Sparse Infill every N layers

[kokop76]

gcfaceplate.factory

(265.87 KiB) Downloaded 260 times

When I select "print sparse infill every" lets say 2 layers, it does not start infill when it should. With 4 bottom layers enabled sparse infill starts at layer 7, and not layer 6. This causes issues with poor bonding to the bottom skin layers. I tried to contact support, but got very tired after correctly entering the captcha a dozen times and having it reject me.

[dkightley]

I think you've found a little bug there!

To clarify the detail of what the error is..... with sparse infill set at more than every 1 layer (lets use a value of N), the sparse infill prints on layer N, 2xN, 3XN, 4xN, etc of the model, starting layer N+1, 2xN+1, etc. This results in the likelihood of a greater than wanted gap at the very start of the infill. The infill printing process should actually start immediately after the last solid bottom layer. The sparse infill would then print on layers B+N, B+2xN, B+3xN, etc where B is the number of solid bottom layers.

And a work-around for your print (or should I say a compromise).....set the number of solid bottom layers to either 3 or 5.

[atunguyd]

Remember that this setting increases the layer height of the infill. So if you are printing at say 0.2mm layer height and put a sparse infill every 2 layers that infill will be extruded for a 0.4mm height. If your nozzle is too small then the problem you are experiencing will happen as a 0.4mm nozzle or smaller cannot reliably print a 0.4mm layer height (there is no pressure pushing the molten plastic into the layer below it).
Try reduce your layer height to say 0.150mm and then set infill every 2 layers for a 0.3mm infill height and I am sure this will fix your problem.

I moved from a 0.4mm nozzle to a 0.5mm.

[kokop76]

Remember that this setting increases the layer height of the infill. So if you are printing at say 0.2mm layer height and put a sparse infill every 2 layers that infill will be extruded for a 0.4mm height. If your nozzle is too small then the problem you are experiencing will happen as a 0.4mm nozzle or smaller cannot reliably print a 0.4mm layer height (there is no pressure pushing the molten plastic into the layer below it).
Try reduce your layer height to say 0.150mm and then set infill every 2 layers for a 0.3mm infill height and I am sure this will fix your problem.

I moved from a 0.4mm nozzle to a 0.5mm.

Increasing the layer height of the infill is the goal, and the intended behavior of the function. If you look at the factory file provided and step through the layers you can see that a layer of infill is not printed when it should be as I wrote in the initial description. When an even number of base layers is selected the first layer of infill is printed at the third layer up when I have selected to print every 2. This has absolutely nothing to do with nozzle size. I also wouldn't use .3 tall infill on a .3 nozzle, as it would not "fix my problem", it would make things worse in other ways.