Smart slicing features real benefit or gimmick?

[Princess_Moonbrooke]

I’ve been testing out some of the new “AI-assisted” slicing features popping up in Cura and PrusaSlicer this year, and I can’t tell if they’re actually improving print consistency or just adjusting settings based on presets. A few of my PLA prints came out smoother on the outer walls, but I also noticed a couple weird layer changes on tall parts. Hard to say if it’s learning anything from previous prints or just overcompensating. Has anyone here in Minnesota tried running these AI profiles long-term? Does it really make a difference for reliability, or are we still better off fine-tuning by hand?

 

[Aira_Aishe]

I think it’s useful for beginners or when you’re printing a bunch of random stuff. For tuned printers, it’s hit or miss. I had it slow down mid-print once for no reason. For my Ender, manual settings still win every time. “Smart slicing” just saves a few minutes clicking sliders.

 

[KingCarnelian]

Yeah, “AI” is a stretch. It’s just adaptive presets with extra buzzwords. The smoother walls are probably from slower accelerations, not actual learning. Cool idea, but it’s not replacing manual dialing anytime soon.

 

[freshRootb33r]

I like that it can automatically activate variable layer height or adjust the speed of outer walls, but we also manually fine-tune it. it's really helpful