it is intended to keep the 3D model from collapsing ...

Its robotic arm draws instantly solid 3D curves rather than 2D slices, shedding the need for direct support or even a horizontal surface. It's also not bound by traditional approaches to color.

The 3D printing process turns a whole object into thousands of tiny little slices, then makes it from the bottom-up, slice by slice. Those tiny layers stick together to form a solid object.

Just as it’s done with 3D plastic printing, a chocolate 3D printer starts with a digital design that is sliced by a computer program to create layers; then the object will be created layer by layer.