BambuStudio to integrate Helio Additive’s Dragon simulation capabilities
Bringing industrial-grade simulation & optimization to desktop 3D printing
Helio Additive’s Dragon technology is now integrated directly into BambuStudio, the slicing software behind Bambu Lab’s H-series and X-series desktop printer – also available for the newest H2D Pro. This marks the first time true industrial-grade simulation and optimization tools are being delivered at scale to desktop users.
With this integration, Bambu Lab users can now simulate and optimize prints using Dragon’s physics-based engine directly inside their standard slicing workflow. This will lead to faster print speeds, stronger parts, reduced waste, and greater confidence in print success, eliminating the need for trial and error.
At launch, Dragon supports a curated set of 20 high-performance materials and is immediately available to hundreds of thousands of users around the world.
“This is a turning point,” said David Hartmann, CEO of Helio Additive. “We created Dragon to eliminate uncertainty in 3D printing. Now, thanks to our partnership with Bambu Lab, desktop users everywhere can access the same intelligent simulation and optimization once reserved for industrial platforms. Whether you’re prototyping or scaling up production, you can print faster, stronger, and more reliably.”
As part of the launch, all BambuStudio users on H-series and X-series printers will receive 25 free simulations per month. For more demanding use cases, from August 26th, users can upgrade to a $15/month subscription managed directly by Helio Additive, unlocking up to 35 ‘one click’ optimizations monthly, ensuring both accessibility and performance from day one. Data for the service is hosted on Helio’s servers to support the advanced simulation capabilities.
Simulations enable users to adjust their print parameters for optimal performance manually. Optimization allows ‘auto-tuning’ to deliver the best print with one click. The images above show parts printed before and after optimization via Dragon in the BambuStudio slicing software, as printed on a Bambu Lab system.
To activate Dragon in BambuStudio, users can visit wiki.helioadditive.com or open the latest version of BambuStudio and enable Helio in the settings menu.
