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I’m not printing currently.

I’ve used Kubotek Key Creator for the CAD, and either Ultimaker Cura or MatterControl for driving my old Robo 3D printer.

The projects I was working on have long since run their course, and I’m in the process of donating my printer to a university student who wants to make prosthetics.

Our local MakerSpace has three printers, so I have access for the next time I have a need.

Do you do 3D printing? If so, what slicer and firmware do you typically run?

We have owned a 3D Printer since 2016. The printer is from a design that was originally open source. Mine is called a “Monoprice-113860 Maker Select 3D” V2. It was marketed under a number of names. The slicer software is based on Cura. I forget which firmware version that I am on.

The Ultimate Monoprice Maker Select V2 3D Printer Review for 2020 - Total 3D Printing

I have done a lot of mods to the printer over the years including modifications and additions to the motherboard in the controller. The original was prone to overheating and quit working, but was both reparable and there were worthwhile mods that made it much more dependable. There has been a lot of support for this printer in the forums so I didn't have to reinvent the wheel to get it going again. It has worked very well. Unlike a standard printer for paper this little guy is easy to repair and modify with generic parts that are cheap and available.

I have also put together much larger 3D printers for friends. But I have not found the need to replace my original printer especially after making quite a few mods to it.

My favorite design software is called Autodesk 123D Design. It is no longer available through the manufacturer. They were giving it away on Amazon for years after they stopped supporting it. You can still find it on archive.org. It is simple to use but can be very precise. I also like Autodesk's full feature Fusion 360 software. If you register as a hobbyist or student I believe you can still get it for free as well. But it is more than I need for most projects and more complicated to use.

I have designed many original projects like the venturi adapter that I made to use Natural Gas with our backup generator. I also like to download and print things that I find on Thingiverse.com. etc... I often end up modifying the designs that I find to better suit my needs.

I would add that successful 3D printing if you are not using a paint by numbers setup from a major manufacturer can take quite a bit of patience to get everything dialed in. Just changing your filament of the same type to a different brand can require a lot of changes in settings to get things working right. And when you make a major change like going from PLA filament to ABS to nylon or god forbid, flexible TPU... there is a good chance that hardware modifications will be necessary. That is why it is best to buy a printer that lots of others are using so you can find out what has worked for others by going on the forums.