uneven skin thickness

[katapault]

This is my first project using this software, and I am pretty confident that I am missing a very small detail in the setup.
My problem is that I cannot get an even thickness skin. The top surfaces all have holes because the skin is so thin.

[JoeJ]

Increase the number of top solid layers (Layer tab)

[katapault]

I have increased the top layers to 7 and still have the same thickness, and so of course the holes are still there.

[JoeJ]

The factory file you posted still has all of the top solid layers set to 3, not 7

Also, you should increase your infill percentage. 10% is really low and is bound to cause issues with your top layers. When you increase your infill extrusion width, you generally need to increase your infill percentage as well. So if I was using 10% infill with 100% extrusion width, I would want at least 15% infill with 200% extrusion width (maybe even more!). And yet still, 10-15% is not much fill. Something like 30-40% would do much better to support to top layers.

Thankfully, S3D will allow you to use different settings for the top of the model only, so you could easily increase the infill percentage only in that area

[jimc]

i agree with everything joe posted and to add to his analysis i just looked at the model and i dont think there are any top surfaces at all. they all look like perimeters to me. even if the surface is somewhat horizontal its not a top surface unless it completely flat. to get the curves of that sculpture the perimeters keep stepping over and the more shallow that angle gets the more it has to step with each layer. the holes you are seeing is where it had to step over farther than the extrusion width. you can lower your layer height for the model or in those areas so the steps are decreased. this will help. s3d is supposed to put a top surface to fill the holes but those holes are so small and your infill is so low that its probably doing it but its printing it in mid air. if it were me, on a model like this i would bump up the extrusion width just a little and lower the layer height

[katapault]

Thanks for the input. I tried so many variations and ended up attaching the wrong factory file, sorry about that.
What I ended up doing was splitting the model into 4 parts and adjusting each section accordingly and it printed great. .
One thing to note is that jimc is 100% correct, the holes were being caused due to the fact that this area is a perimeter and not a top surface.
Thanks again for the help, it will take a while to learn all the options and adjustments that are now available to me in this software.

[DarthRevan]

Thanks for the input. I tried so many variations and ended up attaching the wrong factory file, sorry about that.
What I ended up doing was splitting the model into 4 parts and adjusting each section accordingly and it printed great. .
One thing to note is that jimc is 100% correct, the holes were being caused due to the fact that this area is a perimeter and not a top surface.
Thanks again for the help, it will take a while to learn all the options and adjustments that are now available to me in this software.

Glad to hear you got it working! Good work jimc!

[katapault]

Thanks everyone for your effort, but to say I got it working is a bit of an over-statement. I cannot get the result I am after, and to be honest I don't believe it is possible.
I don't know how these slicing programs work, but what I do know is that Makerware have got it right and Simplify3D have done their best, but have fallen short drastically.
The result I need to achieve, and to be quite frank, everyone needs to achieve is a constant skin thickness through the entire build. This is achieved in the most simple program you write in Makerware, but with Simplify3D it does not happen when you make the top,bottom and perimeter equal. Sorry folks, but it should in my book.
If only Makerware could incorporate the supports that are in Simplify3d. or Simplify3D could incorporate the skin thickness control in Makerware, we would have a perfect programming software.
I have asked Joey at Simplyfy3D for help in this regard, but as hard as he tries he cannot get what I need.
If anyone else has the answers, I am all ears, otherwise I will be continuing to use Makerware, and using Simplify3D as a metaphorical but very expensive door stop.

[JoeJ]

That is not correct at all. The perimeters are horizontal rings where each one has a "thickness" equal to the extrusion width. The top and bottom solid layers have a "thickness" that is equal to your layer height. Using 3 perimeters and 3 solid layers will obviously create very different thicknesses since these items are very different!

[katapault]

I have just read my last post and have to admit that I was extremely frustrated at the time, I am so sorry for any offence I may have caused. I know that the advice given on sites like this is free and with the best possible intentions.
OK, having got that all off my chest, let me tell you all where I am at present. The problems have all been resolved and I am now printing with confidence and getting really awesome results.
I often browse You Tube and came across a clip, posted by 'memnarch1113', which was showing how to write a program for a model very similar in complexity to what I was trying to do. Take a look for yourself, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEXGe1IPPE.
The most important setting that got me on the right track was the 'extrusion multiplier'. I had been advised that going over 0.95 was wrong, but in the clip he set it to 1.15. I had to try it, and WOW what a result. No more holes, and beautiful even layers giving a great finish.
I have attached a couple of pictures for you to have a look at.
Thanks to you all for your help.