ChiTuBox

ChiTuBox is the absolute, undisputed industry standard for slicing models for SLA/DLP/LCD resin 3D printers. While software like Cura and PrusaSlicer dominate the FDM (filament) market, resin printing involves an entirely different physical process—using UV light to cure liquid resin layer by layer—which requires specialized software to handle the unique challenges of the medium. Developed by CBD-Tech (a company that also manufactures the control boards used in the vast majority of budget resin printers), ChiTuBox is the native, go-to software for almost anyone operating a resin printer from brands like Elegoo, Anycubic, or Phrozen. The most critical feature of ChiTuBox is its incredibly sophisticated support generation for resin prints. Unlike FDM printing where models are built from the ground up, resin models are often printed hanging upside down from a build plate, submerged in a vat of liquid. This creates massive "suction cup" forces. ChiTuBox allows users to easily hollow out their 3D models (saving expensive resin) and instantly punch "dig holes" to allow trapped liquid resin and air to escape, preventing the model from exploding or tearing off the build plate due to suction. Furthermore, it automatically generates the complex, tree-like support structures necessary to anchor delicate, overhanging "islands" of curing resin to the build plate. ChiTuBox excels in its handling of massive, highly detailed files. Resin printing is often used for printing incredibly detailed miniatures (for tabletop gaming) or intricate jewelry casts, resulting in STL files containing millions of polygons. ChiTuBox's rendering engine processes these massive files rapidly. The software slices the 3D model into thousands of 2D images (which the printer's LCD screen will flash to cure the resin) and exports them in the highly specific, proprietary file formats required by different resin printer manufacturers. While a "Pro" version exists with advanced features, the free version of ChiTuBox remains the essential software backbone of the consumer resin printing boom.