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R1+ Support settings

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by Wesley Knapp, Sep 1, 2020.

  1. Wesley Knapp

    Wesley Knapp Active Member

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    I rarely print things that require supports but when I do it never ends good.

    Please share your settings! I have about every slicer known to man, so if there is one that outshines the others as far as supports go pleeeeez let me know.

    Biggest issue is supports that seem to have adhesion to the object that surpasses regular layer adhesion. (Intended to get a laugh, not literal)

    I have messed with every setting to the point that I no longer remember my original setting for any slicer.

    Thanks my 3D dudes

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  2. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    What slicer are you using?
    I have never touched the support settings from default and all 7 FDM printers do a great job with making seamlessly removable supports. If the temperature is correct supports work beautifully (but I only use Simplify3D)

    try another slicer. Prior to the one I use now supports were a big variable sometimes welded to the object and other times not actually "supporting" anything.
     
  3. Wesley Knapp

    Wesley Knapp Active Member

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    Using MC mostly for the Robby the R1+. But also have Cura, F360, and some others configured. So used to using MC with the Robo that I'd prefer to stick with it because in tests with the others I see no difference in the output other than quicker print time/better optimized paths.


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  4. Rod Smith

    Rod Smith Member

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    In my experience, the supports in ideaMaker surpass those in other free (as in beer) slicers. (That said, I have no experience with the latest version of MatterControl, since I pretty much abandoned it completely about two years ago.) Partly this is because so many others offer only two options: supports on or off, which the slicer deciding where to add supports when they're on. By contrast, ideaMaker (like the free-as-in-beer Craftware and the commercial Simplify3D) offers the ability to manually place and remove supports. This means that you aren't held hostage to whatever under- or over-support the slicer might generate; you can use your own judgment to change the support, or just add it sparingly.

    Beyond that, support should usually leave a layer or two between the support and any plastic part it's supporting. For PLA, one layer is generally best; for PETG, two layers usually works better. There should be a slicer option to control this; in ideaMaker, it's on the "Support" tab when slicing. Slic3r and PrusaSlicer call this "contact Z distance."

    Some slicers also offer different support patterns -- hollow columns, zig-zag patterns, etc. You can study these in the slicer's preview display. I prefer a zig-zag pattern, since it's easy to grip with tweezers or needle-nose pliers to remove the supports; however, the first layer of such supports can be difficult to lay down, which can lead to failures. Generally speaking, slicers will lay out long zig-zag lines when there's a horizontally long bar of support in one direction or another, so if you're trying to minimize support, laying out alternating long bars in the correct direction will be better than laying out small squares of support. Rotating the object to be printed can help get this right.

    If you're forced to use a slicer that doesn't offer manual supports, look for a setting called "overhang threshold," "overhang angle," or something similar. This sets the angle above which supports are not added. This is often set higher than necessary by default, so raising it a bit may reduce the amount of support being generated, if the problem you're having is with too much support.
     
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