Cost Estimator
The Cost Estimator lets you estimate the total cost of a print before sending it to the printer — based on filament consumption, electricity price, and machine wear.
Go to: https://localhost:3443/#cost-estimator
Upload file
- Go to Cost Estimator
- Drag and drop a file into the upload field, or click Select file
- Supported formats:
.3mf,.gcode,.bgcode - Click Analyze
For 3MF files, a 3D preview is also available via the 3MFConsortium 3mfViewer.
The system analyzes the G-code to extract filament consumption, estimated print time, and material profile. This typically takes 2–10 seconds.
Filament calculation
After analysis, the following is shown:
| Field | Value (example) |
|---|---|
| Estimated filament | 47.3 g |
| Material (from file) | PLA |
| Price per gram | 0.025 (from filament inventory) |
| Filament cost | 1.18 |
Switch material in the dropdown to compare costs with different filament types or vendors.
If the G-code doesn't contain material information, select the material manually from the list. The price is automatically fetched from the filament inventory.
Electricity calculation
The electricity cost is calculated based on:
- Estimated print time — from G-code analysis
- Printer power — configured per printer model (W)
- Electricity price — fixed price (per kWh) or live from Tibber/Nordpool
| Field | Value (example) |
|---|---|
| Estimated print time | 3 hours 22 min |
| Printer power | 350 W (X1C) |
| Estimated consumption | 1.17 kWh |
| Electricity price | 1.85 per kWh |
| Electricity cost | 2.16 |
Enable the Tibber or Nordpool integration to use planned hourly prices based on desired start time.
Machine wear
The wear cost is estimated based on:
- Print time × hourly cost per printer model
- Extra wear for abrasive materials (CF, GF, etc.)
| Field | Value (example) |
|---|---|
| Print time | 3 hours 22 min |
| Hourly cost (wear) | 0.80 per hour |
| Wear cost | 2.69 |
The hourly cost is calculated from component prices and expected lifetime (see Wear Prediction).
Total
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Filament | 1.18 |
| Electricity | 2.16 |
| Machine wear | 2.69 |
| Total | 6.03 |
| + Markup (30%) | 1.81 |
| Selling price | 7.84 |
Adjust the markup in the percentage field to calculate the recommended selling price to the customer.
Save estimate
Click Save estimate to link the analysis to a project:
- Select an existing project or create a new one
- The estimate is saved and can be used as a basis for invoicing
- Actual cost (after printing) is automatically compared with the estimate
Batch calculation
Upload multiple files at once to calculate the total cost for a complete set:
- Click Batch mode
- Upload all
.3mf/.gcodefiles - The system calculates individually and in total
- Export the summary as PDF or CSV