Tutorial 8: Adding Effects to Your Profile
The profile curve defines the silhouette — effects define the texture. The G-code Sculptor supports over 60 procedural effects that add ripples, noise, blobs, twists, and more to your base shape. In this tutorial you will learn how to add your first effect, adjust its parameters, and stack multiple effects for complex surfaces.
What you'll learn
- Where the Effects panel lives and how to open it
- How to add your first effect (Z-Ripple)
- How effect parameters control the visual result
- How to stack multiple effects
- How effect depth and frequency work together
- How to enable and disable effects for comparison
Prerequisites
- A shaped profile from previous tutorials (any shape works).
- Spiral mode recommended for clearest preview.
Step 1: Open the Effects panel
Step 1
Find the Effects tab
In the dock panel, switch to the Effects tab. You will see an empty effects list with an Add Effect button (or + icon). This is where all your surface effects are managed.
Step 2: Add your first effect — Z-Ripple
Step 2
Add a Z-Ripple effect
Click Add Effect. A picker dialog opens showing all available effects organized by category. Find Z-Ripple (under Wave or Oscillation) and click it to add. The effect appears in the list and the 3D preview immediately shows horizontal ripples on your shape.
Z-Ripple adds a sine-wave displacement that varies with height — horizontal ridges running around the circumference of your object.
Step 3: Adjust the depth
Step 3
Change the depth parameter
With the Z-Ripple effect expanded in the panel, find the Depth (or Amplitude) parameter. Start at a low value like 1 mm — you will see subtle ripples. Increase to 3 mm for more dramatic ridges. Go to 5 mm for deep, sculptural grooves.
Depth controls how far the effect pushes the wall from the profile surface. Positive values push outward; the ripple oscillates between +depth and -depth from the base surface.
Step 4: Adjust the frequency
Step 4
Change the frequency parameter
Find the Frequency (or Count) parameter. A low value like 5 creates a few large ripples. A high value like 30 creates many fine ripples, like a corrugated surface. Try different values and watch the preview update.
Frequency and depth work together:
- Low frequency + high depth = dramatic, sculptural waves
- High frequency + low depth = subtle texture, like a knurled grip
- High frequency + high depth = aggressive, spiky surface (may not print well)
Step 5: Add a second effect — Noise
Step 5
Stack a Noise effect
Click Add Effect again. This time choose Noise (under Organic or Procedural). A noise displacement is added below the Z-Ripple in the stack.
Now your shape has both horizontal ripples (from Z-Ripple) and organic random bumps (from Noise). The effects combine — each effect modifies the shape after the previous one, so the noise is applied on top of the rippled surface.
Step 6
Adjust noise parameters
Set the Noise depth to about 0.5 mm for a subtle organic texture. Adjust the scale to control the size of the noise features — smaller scale = finer grain, larger scale = blobby lumps.
Step 6: Understand effect ordering
Effects in the stack are applied from top to bottom. The order matters:
Step 7
Reorder effects
Try dragging the Noise effect above the Z-Ripple in the stack. The result may look different — now the noise is applied to the smooth profile first, then the ripple is added on top of the noisy surface. Compare this to the original order (ripple first, then noise) by dragging it back.
Step 7: Enable and disable effects
Step 8
Toggle effects on and off
Each effect in the stack has an enable/disable toggle (checkbox or eye icon). Click it to temporarily turn off an effect without removing it. This is invaluable for comparing before/after or isolating the contribution of each effect.
Step 8: Remove or duplicate effects
Step 9
Manage your stack
- Duplicate — creates a copy of an effect with the same parameters. Useful for applying the same effect at different heights or with different settings.
Try duplicating the Z-Ripple, then changing the frequency on the duplicate to create two overlapping wave patterns.
Step 9: Explore effect categories
The full effect library is organized into categories:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Wave | Z-Ripple, Sine Wave, Harmonics |
| Noise / Organic | Noise, Blobs, Organic patterns |
| Geometric | Polygonizer, Faceting, Line patterns |
| Transform | Twist, Bend, Taper, Stretch |
| Structure | Caps, Floors |
Step 10
Browse the effect categories
Click Add Effect and explore each category. You do not need to add them all now — just skim the names and descriptions to see what is available for future designs.
Outcome
You now know how to enrich your profile shapes with procedural effects:
- Add effects from the organized picker
- Adjust depth, frequency, and other parameters
- Stack multiple effects for complex surfaces
- Reorder effects to control how they combine
- Toggle effects for quick comparison
What's Next
Tutorial 9: Overhang Angle Coloring and Print Safety — Learn how to read the angle-based coloring on the profile curve to ensure your design is printable.