How to pause at a layer in Elegoo Slicer to change filament

In Elegoo Slicer, slice, drag the layer slider in Preview to the first layer of the new color, right-click the + handle, choose Add Pause, and slice again. Neptune 4 printers run M600 and walk you through the swap.

Used with: Elegoo Neptune 4, 4 Pro, 4 Plus and 4 Max, and the Centauri Carbon. Checked against Elegoo Slicer 1.5 (September 2026).

Add the pause in Elegoo Slicer

  1. 1

    Slice and open the preview

    Click Slice plate. The Preview tab opens with a vertical layer slider on the right.

  2. 2

    Find the first layer of the new color

    Drag the slider up until the preview shows the first layer that prints only the new color, for example the first layer of raised letters above the base. The label shows the layer number and its height in mm.

  3. 3

    Add the pause

    Right-click the slider handle (the one with the + in it) and choose Add Pause. A marker appears at that layer. The printer stops just before printing it.

  4. 4

    Slice again, then print

    Adding a pause marks the slice out of date. Click Slice plate again, then send or export the file as usual.

Not sure which layer? Pick the first layer of the new color. How to find it.

The pause command

Elegoo's profiles use a filament change as the pause command, which needs recent firmware:

Neptune 4, 4 Pro (firmware 1.1.2.28 or later)M600
Neptune 4 Plus, 4 Max (firmware 1.2.2.39 or later)M600
Centauri CarbonM600

Swap the filament at the printer

Start the print with the first color loaded. When it reaches the pause:

  1. 5

    Wait for the pause

    The printer finishes the layer below, parks, and asks for a filament change.

  2. 6

    Swap the filament

    Follow the prompts on the screen to unload the old filament and load the new color. Purge until the color is clean.

  3. 7

    Resume

    Remove the purged strand without touching the print, then resume from the screen.

Remove a pause

Move the slider to the layer with the pause and click the × next to the handle, or right-click the handle and choose Delete Pause. Then slice again.

Tips and common problems

  • On older Neptune 4 firmware, M600 does nothing. Update the firmware first.
  • Centauri Carbon 2 owners report its firmware doesn't act on M600 yet. Do a quick test print with a pause a few layers in before relying on it.
  • Add Pause is greyed out when the print sequence is By object. Set it to By layer in the process settings.
  • Avoid pausing in the first two or three layers: the print can cool and lift off the bed while it waits.

Common questions

How do I pause a Neptune 4 Pro to change filament?
Update to firmware 1.1.2.28 or later, then in Elegoo Slicer or OrcaSlicer right-click the layer slider at the first layer of the new color and choose Add Pause. The profile's Pause G-code is M600, so the printer prompts you through the swap.