Analysis and visualization

The Custom G-code Editor doesn't just display text — it understands the structure, timing, and physics of your G-code. This page covers the analysis and visualization tools that help you understand what a file does before (or after) you print it.

Structural outline

The Outline Panel on the left side of the editor shows a hierarchical tree of your G-code's structure:

File
  Startup          (lines 1–45)
  Layer 0 (Z=0.200) (lines 46–320)
    Skirt
    Perimeter
    Infill
  Layer 1 (Z=0.400) (lines 321–590)
    Perimeter
    Infill
    Support
  ...
  Layer 142 (Z=28.600)
  Shutdown         (lines 28401–28450)

How it works

The structural analyzer detects sections from two sources:

Z-height changes — each time the Z position increases, a new layer begins
Slicer comments — the analyzer reads comment annotations from popular slicers

Supported slicer comment formats

Slicer	Comment pattern	Example
Cura	`;TYPE:`, `;LAYER:`, `;MESH:`	`;TYPE:WALL-OUTER`
PrusaSlicer	`; TYPE:`, `; LAYER_CHANGE`	`; TYPE:Perimeter`
OrcaSlicer	`; TYPE:`, `; LAYER_CHANGE`	`; TYPE:Inner wall`
Simplify3D	`; layer`, `; process`	`; layer 1, Z = 0.300`

You can also define custom section markers:

;--- SECTION: My custom region ---
G1 X10 Y20 E0.5
G1 X30 Y40 E1.0
;--- SECTION: Another region ---

Outline interaction

Click any section to scroll the editor and highlight the toolpath
Expand/collapse layers to drill into regions (perimeter, infill, support)
Hover to see section metrics (time, extrusion, travel distance)
Filter by typing in the search bar at the top

Each section type has a colored dot matching the Line Type color mode, so you can visually distinguish perimeters from infill from support at a glance.

Metrics panel

The Metrics tab in the dock shows computed statistics about the entire file — or just your selection.

Global metrics

Metric	Description	Example
Print time	Estimated duration	2h 15m 32s
Filament length	Total filament used	12.45 m
Filament volume	Volumetric usage	8.32 cm3
Filament weight	Weight (if material density set)	10.3 g
Lines	Total / command / comment / blank	28,450 / 22,100 / 4,200 / 2,150
Layers	Number of distinct Z heights	142
Extrusion distance	Total movement while extruding	45.2 m
Travel distance	Total non-extrusion movement	8.7 m
Travel / extrusion ratio	How much travel vs printing	0.19
Retractions	Count and total retraction distance	1,240 / 6,200 mm
Avg flow	Average volumetric flow rate	4.2 mm3/s
Peak flow	Maximum volumetric flow rate	12.8 mm3/s
Avg speed	Average feedrate during extrusion	2,400 mm/min
Peak speed	Maximum feedrate	6,000 mm/min

Print cost estimation

When you configure filamentCostPerKg in your printer settings (under material configuration), the Metrics panel shows an estimated print cost based on the computed filament weight. This updates live as you edit or when you select a portion of the file — so you can see what a specific section costs in material.

For example, with PLA at €25/kg and a print using 42g of filament, the panel shows: Est. Cost: €1.05

Time estimate vs slicer TIME

Print time uses a trapezoid + classic-jerk motion planner (defaults: accel 1000 mm/s², jerk 8 mm/s) and includes G4 dwells. The metrics panel shows naive (distance/feedrate), planned, and slicer ;TIME: / TIME when the file includes that metadata.

Charts

SVG charts (no extra chart library) in the Metrics tab:

Layer time (bar per layer) and time-to-layer (cumulative)
Flow and speed histograms
Feature split (perimeter / infill / support / travel)

Selection-scoped metrics

Select any range of lines (in the editor or by clicking a section in the outline), and the Metrics panel switches to show statistics for just that selection. Sparse 3D brush selections use only the selected line indices, not the min–max span between them. This is useful for answering questions like:

"How long does this layer take?"
"What's the flow rate in this infill region?"
"How many retractions happen in this section?"
"How much does this section cost in filament?"

Color modes

The 3D viewer can color-map the toolpath by different machine state properties. Switch modes from the Color dropdown in the toolbar.

Mode	Colors by	Gradient	What it reveals
Speed	Feedrate (`F`)	Blue (slow) to Red (fast)	Speed variation across the print
Extrusion rate	Volumetric flow	Blue (low) to Red (high)	Where the printer pushes the most plastic
Volumetric flow	Volumetric flow	Cool to Hot	Flow with threshold awareness
Acceleration	Acceleration setting	Green to Yellow to Red	Where acceleration limits may matter
Line type	Section type	Distinct per type	Perimeter vs infill vs support vs travel
Temperature	Nozzle target	Blue (cold) to Red (hot)	Temperature changes across the print
Fan	Fan speed	Gray (off) to Cyan (full)	Cooling strategy visualization
Layer index	Layer number	Rainbow cycle	Layer-by-layer progression
Bead	Extrusion width	Tube radius from estimated width	Bead tubes when segment count ≤ 80k; otherwise lines

Playback controls

The playback bar sits between the editor and dock tools. As you play or scrub, the editor scrolls to the current line and the overlay clips with setDrawRange (geometry is not rebuilt every tick). At 1x, playback follows estimated print time (elapsedSeconds).

Controls

Control	Action
Slider	Drag to any line in the file
Play/Pause	Animate the nozzle through the toolpath
Stop	Reset to show all lines
Step Forward	Jump to next command (skips blanks and comments)
Step Backward	Jump to previous command
Speed	1x follows estimated print time (`elapsedSeconds`); 2x–50x scale that clock

Jump-to buttons

Quick navigation to the next event of a specific type:

Layer — jump to the next Z-height change
Retract — jump to the next retraction event
Temp — jump to the next temperature change

State display

During playback, the bar shows the current machine state:

X120.5 Y80.2 Z4.200  F2400  E1234.5mm  210°C  Fan 100%  0:14:32

This updates in real time as you scrub or step through the file.

Hover over any toolpath segment in the 3D viewer to see a tooltip with:

Line number in the source file
Raw G-code command text
Speed (feedrate in mm/min)
Flow (volumetric flow in mm3/s)
Temperature (nozzle target in °C)
Section label (e.g. "Layer 42 — Perimeter")

Click the segment to select it in the editor and jump to that line.

Hover is off while Brush Select or Measure is active so those tools can use the click.

Measure

Switch the viewport tool to Measure, then click two toolpath hits. The overlay shows straight-line distance (XYZ) between those states. A third click starts a new pair.