Many settings can be tweaked. The slicer's role is to try to optimize printing but we can change things and settings such as "random Z seam" or even "wipe after retractions" can make the printing slower and seem less efficient but they have their place in certain situations. If settings like these are being used without purpose, it certainly can be improved. It takes some time to learn all this. Cura has an awesome plugin (if you use Cura) called "settings guide" that allows you to hover over each setting and give a detailed and graphical description. It will reduce the learning curve for sure!
@mikemoy I’ve noticed the same excessive tool path inefficiencies with other slicers as well. Cura, too. Now Prusa’s whole platform, stock out of the box, is easily the most polished for folks who want to actually spend their time making things, and not tweaking settings and modding their rigs to print PETG benchies half decently.
Now my concern about the tool path wander is not mainly about time, but wasteful and unnecessary wear on the machines. Thousands of feet of unnecessary movement and thousands of ambiguous bearing/belt and motor cylcles is obviously having an effect on mechanical durability. It should really be addressed from a high level.
True to that point as well. I have also seen this same issue when watching CNC machining videos.
I'm new to all of this, and for as long as slicers have been around I cannot believe how inefficient how objects are sliced.
Yesterday, I made a 7"x 6" box 5mm thick. It has 60 holes in it. The holes were arranged in a 6x10 pattern evenly spaced. When It went to print it started in the middle row at the last 3'rd circle. Finished that row, then jumped to the top left did a few rows, then moved down to the bottom right. It was all over the place. Just crazy.
