Save soluble support material

[DDDSam]

Soluble support material like PVA is quite expensive, compared to the price for PLA. Besides that, it's often not easy to print.
I have a proposition, which could help save nerves and money: print only a couple of layers where the support structures actually touch the model with the (e.g.) second extruder and hence the second material. The rest of the support structures could be printed with the primary extruder and hence the cheaper and easyer to print material. Of course, there is a limit to that approach for support inside a model which can not be removed mechanically.

Thank you for considering!

[dkightley]

Don't get too excited....but you can do this already: https://www.simplify3d.com/software/rel ... ion-4-0-0/

RHS..3/4 way down page.

[DDDSam]

Oops, thank you, Doug! I previously encountered the "dense support" feature, but was so far not aware what one could actually do with it. Great! I'll try it out.

BTW since you tell me not to get too excited: did you try it? What are the flaws (other than the usual fuss with printing PVA)? Any tips?

[dkightley]

My "tongue in cheek" comment was all to do with the feature being there already.....and nothing to do with how the feature performs. I have single extruder printers only.....so have no experience whatsoever with printing with more than one material at the same time. And probably never will in the foreseeable future.