Control printer via computer?

[Geoff]

Not sure why you would want to use makerware on flashforge printers though.

Because most designers who first get a printer and are scratching their head, are directed by all flashforge documentation to get Replicator G... have no idea what your print preview is going to look like, what supports will look like etc and have little understanding of Gcode.. (sure you learn all this along the way but lets say you are fresh) Makerware just works, it's that simple. No frigging around, load the model, press print and it's done. When I started printing and even still to this day, and while it lacks alot of features for me its very much what a printing program should be. Not overfluffed, not laden with technical jargon that most people are yet to understand. My kids won't touch repg, but Makerware they feel completely comfortable using.

Makerware was the first slicing/printing program I used that had a preview function, which I have come heavily to rely on not only for the structure of the print, but the estimated time and plastic usage. I know alot of other software does this, but Cura still for me is not as reliable as makerware for a stock flashforge.

Even if I'm NOT printing in Makerware, I still use it to slice and also to print preview because it is so damn quick. I wouldn't say it's quicker than slic3r but it beats the pants off ReplicatorG... which can take ludicrously long to slice objects. Not going to mention any other software because I would only be speculating.

Now, all of this is completely based on the software and has no relation to Makerbot, which I now consider to be the evil step-son of the printing industry, not the pioneer it once was.