Vase-mode effects (ripple, twist, noise)

On a vase path the wall is the print. Ripple, twist, and noise belong on the toolpath, not as a texture slapped on a solid you later spiralize. G-code Sculptor stacks modulators and whole-form transforms on the same profile that drives spiral or Layer Mode.

The problem this answers

You want ripples, a twist, or noise on a vase without modeling a mesh and hoping slicer vase mode traces the silhouette. Or you already have a profile and need the next effect to add.

How people do it without 3dSynth

Displace a mesh in CAD or Blender, export STL, enable vase mode—and accept that the slicer follows the solid, not a designed path. Code-first tools (for example FullControl) apply math in a script.

How 3dSynth does it

In G-code Sculptor, the Effects tab stacks modulators (surface ripples, noise, cutouts) and transforms (twist, bend, taper, stretch). Docs: effects overview, Z-Ripple, Noise, Twist. Preview the path in 3D before export. This is the same stack as vase-mode G-code, not a separate product.

Example

Default cylinder profile, add a mild Z-ripple, a slow twist, keep spiral, export G-code. Start here: your first profile shape.

When it works

Lamps, planters, and vessels where the decorated wall is the object. Growth curves can fade strength over height so the base stays printable.

When another tool is better

If you need displacement on an existing STL and then conventional slicing, use Texturize and export STL. If the effect is a mechanical feature (threads, bosses), use CAD. Cutout-style effects travel without depositing; they are not a slicer support strategy.

Related: Layer Mode vs vase · parametric printing · all guides

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