Seam position (seam_position)
Where each wall loop starts and ends, which leaves a small seam. Values: nearest (shortest travel), aligned (seams in a line), back (at the rear) and random (scattered). The slicers declare 4 to 6 names each.
What does each slicer call it?
Five slicers, five spellings of one setting. The scope column is which preset the key belongs to, which is what decides whether changing it follows the printer, the filament, or the print profile.
| Slicer | Key | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| PrusaSlicer | seam_position |
process |
| Bambu Studio | seam_position |
process |
| OrcaSlicer | seam_position |
process |
| Cura | z_seam_type |
process |
| Creality Print | seam_position |
process |
Where does it live in the file?
All five slicers file this under the process preset, so its value follows the print profile rather than the model. A .3mf is a zip, so unzip it and search for seam_position and z_seam_type, or open the file in preslice and read the Raw tab, which searches every member at once.
Four of the five slicers write their settings into a sidecar part beside the geometry. Cura writes them into the model XML itself, so there is no config part to open.
| Slicer | Part | Format |
|---|---|---|
| PrusaSlicer | Metadata/Slic3r_PE.config |
INI, one key = value per line |
| Bambu Studio | Metadata/project_settings.config |
JSON, one flat object |
| OrcaSlicer | Metadata/project_settings.config |
JSON, one flat object |
| Cura | 3D/3dmodel.model |
XML metadata inside the model part, under a cura namespace |
| Creality Print | Metadata/project_settings.config |
JSON, one flat object |
What values are valid?
Each slicer declares its own type, default, and bounds for its key. They do not always agree, and where they disagree the file is still valid in both: the slicer that wrote it is the one that enforced its own rule.
| Slicer | Type | Unit | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PrusaSlicer | enum | not declared | aligned |
4 named values |
| Bambu Studio | enum | not declared | aligned |
4 named values |
| OrcaSlicer | enum | not declared | nearest |
5 named values |
| Cura | enum | not declared | sharpest_corner |
4 named values |
| Creality Print | enum | not declared | aligned |
6 named values |
This value is not a number, so PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, Cura and Creality Print declare no unit for it.
The slicers do not accept the same names, which is what a value has to survive when a file moves between them:
- Cura accepts
back,random,sharpest_corner,shortest - OrcaSlicer accepts
nearest,aligned,aligned_back,back,random - Creality Print accepts
nearest,aligned,aligned_back,back,random,assemble_zgap - Bambu Studio accepts
nearest,aligned,back,random - PrusaSlicer accepts
random,nearest,aligned,rear
Every type, default, and bound above is read from the slicer's own field definitions rather than from measurement: PrusaSlicer's PrintConfig.cpp, Bambu Studio's PrintConfig.cpp, OrcaSlicer's PrintConfig.cpp, Cura's fdmprinter.def.json and Creality Print's PrintConfig.cpp.
Can I read it from my own file?
Yes, without installing a slicer. Open preslice and drop a .3mf on the page. It unzips and parses the file in your browser, and shows seam position under its own name alongside the rest of the print settings. The file stays in your browser; see what leaves it.