Technical guide: Cheetah motion planner deep-dive

Motion planning plays a critical but often over-looked role in 3D printing, considering that it plays a key part in any 3D printer’s performance. It controls how the print head moves, which is especially relevant when considering pathing around corners and how vibrations are managed.

The way movement is calculated matters, especially at high speeds. While we briefly covered our Cheetah motion planner, in this article, we aim to dive deeper into what motion planners are and how Cheetah redefines the approach to high-speed printing.

What are 3D printer motion planners?

A motion planner is the part of a 3D printer’s firmware that determines how each move is carried out: it calculates how fast the print head should travel, how it accelerates and decelerates and how it handles changes in direction, turning static G-code instructions into coordinated motion.

What are the main benefits of the Cheetah motion planner?

• Currently, the fastest motion planner for FDM printers on the market
• Real jerk parameter allows for smooth motion in corners and requires less input shaping, preserving more details at higher speeds

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