2D Printer Simulator

An app that allows you to "print" images on a 2D printer, complete with a slicer!

Overview

Features

Printer

• A custom printer instruction language
• Real-time printer simulation
• Multiple drawing colors
• Polygon rendering
• Filled polygon support (INFILL)
• Animated print head
• Command parser
• Home positioning

SVG Slicer

• Imports SVG files
• Converts SVG geometry into printer instructions
• Stroke support
• Polygon infill generation
• Color extraction
• Adjustable scaling
• Adjustable print offsets

Instruction Language Guide

Instruction	Description
HOME	Return print head to home position
MOVE X Y	Move the print head(800x600 canvas)
START	Begin drawing
END	Stop drawing
COLOR R G B	Change drawing color
INFILL	Begin polygon infill operation(printhead speeds up)
DRAW	End infill mode(printhead will slow down)

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Techstack

• Python
• Pygame
• svgelements
• NumPy
• tqdm

Quick Start

If your lazy:

Download a compiled version here

Local Development

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/thecheetoman/2d-printer-simulator.git
cd 2d-printer-simulator

2. Create a virtual environment

Python 3.12–3.13 is recommended.

python -m virtualenv venv

# Windows
.\venv\Scripts\activate

# Linux / macOS
source venv/bin/activate

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Creating a Print File

Launch the slicer:

python ./src/slicer/main.py

Or just launch the exe from releases

Using the slicer

1. Click Load SVG.
2. Select an SVG image to import.
3. Position the artwork using the X and Y offsets.
4. Adjust the scale until the artwork fits within the printer's 800×600 build area.
5. Click Slice.
6. Wait for the slicing process to finish. Complex SVGs can take a couple of minutes to process.
7. Save the generated .banana file.

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Simulating a Print

Launch the printer simulator:

python ./src/printer/main.py

Or just launch the exe from releases

Using the printer

1. Click the Load button.
2. Select the .banana file generated by the slicer.
3. Press Start to simulate a normal print.
4. Press Test to perform a high-speed dry run without drawing (useful for verifying toolpaths and movement).

Sometimes the printer may just start printing before randomly stopping, I cannot figure out what is causing that issue, so please relaunch the printer.

Keybinds

shift -> Make printhead transparent(so you can see the rest of your print while it is printing)
t -> Toolpath preview(shows where the printhead is going to go)

Workflow

SVG Artwork
     │
     ▼
Load into Slicer
     │
     ▼
Adjust Position & Scale
     │
     ▼
Slice
     │
     ▼
Generate .banana File
     │
     ▼
Load into Printer
     │
     ▼
Print Simulation

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Tips

• The printer's virtual build area is 800 × 600 pixels.
• SVG files generally produce the best results when they contain vector paths rather than embedded raster images.
• Larger or more detailed SVGs will take longer to slice.
• The Test mode is useful for checking print paths without rendering the final drawing.

Note on AI

AI was used to eliminate a few errors in the parser and write some of the slicer.