Slicing Tips from Richrap

They brought up a good point that using a better slicer is a better alternative than spending hours fine tuning slic3r

 

I've yet to get cura to work.. Slic3r has been working awesome...

 

I do NOT like the current version of supports for Slic3r. They stick great, but I'm just not getting good results (messy first layer on what was supposed to be supported, and sometimes, can't remove supports.

What fun alternatives are there? I find matterslice to work well. But not so much matter control. I find myself using several print programs and slicers depending on the task I need to perform and which one will do it best.

 

Ya, I tried the "Big 3" slicers, all had good stuff, none were the best all around. I really like the hexagon/honeycomb infill that slic3r makes.. I miss that.
I bought S3D and have been using it exclusively now.. Its a little better support-wise and you can manually insert them but still, the supported surface isn't perfect. It does let you fool with the fine setting though, like distances from the surface and such.
I'm guilty of including supports in the model too.. sometimes that's what it takes.
I think I just got uber-spoiled from using the Statasys Machines..
I'm persuing a two-nozzle upgrade now so I can try using dissolvables for support. Best results I think would be with a support structure that is as smooth as the model surface but I'm not certain yet any of our slicers will generate that.. hope so..

 

I bought the s3d this morning after a night long print just could not be separated from the crazy support material Slic3r decided it needed. (i previewed it, frowned and hit print anyway).
Printing the same thing now (well the one failed part) and well.. where I was pessimistic about slic3rs extra support... simplify3d certainly thinks it can bridge the grand canyon. Just got to that point.... it was wrong.

Added some of my own support.. which is a cool function, we'll see how this goes.

 

Yea, its a pretty big downer when your support falls over right before it gets to the thing its trying to support.

 

Indeed indeed. It DID bridge the gap. But not nicely. I admit to not printing many things that needed bridging like this. I havent given it much thought. I just used s3ds handy support software and halved the gap... No problem. 90% better. I think it would have worked with pla or abs. Petg... A little stikier? Something. Looked like someone was tossing fishing line across the room.