FlatForge / ColorDrop / Split-by-Color
FlatForge, ColorDrop, and Split-by-Color all hand the 3MF Export Plugin a single-plate, multi-volume layout — N color parts on one plate, different from a standard HueForge stack (which is one mesh with extruder-tagged layer bands).
How they differ from HugeForge tile mode
| Mode | Plates | Parts per plate | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlatForge | 1 | N (one per color) | Flat multi-color graphics |
| ColorDrop | 1 | N | Color-mapped print-in-place |
| Split-by-Color | 1 | N | User-split color bodies |
| HugeForge tile mode | N | 1 each | Huge models split into tiles |
What you see in the slicer
- One plate, one object, with N volumes inside it. Each volume is tagged with the extruder it should print from. With HueForge 0.9.4.4 or later, each FlatForge and ColorDrop part is matched to its filament by ID; with older versions, by filament name.
- The filament list shows your N HueForge colors.
- No layer-by-layer filament-change G-code. Filament changes happen at the natural Z transitions between volumes; the slicer figures them out from the extruder assignments.
The translucent cap layer (FlatForge “Face-down print” only)
FlatForge has a checkbox for “Face-down print (cap layer)”. When on, the plugin:
- Prepends a slot-1 filament with hex
#E6E6E64D(translucent gray, about 30% opacity). - Adds a flat cap layer that prints first from that translucent slot.
- Your N color parts then print on top.
When face-down printed, the cap becomes the visible top surface — the translucent layer diffuses the colors behind it, giving a HueForge-like depth effect even on a non-stacked print.
When the checkbox is off, no placeholder is inserted; you see only your N real color slots.
Choosing the slot order
Filament Order works for FlatForge, ColorDrop and Split-by-Color exports too: click Edit… next to it in the plugin’s 3MF Export options and arrange the spools to match your printer. Each color part is assigned to its new slot. With the translucent cap on, the cap keeps slot 1 and your colors follow from slot 2. See Filament Order.