Termite: An Open-Source Grasshopper Plugin for Parametric Slicing in Architectural Clay 3D Printing

Over the last decade, 3D printing of clay has gained attention in architecture. Yet most slicing software is designed for thermoplastics with nozzle sizes between 0.3 and 1.0 mm. Clay printing, using larger nozzles (1–30 mm), requires precise control over path arrangement, material flow, and shrinkage—capabilities not sufficiently addressed by conventional software. This paper introduces Termite, an open-source software plugin for Rhinoceros 3D Grasshopper designed specifically for Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM) 3D printing. The novelty of this work lies in embedding slicing logic directly into a parametric design environment, enabling explicit and flexible control of printing paths tailored to the rheological behavior of clay. The plugin supports designing, simulating, optimizing, and exporting machine data within a unified workflow. In contrast to conventional slicers, it allows variable printing parameters within a single print job, controlled inrun speeds for smoother path starts, adapted material flow at path crossings, and extrusion flattening at path ends to enhance adhesion and precision. The software was evaluated through multiple architectural-scale case studies and student-based design experiments. Results demonstrate that integrating slicing operations into parametric design workflows enables new fabrication strategies and expands accessibility of clay 3D printing for architectural applications.