Top surface pattern (top_surface_pattern)
Line pattern for the top surface. Monotonic lays every line in the same direction for an even sheen; concentric follows the outline. The slicers declare 3 to 8 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 | top_fill_pattern |
process |
| Bambu Studio | top_surface_pattern |
process |
| OrcaSlicer | top_surface_pattern |
process |
| Cura | top_bottom_pattern |
process |
| Creality Print | top_surface_pattern |
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 top_fill_pattern, top_surface_pattern and top_bottom_pattern, 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 | monotoniclines |
8 named values |
| Bambu Studio | enum | not declared | monotonicline |
8 named values |
| OrcaSlicer | enum | not declared | monotonicline |
8 named values |
| Cura | enum | not declared | lines |
3 named values |
| Creality Print | enum | not declared | monotonicline |
8 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
concentric,lines,zigzag - Bambu Studio and Creality Print accept
concentric,zig-zag,monotonic,monotonicline,alignedrectilinear,hilbertcurve,archimedeanchords,octagramspiral - OrcaSlicer accepts
monotonic,monotonicline,rectilinear,alignedrectilinear,concentric,hilbertcurve,archimedeanchords,octagramspiral - PrusaSlicer accepts
rectilinear,monotonic,monotoniclines,alignedrectilinear,concentric,hilbertcurve,archimedeanchords,octagramspiral
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 top surface pattern under its own name alongside the rest of the print settings. The file stays in your browser; see what leaves it.