Frequently Asked Questions
Simplify3D Software is an electronic download. Following your purchase, a verification email will be sent to you from no-reply@simplify3d.com. You can follow the instructions in this email to download and install the software. If you do not see this email within 30 minutes, please check your spam folders. Please Contact Us if you need additional help locating the verification email. If you ever need to download the software again in the future, you can do this by logging in to your Simplify3D account on our website and then proceeding to the Downloads page.
During the checkout process, please select that the license is “for someone else” and enter the name and email address of the person who will be using the software. After completing the purchase, the order confirmation will be sent directly to you, while the software download instructions will be sent to the licensee.
If you need to add an additional license to your account, please complete the normal checkout process making sure that you enter the same email address that is currently associated with your account. If the same email address is used, the new license will be automatically merged into your existing account.
Yes, we currently offer a 25% discount to makerspaces and robotics teams. The team or space needs to be an official part of the school in order to qualify for the discount. Please review our Education page for more details. Once you are ready to place your order, please select the “Education programs” option on our Contact Form. Please contact us prior to placing your order, as this discount cannot be applied after the purchase has been submitted.
Yes, we currently offer a 25% educational discount for all enrolled university students and faculty. This discount is for the same professional version of Simplify3D that we offer to all other customers, so you will have access to all of the great features and performance that our software is known for. Once you are ready to purchase, please select the “Education programs” option on our Contact Form. Please Contact Us us prior to placing your order, as this discount cannot be applied after the purchase has been submitted.
Yes, we offer bulk discounts for organizations that need to purchase many licenses at once. Please Contact Us for additional details.
Yes, we offer floating licenses that can be shared across multiple computers. Each time a user is finished with the software, the license will be returned to the license pool so that it is available to other users. This can be a very economical way to deploy the software to a large number of users or machines. Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing a floating license.
Yes, we offer offline licenses that support machines without internet access. After completing your purchase, you will be given the option to download your license file and move it to the offline computer. This license type is especially useful for high-security locations and air-gapped computers. Please Contact Us if you are interested in purchasing an offline license.
You can upgrade multiple licenses at once using the Simplify3D Upgrade Wizard (accessed by logging in to your Simplify3D account and going to the License Management page). Select the number of licenses you wish to upgrade by editing the Quantity field on Step 2 of the Upgrade Wizard.
All current Simplify3D V4 license holders should already have a Simplify3D account. If you do not remember the credentials for your account, please use the Forgot Username or Forgot Password tools.
If you are purchasing the upgrade on behalf of someone else, please ensure that the end user has logged in to their Simplify3D account to verify upgrade eligibility. Once the end user has confirmed how many licenses are eligible for the upgrade, please Contact Us directly to discuss purchasing options.
Simplify3D V5 is backwards compatible with V4, so you can easily import prior factory files, models, or profiles that you created. If you would like to automatically transfer all settings and profiles from V4 to V5, you can do so using the new Migration Assistant (accessed by going to Help > Migration Assistant).
V5 has a completely new licensing system compared to V4 that comes with several major upgrades. V5 now offers 3 separate license types – standard, floating, and offline licenses. Floating licenses allow a single license to be seamlessly moved between many different computers. Offline licenses are useful for enterprise organizations that have limited network access or strict security requirements. The new licensing system also provides much better support for the latest operating systems along with new online tools for easier administration. These changes were highly popular requests from our customers, so we are happy to make them available with V5.
When you upgrade your license from V4 to V5, you will receive a standard license by default. A standard V5 license can be installed on a single computer with options to deactivate your license if you need to move to a different machine. If you frequently switch between different computers, please consider our floating licenses which make this process much easier. To view where your licenses are currently installed, please log in to your Simplify3D account and use the License Management option in the left side menu.
The V4 and V5 licensing systems operate independently, so you can continue using V4 even after you upgrade to V5. The upgrade does not make any changes to your prior V4 licenses – it just gives you access to all the new V5 features on top of what you already have.
Yes, this is a key priority for the company going forward. Version 5.0 is the largest release we have ever produced, so it required an exceptionally large amount of time and effort. Now that V5 is completed, we will be able to return to a much faster release cycle. If there are specific features or changes that you would like to see in future software updates, please let us know.
Each license can only be used on a single computer at a time. If you need to move the software to a new computer, please see this question. If you frequently move between different computers, please consider a floating license.
Yes, you may install the software on different operating systems as long as you do not exceed the number of allowed installations permitted by your license.
Yes, even if you only have a single software license, you may use the software with multiple 3D printers that you own and operate. If you need to configure the software for a new 3D printer, you can do this by going to Help > Configuration Assistant and selecting your printer from the list. In the future, if you need to switch between different 3D printers, just click “Edit Process Settings” and select the printer you want to use from the “Select Profile” drop-down list. Please watch this video for more information about how to manage your settings for multiple 3D printers.
Note: If you need to use the software with an exceptionally large number of 3D printers, please contact us in advance to discuss options.
You can continue using the version of the software that you purchased for as long as you like without any additional payments, however, each software version is only officially supported for up to 1 year after its original release date. To receive the latest updates and support, we recommend upgrading to the latest version of the software.
Simplify3D provides 1 year of complimentary email technical support along with each license that you purchase.
Simplify3D customers also have access to an extensive list of articles, troubleshooting guides, video tutorials, FAQs, and our amazing user community. Visit our resources page to learn more.
Simplify3D offers several different bulk license options that make it easy to manage all of your licenses from a single central interface. We also provide a scripted installation process so that you can easily automate the installation for many different computers. Please contact us if you need additional assistance with these options.
In extreme circumstances such as a hardware failure, re-imaged operating system, or a crashed hard drive, it may be impossible to uninstall the software using the recommended approach. In this case, you can remotely remove the installation by logging into your Simplify3D account on our website and then choosing the “License Management” menu option. Click “View Details” for the installation you want to deactivate and then follow the instructions on the screen.
If you cannot remember your Simplify3D account information, please use the self-help tools at the bottom of the login form. You can use these options to reset your password or retrieve your username using only your email address.
- Forgot username: https://cloud.simplify3d.com/account/username/forgot
- Forgot password: https://cloud.simplify3d.com/account/password/forgot
Please review the Technical Specifications page for more information on supported operating systems and system requirements.
All Simplify3D licenses can be used temporarily without an internet connection, such as when traveling or during a power outage. If you need to use the software on a machine that is permanently disconnected from the internet, please consider an offline license. For standard and floating licenses, regular internet access is required. Some features in the software may also require an internet connection such as downloading printer profile updates.
The software is fully touch-screen compatible and has already been successfully used with dozens of different tablet computers. The only requirement is that the tablet must run a desktop operating system such as the Surface Laptop or Surface Pro. The software cannot be installed on tablets that run a mobile operating system such as Android or iOS.
We know that many people use Simplify3D in a production environment where reliability is incredibly important. For this reason, each new version of the software will be installed into a unique folder so that you can test and use multiple versions of the software at the same time. You can wait to remove older versions of the program until you have successfully started using a newer version.
New software updates are installed the same way as previous software updates. Login to your Simplify3D account and proceed to the Downloads page. Follow the instructions to unzip and install the latest version. The new version will be installed into a separate folder, so there is no requirement to uninstall previous versions of the software. For more information please see this question.
For all normal inquiries, please contact us using this form which will automatically route your email to the correct department.
Please make sure to include your order number, date of purchase, and the email address that was used for the order to expedite the process.
Factory files contain everything you need to re-create your current session in Simplify3D. These files include the 3D models, orientation details, custom support structures, process settings, and best of all, the final file is compressed to save space on your hard drive. This file is ideal for sharing with others if you want them to be able to re-create your exact print in Simplify3D. To save a factory file, just go to File > Save Factory File As.
You can manually control the extruders on your printer by going to Tools > Machine Control Panel. Make sure the extruder is properly heated by using the preheat options on the right-hand side. Once the extruder is fully heated, you can use the Retract and Extrude options on the Movement Controls tab to manually unload or reload the filament. For example, if you click the orange “-10” square below the Retract heading, it will retract 10mm of filament out of the extruder.
Simplify3D can be configured to work with many different types of printers, even if your specific machine is not listed in the Configuration Assistant. To setup the software for your custom machine, go to Help > Configuration Assistant and select “Click here if your printer requires manual setup” at the bottom of the page. The software will ask for several basic printer parameters and then it will configure a custom profile for your printer.
The profiles that you create in the software are already saved locally within Simplify3D, however, if you wish to create a second backup for these profiles, you can do so by going to File > Export Printer Profile. This will save the profile to your hard drive which can be easily re-loaded into the software by going to File > Import Printer Profiles.
Many of the profiles provided by Simplify3D already include a default model that represents the build platform of the printer. This can be very useful for quickly recognizing the orientation of your parts relative to the print bed. If you wish to change or disable the model that is used for a specific profile, go to File > Export Printer Profile to save the profile to your local hard drive. Open the file in a text editor and update the
Yes, Simplify3D already supports many printers using an auto-leveling probe. The software allows you to customize the starting script that is used at the beginning of each print, so if you wish to add auto-leveling to this script, go to the Scripts tab of your process settings and make sure you have a G28 and then a G29 command at the beginning of this script. Please note that the G28 command needs to come before the G29 to ensure that you have properly homed your axes before attempting to probe the bed surface.
Simplify3D allows you to customize the ending script that is run at the very end of each print. If you wish to move the nozzle away from the part, simply add a command such as “G28 X0” to the beginning of this script to move the X-axis towards the homing endstop switch and away from the finished part. For more information about these G-Code commands, please refer to our 3D Printing G-Code Tutorial.
If your prints are not centered, then there are 2 settings you should check within Simplify3D – build volume and origin offsets. The build volume determines the maximum print size possible on your machine, while the origin offset determines the location of the X=0, Y=0, Z=0 position. Both of these settings need to be correct so that the software can correctly control the position of the parts on the print bed.
To check the build volume, measure the usable print area on your print bed, and ensure these values match the X and Y build volume values on the Output tab of your process settings. Once you have verified that the build volume is correct, you can move on to verifying the origin location of your printer.
The origin is the location that the printer will move to when it is told to go to X=0, Y=0, Z=0. The origin offset defines the origin location relative to the bottom left corner of your print bed. For many Cartesian printers that accept gcode files, the origin offset is 0,0,0, which means that the origin is in the bottom left corner of the bed. For Cartesian printers that use x3g files or for most delta printers, the origin is in the center of the bed, which means the X and Y origin offsets are half of the X and Y build volume. For example, if the build volume was 200x200x500, then the origin offset would be 100x100x0. These are the most common values, but there are other possibilities.
If the preview you are seeing in Simplify3D looks drastically different than the original part, you should first verify that there are no issues with the mesh. You can do this using the Repair menu in Simplify3D. If the software identifies non-manifold or self-intersecting surfaces, you will need to repair your model before slicing. For more information about identifying and repairing these issues, please see the Identifying and Repairing Common Mesh Errors tutorial.
Once you have verified that your model does not contain any errors, there are several other settings in Simplify3D that can help you slice the model correctly. Go to the Advanced tab of your process settings and review the options in the “Slicing Behavior” section. These settings control how the geometry of your 3D model will be sliced and converted to printable regions. You can experiment with different settings until you find what works best for your specific file.
Please refer to the following section in the Simplify3D print quality guide: Small Features Not Printed.
This typically means that the toolhead offsets in the firmware are not properly configured. Each extruder has different toolhead offsets, which define the position of that extruder relative to the others. If one of these offsets is not correct, it means that whenever you print with this extruder, the toolhead will not be properly positioned. Please consult with your printer manufacturer for instructions on changing and saving the toolhead offsets in the firmware.
Please refer to the following section in the Simplify3D print quality guide: Not Sticking To The Bed
The first thing to do is to contact our support team to make them aware of your issue. Our 3D printing experts can frequently help with any common printing or setup issues you might encounter. In the event that they are not able to help with your issue, we offer a 14-day refund policy and the same support team can guide you through that process.
Please refer to the following section in the Simplify3D print quality guide: Not Extruding at Start of Print
Please refer to the following section in the Simplify3D print quality guide: Dimensional Accuracy
Your printer already includes an internal setting known as the toolhead offsets, which defines the position of each extruder relative to one another. In most cases, this setting is already correctly configured in the printer’s firmware, so you can start printing right away. However, if this setting was not configured correctly by the manufacturer, you will need to correct this error first before your extruders can be properly aligned.
So how do you determine the correct value for your toolhead offsets? The toolhead offset tells the printer how far each extruder will need to move along the X and Y axes before it ends up in the same spot as the primary extruder (Tool 0). You can look on the Extruder tab of your Simplify3D process settings to verify the toolhead number for each extruder. So if your primary extruder is on the right, and your second extruder is 34mm to the left of this extruder, then you know the second extruder would need to move 34mm to the right before it ends up in the same position as the primary extruder. So the correct offset would be an X offset of +34mm, and a Y offset of 0mm. You can go to Tools > Machine Control Panel in Simplify3D, and use the Jog Controls tab to simulate this movement to confirm the correct values.
Now that you know the correct toolhead offsets, we will explain how to update the printer with the new values. We always recommend trying to update this setting directly on the printer’s firmware first. There are 3 different ways this can be accomplished depending on what printer you have:
Some machines include an option on the printer’s LCD menu to calibrate this nozzle offset, or enter the offset distance directly. So if your printer has an LCD menu, check for this option first.
If your machine uses the Marlin firmware, then you also have the option of sending gcode commands directly to the printer to update this setting. To do this, go to Tools > Machine Control Panel, and then click on the Communication tab. Send the command “M218” to the printer. The machine should respond by listing the current toolhead offsets.
Hotend offsets: 0,0 20,0
The example reply above indicates that the toolhead offset for the second extruder is +20mm in the X-axis and 0mm in the Y-axis. To update this value, send the following command:
M218 T1 X34 Y0
That tells the printer to change the X-axis offset to 34mm for the second extruder (Tool 1). The machine should reply confirming the change. You can then send the “M500” command to save these setting to the printer’s internal EEPROM memory (more information about these EEPROM commands can be found here). This ensures that this setting will be maintained even after the printer is turned off. If your machine does not support EEPROM storage, you can also place the correct M218 command at the very top of your Simplify3D starting script so that it gets sent to the machine before each print.
If you were not able to update the toolhead offsets using either of the options above, you also have the option of editing the Configuration.h file for your printer’s firmware, and then re-compiling and re-uploading this new firmware directly to the printer. Please contact the printer manufacturer for instructions on this process.
If you were able to update the toolhead offsets on the printer’s firmware, then your extruders should now be properly aligned and you can go back to printing. If you were not able to update the toolhead offsets using the instructions above, then the software includes one other option you can use to account for the misconfigured firmware. Click on “Edit Process Settings” and go to the Output tab. Select the second extruder in the “Toolhead Offsets” section and enter the appropriate X and Y offsets. You can then enable the checkbox labeled “Modify output coordinates using toolhead offsets”. After enabling this option, the software will actually shift all of the coordinates in your gcode files anytime you are printing with the second extruder. To verify this setting, setup a Dual Extrusion print in Simplify3D, click “Prepare to Print”, and then change the preview coloring mode to “Active Toolhead”. You should notice that all of the extrusions for Tool 1 have now been shifted by the amount you entered. This verifies that the setting is working correctly.
Visualizing millions of toolhead movements can require a fair amount of memory. If your machine has limited resources, we recommend going to Tools > Options (or Simplify3D > Preferences on a Mac), and disable the “Automatically load preview after slicing” option. The software will now export the toolpath files right away so that you don’t have to wait for the preview to load.
The easiest way to open Simplify3D on your Linux machine is to open a Terminal and cd to the installation directory. Then type the following command:
sudo ./LaunchScript.sh
This ensures that Simplify3D will be able to correctly access the serial port for your printer and will have the necessary permissions for saving your application preferences.
You can reset all settings back to the factory defaults by going to Help > Reset All Settings. This should be enough to restore the software back to the original configuration.
In the event that you truly want to manually remove all settings and files, you can follow the instructions below.
Windows:
Open the Registry Editor and then go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software directory and delete the Simplify3D folder and all sub-keys.
Delete all files in the following directory: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Simplify3D. This is a hidden directory, so you may need to enable viewing hidden files and folders to see it in your file explorer window.
Mac:
Open a Terminal window and type the following commands:
rm /Users/$USER/Library/Preferences/com.Simplify3D.S3D-Software-V5.plist
rm -rf /Users/$USER/Library/Application\ Support/Simplify3D
Linux:
Open a Terminal window and type the following commands:
rm $HOME/.config/Simplify3D/S3D-Software-V5.conf
rm -rf $HOME/.local/share/Simplify3D
This usually means that there is a permissions issue where the software does not have sufficient access to save and restore your settings. On Windows, you may want to try right-clicking and choosing Run As Administrator to see if this resolves the issue. If you are using a Linux machine, please see the recommended instructions in this question.
If you are able to open the software, the first thing you want to try is going to Help > Reset All Settings. This will revert the program back to it’s stock configuration, so be sure to export any profiles that you need first by going to File > Export FFF Profile. However, if you are unable to open the software at all, then this typically means that there is a problem with the system requirements or the settings that are saved and reloaded when the application starts. To verify the cause for this problem, it can be useful to look at the crash log generated by the software. On Windows, this can be found by opening the Event Viewer application and then navigating to Windows Logs > Application in the left menu. Look for the latest event with “Error” in the Level column and “Application Error” in the Source column. This should be the latest crash report for the software. Once you find this entry, check the “Faulting module path”. If this ends with something like ig4icd*.dll or atigkt*.dll, this typically means that the graphics driver on the computer does not have sufficient support for the application. Please try going to the manufacturer’s website (typically either ATI or Nvidia) and manually updating the graphics drivers to the latest possible version to see if this fixes the issue. On Mac OS, you can typically view the crash log by clicking on “Report” when the application closes and the error message is displayed. Please copy this report in case you need to reference it later. If you are still unable to open the software after following the instructions above, then the next thing to try is clearing the settings and saved files that are loaded when the application starts. Please see this question for more details.
First of all, please keep in mind that most 3D printers only allow a single application to be connected at any given time. Close any other programs that could be communicating with the printer. Some programs such as MakerBot Desktop have background services that need to be stopped by opening the application and going to Services > Stop Background Service.
Once you are confident no other programs are connected to the software, you can follow the steps below depending on what type of protocol you are using to connect to the printer.
USB:
If you are using the software on Windows, you should make sure you have installed the appropriate USB drivers for your 3D printer. In some cases, this will happen automatically when you connect the 3D printer to your computer, but in other cases, you may need to install the driver manually. Contact your printer manufacturer for more information about the correct driver to install for your 3D printer model. If you are already any to connect to the 3D printer from a different software program, then you likely already have the correct drivers installed.
After completing the steps above, go to Tools > Machine Control Panel within Simplify3D and click “Add New” to setup a new connection with the 3D printer. Make sure to select the “USB Cable” connection method, and then click “Search for Devices” to find your 3D printer. If the device does not show up in this list, you may not have the correct driver installed or another software may already be connected to the printer.
Once you select the correct USB device from the list, click Next to configure the baud rate and flow control settings for the printer. Most printers use a baud rate of 115200 or 250000 bits/sec with no flow control, but you can consult with your printer manufacturer for exact specifications. Click “Begin Connection Test” to test the provided settings. Once a connection is successfully established, Simplify3D will automatically save the correct settings for the future, so you only need to perform this setup process once.
WiFi or Ethernet:
Most network-enabled 3D printers support auto-discovery, meaning that the software can automatically detect the printer on the network and determine the appropriate connection details. To test this process, go to Tools > Machine Control Panel within Simplify3D and click “Add New” to launch the New Connection Wizard. Select the “Network Connection” protocol, choose the “Search for Connections” option, and then click “Search for Devices” to begin the auto-discovery process. Note that this process will only work if your firewall and network rules allow UDP traffic back between the printer and your computer. In many cases, you will need to add a firewall exception to allow Simplify3D to detect the 3D printer.
If the software cannot find your 3D printer, you can still enter the connection details manually. Select the “Manual Connection Details” option and then enter the IP address for your 3D printer. This information can typically be found using the LCD screen on the 3D printer to browse to the info or network status page. The software can typically select the correct port automatically based on your printer profile, but you can also enter the port number manually if needed. Common port values used by different manufacturers are listed below:
- FlashForge: port 8899
- Ultimaker: port 80
- MakerBot: port 9999
- Dremel: port 80
- Qidi Technology: port 3000
- XYZprinting: port 9100
- OctoPrint: port 80
- Klipper: port 80
- Duet3D: port 80
Once you have entered the correct details, you can click Next and press “Begin Connection Test” to establish a connection with the printer. If the software fails to connect, it typically means that the firewall or network settings are still blocking the connection. Make sure a firewall exception has been properly configured and consult your network IT manager to make sure traffic between the printer and your computer is permitted. Once a connection is successfully established, Simplify3D will automatically save the correct settings for the future, so you only need to perform this setup process once.
This error message means that you have installed the software on more computers than is allowed by your license. To install the software on the new computer, you will first need to uninstall the software from the old machine. Please see this question for more details. If you frequently move between different computers, please consider a floating license.
This message means that something is preventing the software from reaching the internet. This is typically due to things like firewalls, restrictive anti-virus programs, incorrect proxy settings, or external network filters. Keep in mind that even if you are able to access the internet from your web browser, these items can still block the software from reaching the internet. Please be sure each of these items are configured correctly to allow an exception for the software before continuing. For network whitelisting, please make sure that web traffic to api.simplify3d.com and cloud.simplify3d.com is allowed. If you are using a corporate network, you may need to contact your IT team to make the appropriate changes. If you are using a proxy server to connect to the internet, click the Network Settings button at the bottom of the Simplify3D login and enter your proxy settings.
If you are using a very old operating system that hasn’t received software updates in many years, you could also be experiencing issues with the certificates that are installed on your computer. These certificates are used to approve network communication with various web services, and if they become out-of-date, it can prevent applications from reaching the internet. The easiest way to fix this issue is to install all available software updates for your computer. If you are using an older operating system such as Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.14 that is no longer supported by the manufacturer, you may need to update your certificates manually. Please contact us if you need additional assistance with this process.
This error message means that one of the dependencies provided by Microsoft failed to install on your computer. The most common reason for this problem is that Windows is too far out-of-date. Please make sure that all of the latest recommended updates for your operating system have been installed (you may need to reboot your computer during this process). After the updates have been installed, go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, select Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015 and click Repair. After this process is complete, you should be able to re-launch Simplify3D.
If this does not work, you may need to install the Visual C++ Redistributable manually to identify the cause of the issue. You can download the redistributable directly from Microsoft by clicking here. Most users should choose the vc_redist.x64.exe file for 64-bit operating systems, but you can also download vc_redist.x86.exe if you are using a 32-bit operating system.
Please see the reseller section of our website.
