Managing Filaments

Editing Filaments

To modify an existing filament's information:

On iOS/iPadOS

1. Tap the filament in the sidebar to select it
2. In the detail view, tap the "Edit" button at the top
3. Modify any fields you need to change
4. Tap "Done" to save your changes

On macOS

1. Select the filament in the sidebar
2. Click the "Edit" button in the toolbar
3. Make your changes in the form
4. Click "Save" to apply the changes

What You Can Edit

All filament properties can be modified:

• Brand and polymer type
• Color name and hex codes
• Modifiers
• Diameter
• Spool weight and remaining weight
• Part number

Important: Editing the spool weight or remaining weight doesn't create a usage log entry. These fields represent the baseline values. To track usage, use the Log Usage feature instead.

Duplicating Filaments

Duplicating is useful when you:

• Purchase another spool of the same filament
• Have multiple spools with similar properties
• Want to create variations of an existing filament

How to Duplicate

On iOS/iPadOS

1. Long-press on a filament in the sidebar
2. Select "Duplicate" from the context menu
3. The add filament form opens with all fields pre-filled
4. Modify any details (usually just the remaining weight)
5. Tap "Done" to create the duplicate

On macOS

1. Right-click on a filament in the sidebar
2. Select "Duplicate" from the context menu
3. Adjust any fields in the pre-filled form
4. Click "Add" to create the duplicate

Duplicate vs Edit

• Edit: Modifies the existing filament record, preserving all usage logs
• Duplicate: Creates a new, independent filament record with copied properties but no usage history

Use duplicate when you want a fresh tracking record for a new spool of the same material.

Deleting Filaments

Remove filaments you no longer need to track.

Single Deletion

On iOS/iPadOS

Method 1: Swipe left on a filament in the sidebar and tap "Delete"

Method 2:

1. Long-press on a filament
2. Select "Delete" from the context menu
3. Confirm the deletion

On macOS

1. Right-click on a filament
2. Select "Delete" from the context menu
3. Confirm the deletion in the alert dialog

Bulk Deletion

On iOS/iPadOS

1. Long-press on any filament in the sidebar
2. Select "Select Multiple" from the context menu
3. Tap to select multiple filaments
4. Tap the trash icon in the top-right
5. Confirm the deletion

On macOS

1. Click to select the first filament
2. Hold ⌘ (Command) and click to select additional filaments
3. Right-click on any selected filament
4. Select "Delete" from the context menu
5. Confirm the deletion in the alert dialog

What Gets Deleted

When you delete a filament, the following are also removed:

• All usage logs for that filament
• All drying logs for that filament

This action cannot be undone, so make sure you really want to delete the filament.

Organizing Your Inventory

Using Filters

Filters help you focus on specific subsets of your collection.

To access filters:

• iOS: Tap the filter button in the toolbar
• Mac: Click the filter button in the toolbar

Available filters:

Polymer Type

Show only filaments of specific materials:

• PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU
• Nylon variants (PA6, PA12, etc.)
• Engineering materials (PC, POM, etc.)

Brand

Filter by manufacturer:

• Prusament
• Bambu Lab
• eSUN
• And more...

Modifiers

Show filaments with specific properties:

• Carbon Fiber
• Glow in the Dark
• Matte finish
• And more...

Diameter

• 1.75mm
• 2.85mm

Combining filters: You can apply multiple filters simultaneously. For example, show only "Prusament PLA filaments with Carbon Fiber".

Clear filters: Tap "Clear All" to remove all active filters.

Using Search

The search field filters filaments in real-time as you type.

Search by:

• Color name (e.g., "black", "blue")
• Brand (e.g., "prusament")
• Polymer type (e.g., "pla", "petg")
• Modifier (e.g., "carbon", "silk")

Tips:

• Search is case-insensitive
• Partial matches work (searching "carb" will find "Carbon Fiber")
• The search counter shows how many filaments match your query

Sidebar Grouping

Filaments are automatically grouped by polymer type in the sidebar. The groups are ordered by category:

1. Common polymers - PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, etc.
2. Engineering polymers - Nylon, PC, PBT, etc.
3. Industrial polymers - PEEK, PEI, etc.
4. Unknown - Filaments with unrecognized polymers (shouldn't happen in normal use)

Within each group, filaments are sorted alphabetically by their auto-generated name.

Understanding Filament Names

Spool Buddy automatically generates display names to make filaments easy to identify at a glance.

Name Format

Polymer[-Filler] [Hardness] [Visual] Color

Name Components

1. Polymer: The base material (PLA, PETG, etc.)
2. Filler (if applicable): First filler modifier with a common name, connected with a dash
   • Example: -CF for Carbon Fiber, -GF for Glass Fiber
3. Hardness (TPU only): Shore hardness rating
   • Example: 95A, 40D
4. Visual (if applicable): First visual modifier
   • Example: Matte, Silk, Glow
5. Color: The color name you entered (or auto-detected)

Examples

Why Auto-Generated Names?

Consistent naming helps you:

• Quickly identify filaments in the list
• Understand key properties at a glance
• Keep your inventory organized without manual effort

You can still customize the color name component to your preference.

Best Practices

Keep Weight Information Current

Update the remaining weight field when you initially add a spool, but use the Log Usage feature to track consumption. This ensures your usage history is accurate.

Use Consistent Color Names

While you can name colors however you like, being consistent helps with searching. Consider patterns like:

• Single colors: "Black", "White", "Red"
• Shades: "Dark Blue", "Light Green"
• Descriptive: "Ocean Blue", "Forest Green"
• Brand names: "Galaxy Black" (if the manufacturer has a specific color name)

Add Part Numbers

If you might reorder the same filament, adding the manufacturer's part number makes it easy to find the exact product again.

Duplicate for Fresh Tracking

When you buy a new spool of a filament you already have, duplicate the existing entry rather than editing it. This gives you:

• Separate usage tracking for each physical spool
• Historical data for the old spool
• Clean remaining weight for the new spool

Use Modifiers Purposefully

Add modifiers that affect your printing decisions:

• Filler modifiers: Affect print settings and strength
• Visual modifiers: Affect appearance and post-processing
• Hardness: Critical for TPU flexibility

Don't worry about adding every possible modifier - focus on what's relevant for your use.