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Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:27 pm
by Zuhan
Lets face it, supports are a pain sometimes. I've had issues with supports ever since I have been printing (about a year now). I recently installed Meshmixer and their supports are completely different from what S3D uses. Meshmixer's supports are like pillars that branch off to other parts of the print and are really easy to snap off when the print is complete. The issue i'm having at the moment is when I move the model from Meshmixer to S3D it adds gaps in the support structures for whatever reason. I've read that using the "Separate Connected Surfaces" fixes this, the issue with that is when the model has a crap ton of these connection issues S3D "Stops Responding" for hours before it finally decides to do its thing. Can we get supports like the ones Meshmixer uses to rectify this problem I am having? I'm sure many other people would like these to.

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:05 pm
by dkightley
The issue i'm having at the moment is when I move the model from Meshmixer to S3D it adds gaps in the support structures for whatever reason. I've read that using the "Separate Connected Surfaces" fixes this,
Why not try it, then!

And I agree that the support structure could do with a hell of a lot of improvements...…..however cloning how other software works is not that clever!

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:20 pm
by arhi
Zuhan wrote: I've read that using the "Separate Connected Surfaces" fixes this, the issue with that is when the model has a crap ton of these connection issues S3D "Stops Responding" for hours before it finally decides to do its thing.
splitting the surfaces is not an easy task, especially for meshes generated by meshmixer's support+object ..
there is much faster and better way to do it. you can export, from mexhmixer, object and supports as separate STL's, load that stl's into the s3d separately and manually position then so they are properly positioned one to another. It is rather simple to position them, double click on them and make sure "change position" (x, y and z offset) values are identical for both objects, if not manually set them to be identical ...

then you should create one process for the object and second process for the support and voila ..

what does not work if you do it this way is - there is no support as s3d is concerned so no dense layer, cannot setup system to print only dense (interface) layer with e.g. dissolvable filament while everything else is printed with normal filament... so you can ignore the "support" tab completely, but you can define infill percentage, shells etc etc .. for support structure seaprately from the object, assign different material to each of them etc etc... it works rather good!

here you can see prusa generating support in mesh mixer, exporting part and support as separate stl's and loading them in to slic3r ... you can do exactly the same thing with meshmixer + s3d
https://youtu.be/OXFKVmMwXCQ

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:22 pm
by Zuhan
dkightley wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:05 pm
The issue i'm having at the moment is when I move the model from Meshmixer to S3D it adds gaps in the support structures for whatever reason. I've read that using the "Separate Connected Surfaces" fixes this,
Why not try it, then!

And I agree that the support structure could do with a hell of a lot of improvements...…..however cloning how other software works is not that clever!
Continue reading and you will see that I do. "the issue with that is when the model has a crap ton of these connection issues S3D "Stops Responding" for hours before it finally decides to do its thing." Ive been sitting for the past 3 hours waiting for S3D to finish but all I have is the image below. (Notice in the top left it says "Not Responding") That's the issue with S3D I am having.

"however cloning how other software works is not that clever!" Then why not stop with the default of adding gaps? I even put the model into Blender, joined all the meshes together and I STILL get the damn gaps.

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:46 pm
by dkightley
Sorry I posted! :roll: I was only trying to be helpful...…

I won't bother next time.

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:07 pm
by Zuhan
dkightley wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 7:46 pm Sorry I posted! :roll: I was only trying to be helpful...…

I won't bother next time.
My reply was meant to be mean in anyway, the way you worded your reply made it sound like you stopped midway through my comment. My point still stands though, S3D NEEDS better support structures, preferably similar to Meshmixers supports.

Anyways, any suggestions on how to speed this "Separate Connected Surfaces" thing up. It's starting to piss me off.

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:29 pm
by S3D-Jake
Thanks for the request and great tips, everyone! Our development team has already received several requests for additional support structure options such as "tree" supports or "scaffold" supports. Autodesk's Meshmixer provides tree style supports for models, which can already be exported as their own model and then imported next to your part in Simplify3D. This was mentioned already by Ahri. (Thanks Ahri!)

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:43 pm
by arhi
S3D-Jake wrote: Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:29 pm Autodesk's Meshmixer provides tree style supports for models, which can already be exported as their own model and then imported next to your part in Simplify3D. This was mentioned already by Ahri. (Thanks Ahri!)
well if we could, after we import object+model from meshmixer, click on one of them and select it as "this is support", so that s3d can then make interface layers and everything else like it is real support that would make it even more useful...

Re: Support Structures Similar To Meshmixer

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2018 3:22 pm
by S3D-Jake
arhi wrote: Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:43 pm
S3D-Jake wrote: Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:29 pm Autodesk's Meshmixer provides tree style supports for models, which can already be exported as their own model and then imported next to your part in Simplify3D. This was mentioned already by Ahri. (Thanks Ahri!)
well if we could, after we import object+model from meshmixer, click on one of them and select it as "this is support", so that s3d can then make interface layers and everything else like it is real support that would make it even more useful...
I've noted this in the existing feature request notes. Great idea!

Tree supports and support retraction

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:42 am
by aaronelsey77
I'm looking to see if we can get tree supports and retractions on supports. No matter what configuration of selections I make in the advanced tab, I still get strings and blobs off off supports. Tired of ruined prints because of lame linear supports.
Most figures do not have flat overhangs, so why would we be forced to use linear supports?? We need the option to use tree supports for figures or curved overhangs. Tree supports are perfect for figures noses and fingers, not a giant linear supports that just takes more time to print and wasted material.
Cura offers both these options for free which blows me away.