Tutorial 3: Basic Cube

In this tutorial you'll build a simple cube from discrete layers. While previous tutorials used "vase mode" spirals, most 3D prints are built layer-by-layer. The Stack Layers block automates this process. You'll also learn to parameterise the cube's size and height with Set Variable blocks.

What you'll learn

How to create layer-by-layer objects with Stack Layers
How to draw a Rectangle
How to use Set Variable with viewport sliders for quick tweaking
The difference between Spiral Up and Stack Layers

Prerequisites

No prior tutorials required, but completion of Tutorial 2 is helpful.

Step 1: Define your variables

We'll expose the cube dimensions as viewport sliders so you can resize the cube interactively.

Set Variable

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Step 1

Create two variables

Add two Set Variable blocks to the top of your Path Group:

cubeSize = 20

Enable Show in viewport on each one.

Step 2: Centre on the build plate

Translate

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Step 2

Add a Translate block

Drag a Translate block below the Set Variable blocks.
Set X to Bed Size X / 2 and Y to Bed Size Y / 2.
All remaining blocks go inside the Translate body.

Step 3: Add Stack Layers

The Stack Layers block repeats everything inside its body at increasing Z heights — draw the shape, step up, repeat.

Stack Layers

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Step 3

Add Stack Layers

From the Z Strategy category, drag a Stack Layers block into the Translate body.
Set Start Z to Layer Height (the printer-setting block), End Z to the variable cubeHeight, and Layer Height to the Layer Height printer-setting block.

Using the Layer Height printer-setting block ties the layer step to your configured slicer settings — no magic numbers.

Step 4: Draw the Rectangle

A cube is simply a square repeated at every layer.

Rectangle

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Step 4

Add a Rectangle

From Geometry, drag a Rectangle block into the Stack Layers body.
Set Width to the variable cubeSize and Height to the variable cubeSize.

Complete block program

Full program — Tutorial 3

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Final block structure

#	Block	Where	Values
1	Set Variable `cubeSize`	Path Group	20 · Show in viewport
2	Set Variable `cubeHeight`	Path Group	20 · Show in viewport
3	Translate	Path Group	X = Bed Size X / 2, Y = Bed Size Y / 2
4	↳ Stack Layers	Inside Translate	Start Z = Layer Height, End Z = cubeHeight, LH = Layer Height
5	↳ Rectangle	Inside Stack	W = cubeSize, H = cubeSize

Outcome

You have created a fully parametric calibration cube! Drag the cubeSize slider to make it wider or narrower, and the cubeHeight slider to make it taller — all in real time.

Load this tutorial

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

What's Next

Tutorial 4: Simple Pyramid — Modify the loop to change the shape size as it grows, creating a tapered pyramid.