Noob Question about Object Alignment

[zacware]

This should be simple for me to figure out on my own, but I must be missing something

I have 2 objects I wanted to stack on top of each other for a dual extrusion print...... so when I started to work on this I noticed something odd.....

Both objects indicate in the interface that they are 2mm high. However, if I have the app put the one object flat on the bed, and then position the next object 2mm above it, there is a gap ?

I am trying to understand why this is so. I've looked for stray elements in each object messing up the z-axis, but I don't see any

If the first object is flat on the bed, and is 2mm high, then the next object should start as 2mm on the axis to be flush with the first. but this doesn't seem to be the case

thanks in advance for any help....

[TheBum]

Assuming you have a dual extruder, you could use something like Meshmixer to combine the bodies into one and then set up separate processes for the two portions, one using extruder T0 (or T1) from the bed to 2mm, and the other using T1 (or T0) from 2mm (possibly have to be 2.2mm, assuming a 0.2mm extrusion height) to the top. The wizard could set it up for you.

[dkightley]

The XYZ location of each of the individual parts is based on the XZY zero point as defined in the individual part when it was created.

In your example, the Z origins of the two parts do not both reside in exact alignment with the bottom surfaces of the parts.....hence one is slightly higher than the other.

You have two choices......go back to the CAD package the parts were created in and adjust the origins so the match.....or simply adjust the Z placement offset so you have the upper part exactly where you want it.

[zacware]

Thank you both for your replies. They were equally helpful

[revel8or]

I’ve been struggling with the same issue. Right now, I’ve been aligning models via S3D, but it seems that a long term solution is to figure out how to set Fusion so the coordinate systems are consistent between models.

[RoboDLC]

I’ve been struggling with the same issue. Right now, I’ve been aligning models via S3D, but it seems that a long term solution is to figure out how to set Fusion so the coordinate systems are consistent between models.

I find that Meshmixer and TinkerCAD make this kind of thing a lot easier than the big CAD packages. TinkerCAD is the easiest. This is probably because I am not an expert with Fusion 360, and I've hacked a LOT of stl's with TinkerCAD, and done a few hacks with Meshmixer... The key to the whole business with two-color printing in S3D is making sure that both of the models have the same origin.

DLC

[TheBum]

The key to the whole business with two-color printing in S3D is making sure that both of the models have the same origin.

Isn't that only if you're using one model per color and want to overlay them in the same 3D space so that the colors intermix in some way? If I read the OP's intent correctly, he's stacking the colors, so the bottom of the print will be one color and the top another.

[RoboDLC]

The key to the whole business with two-color printing in S3D is making sure that both of the models have the same origin.

Isn't that only if you're using one model per color and want to overlay them in the same 3D space so that the colors intermix in some way? If I read the OP's intent correctly, he's stacking the colors, so the bottom of the print will be one color and the top another.

This is how you do it. It is two models that share a single coordinate origin. S3D then assembles a single model printed from two-heads from that. The only difference is how many times you change heads during the print. It really is very simple, once you do one. Crazy simple. I just noted that if you use the Tool->dual head wizard after you select all of the models to combine: you can just check the "group and align" checkbox to do all three steps at the same time.

DLC