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Cura-connect is a community-developed Cura plugin that splits a model and adds a connector between the printable pieces. It offers Plug, Dowel, Snap, and Dovetail joints, and its developer provides an installer for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The project README says its Marketplace submission is under review, so the repository installer is the documented route for now.
What Cura-connect adds to Cura
The plugin guides you through selecting a model, activating the tool, reviewing a suggested cut plane, adjusting the plane and connector settings, and applying the cut. Its suggested plane is intended to avoid thin or lattice-like cross-sections and, where possible, keep the resulting pieces within the active printer bed. Applying the cut replaces the selected model with two pieces; Dowel also creates a separate pin, for three scene objects total. These are behaviors described in the project README.
The project describes its first version as starting with an axis-aligned plane and allowing a single tilt, rather than free rotation around all three axes. If broad plane rotation is important to your workflow, this is a meaningful limitation to consider.
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Choose a connector based on how the parts will fit
| Connector | How it assembles | Separate pin | Fit consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plug | A boss on one piece presses into an oversized matching cavity in the other. | No | Press the halves together. |
| Dowel | A separate pin fits into holes in both pieces. | Yes | Print the pin as an additional part. |
| Snap | A bulb-tipped peg passes through a narrower socket throat. | No | Assembly requires the material to flex; success depends on the actual filament and wall thickness. |
| Dovetail | A trapezoidal tail slides into its matching joint along the seam. | No | The shape is intended to resist being pulled apart directly; it must slide along the joint to assemble. |
The project cautions that a geometry preview cannot establish whether your filament and printed walls will flex enough for a Snap joint. Treat it as a fit to test, not a guaranteed assembly.
#1 Best Overall
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Install the plugin
The project README lists a Python installer and double-click wrappers for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It says the installer detects the Cura installation and places the plugin in the expected nested folder.
- Open the Cura-connect project page and follow its current installation instructions. The README lists
installer/install.pyand operating-system-specific double-click wrappers. - Run the installer for your system and let it detect the Cura installation.
- Restart Cura. The README says to look for Cura-connect on the left toolbar; it also documents the keyboard shortcut
J.
If you install manually, use Cura’s Help menu to open the configuration folder, then place the plugin in plugins/CuraConnect/CuraConnect/. UltiMaker’s plugin documentation explains that plugins extend Cura through Python, while its bundled-plugin guidance says not to put unbundled plugins in the bundled plugin directory. It points to Marketplace, dragging a .curapackage onto Cura, or installing in the configuration folder’s plugin directory as installation routes.
Rank #2
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Check the status and test the fit on your model
The project README and developer’s account of the plugin report that the Marketplace submission is under review and that the repository installer is available during that process. Marketplace status can change; check the UltiMaker Marketplace and the project page for current availability rather than assuming there is a live listing.
The Tool Desk
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Rank #3
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When a built-in cut tool may suit you better
The Cura-connect README describes OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer as having built-in Cut Tool connector modes. That comparison is the project’s description, not an independent feature audit. Cura-connect may suit you if you want the documented connector workflow inside Cura and its available plane controls are enough for your model. If you need more flexible cut-plane rotation or prefer an integrated tool, compare the current slicer features directly before switching workflows.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Rank #4
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