Download software and prepare your computer

Nexlock Companion is the new name for Nexlock Connector. Your saved pairing, slicer paths, preferences and exported projects remain in place. Existing links and update packages keep their compatibility identifiers.

The download card shows the current product version from the verified release feed. Internal app and installer build numbers are listed separately under Package integrity and release notes. Use the current Windows installer to update the app name in Windows shortcuts as well.

1. 1

   Use the Windows installer below when a verified executable release is available. Its bundled Python and Qt runtime means end users do not install Python or run terminal commands.

2. 2

   Run the Nexlock Companion installer and complete the per-user installation. Open Nexlock Companion from the Start Menu, and exit an older instance before starting its replacement.

3. 3

   If no verified executable is published, the download area explicitly labels the source app instead. Its Developer source section retains the Python requirements and commands; a source ZIP is not an executable installer.

4. 4

   Install the slicer listed for your model. For native projects, configure the exact printer and nozzle preset.

5. 5

   In Companion, configure the slicer and keep Internet relay selected. Choose Open Companion on the website and approve the matching confirmation in the app.

After installation, open Studio → Settings → Companion or search for Companion in Workspace search. The connection center reuses the approved browser pairing and checks the selected method. Review the selected Studio slicer separately from the applications configured in Companion, and use the connection guide for recovery steps.

Installed app build is shown only when Companion reports it. The published release and its product version describe the available software, not proof of what is installed on your computer.

Overview groups the connection summary, local workspace details and recent activity. Slicer workspace shows only enabled slicers with verified application paths. Open Slicer setup to configure or change any supported slicer. Exact printer and nozzle profiles are checked during project preparation.

Companion actions have distinct hover, pressed, focus and disabled states. In Settings, clicking the label or free space in a setting row toggles its checkbox. Tab moves focus and Space changes the focused checkbox. Slicer executable/profile paths, enabled slicers, output folder and auto-open changes apply when active work finishes. Browser approvals stay in place; connection-method and legacy-port changes retain their explicit stop/restart workflow.

Profile in the sidebar shows your maker details and personal printer list. Use Profile settings to edit the details saved on this computer.

Activity has independent search, status, category, slicer and time filters. Select a row for its complete message, copy the selected event, or export the filtered JSON/CSV history. Update checks and major update stages appear as events. Authentication values are redacted; local file paths can still be present, so review exports before sharing.

The desktop Help tab follows the Nexlock Wiki layout: start on its guide directory, search all help, browse topic panels or choose a common question. Guides open in a separate wide reading view with section links, related articles and app actions. Setup, pairing, profiles, files, updates, troubleshooting and privacy guidance remain readable offline; connecting and downloading updates require internet access.

Open Projects in Companion to find recent local receipts with their printer, nozzle, material, file path and preparation state. Up to 200 receipts survive restart. Unfinished preparation or opening is marked interrupted; it never automatically repeats a job or opens a slicer. Files remain in their original export folders.

Select a native project to compare supported recipe overrides with the prepared settings. Installed default speeds are identified separately. A match verifies the saved file; it does not certify a completed slice, print quality or physical clutch. Geometry-only handoffs require manual recipe setup.

Open saved project checks the file checksum and uses its currently configured slicer. Changed or missing files need manual review or a fresh preparation in Studio. Companion Projects stores local preparation receipts; Studio Projects stores account-owned designs and revision history. They do not synchronize automatically. These receipts are also separate from Activity, legacy saved parts and Tested profiles. Clearing Activity does not remove receipts or exported files.

Companion uses a red brick icon for the app, tray and shortcuts. The installer and uninstaller use the same brick with a blue download badge. The full Nexlock Studio wordmark remains inside the app.

To refresh an older desktop icon, exit Companion from its tray menu and run the current Windows installer again. Setup refreshes an existing Nexlock Companion desktop shortcut automatically, even when Create a desktop shortcut is unchecked. Creating a shortcut where none exists remains optional. Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts use the installed red brick icon. The in-app payload updater retains the installed launcher and shortcuts, so this repair needs the installer. Pairing, preferences and exported projects stay in place. If an old taskbar pin still shows a cached icon, unpin it and pin the newly installed Start Menu shortcut.

1. 1

   In the desktop app, open Slicer Setup → Auto Detect All.

2. 2

   Use Find a slicer to narrow the list by name. Configured only shows enabled slicers with a valid application path. Clear the search and turn the filter off to show all supported entries.

3. 3

   Use Browse if your slicer is not found, and select its actual executable.

4. 4

   If exact presets cannot be resolved, choose the complete native resources/profiles folder for that installed slicer. Do not choose an individual unrelated JSON file.

5. 5

   Enable the slicer entry, then use Test Open to confirm the path launches the intended application.

6. 6

   Slicer and output changes apply automatically when the current project finishes. Use Apply setup changes to check again. Stop Companion before changing its connection method; a changed legacy port still needs a restart.

In Studio, the Desktop slicer picker shows alternatives with known presets for your printer. PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer and UltiMaker Cura use geometry handoff and save a separate recipe. Check the printer table for the Bambu Studio workflow.

The supplied GUI workflow is documented for Windows. Vendor slicers may offer other operating-system downloads, but that does not establish a packaged Companion build for those systems. Geometry downloads can still be used with manual slicing.

The Windows app runs and opens the slicer on the paired computer. First-time Open Companion activation requires a browser on that computer; a phone does not run the Windows app. Internet relay needs online access during transfer. Geometry downloads remain available for manual slicing. Renaming a 3MF or STL to G-code or a resin format does not make a printable machine file.