[ADDED] Dual Extruder Skirting

[McSquid]

+ 1 to this feature. Proper skirt/wipe functions are essential

[BaronWilliams]

This used to be possible in older versions. I used to create 2 processes: right and left. For example, right might be black and left might be white. Each process had it's own skirt positioned slightly differently so that they did not touch each other. This worked very well for a dual color print composed of 2 different objects combined in the same location, as long as their sizes were roughly the same. I loved it. I would get a white skirt wall and a black skirt wall surrounding my 2 color black and white print. It was a little tricky to setup, requiring 2 processes, but it worked great for most objects.

[BaronWilliams]

This feature was TAKEN OUT in version 2.2.0.

This is the "improvement" that took out this feature (see http://www.simplify3d.com/software/changelog/):

"Improved interaction of rafts, skirts, and support structures for multi-process builds"

That "improvement" made it no longer possible to make 2 different colored skirts using 2 processes to create a decent 2 color print. As of 2.2.0 (and up until the current 2.2.2), you can no longer create 2 processes and have each one create it's own separate skirt with a different head, UNLESS the two objects did not occupy the same location, which essentially means the object can't be a 2 color object. So sad. I hated this "improvement". I want the old behavior back!

With the "improvement" the software merges the two skirts into 1 skirt if the processes' objects occupy roughly the same location, even if you don't want it to, and it forces the print to use the first process for the skirt. But this is NOT the case if the two processes print objects in different locations. It's basically there to prevent you from making a quality 2 color print. Is Simplify3D getting legal pressure to do that? 2 color prints were possible before. Now they are barely doable. So sad.

[JoeJ]

They improved a lot of things in the last few updates. They are all things that will make it much easier to add these other dual extrusion options in the future. For example, the change to the skirt makes it possible to properly add a skirt for dual extrusion prints. Previously, it did not work correctly. Go use your previous version and try to create a dual color skirt for this part (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:124450). Now give this a try in the latest 2.2.x versions. They would have needed to make those improvements before they can add proper support for dual extrusion skirting, so I'm sure they are well on their way to get there.

[BaronWilliams]

Previously, it did not work correctly. Go use your previous version and try to create a dual color skirt for this part (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:124450).

Like I said, it worked very well for certain models, but NOT all models. The models needed to occupy roughly the same area or it wouldn't work. For example, a coin where the bottom was black and the top was white would work just fine, because the bottom and top occupy roughly the same area.

As it is right now, I go back to older versions if I want to do dual extrusion, because I can get the 2 skirts to be created properly, provided the models are the correct shapes to allow it. With the current versions, 2.0.0-2.2.2, we are out of luck. So I see this as a feature loss. And it bothers me.

[BaronWilliams]

I would be a little happier if the newer skirt and raft merging functions were optional. I don't like that this "improvement" was added, and the old behavior was simply removed from the software. I had a lot of tricks I developed that relied on the old behavior where each process could have it's own raft and skirt settings. Now, this merging logic messes up many of my old factory files which relied on the old behavior prior to version 2.2.0. That's pretty upsetting.

New features should not cripple or remove old features. That's not the way to go. If the behavior needs to change, the change should be an option in the settings somewhere, so that older factory files still work properly. There is currently NO WAY to get my older factory files to print properly, which relied on the old behavior without going back to an older version of the software.

Backwards compatibility is important for successful software packages. I think the Simplify3D team needs to more carefully look at this. Having factory files that no longer work in newer versions is a major letdown. If this keeps happening, people will choose other software.

[Rebekah_harper]

+1

Makerware has the right idea on this feature.

[Vol]

+1 Dual Extruder Screening is the single most lacking feature in Simplify3D.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if S3D had this ability implemented in an effective form, then it would be hands down the best FFF printing software available for the architectural and prototyping applications we use it for. But without this functionality, it really limits printing options. Especially with Bowden extruder systems.

I’d like to see this functionality implemented soon, but also executed reliably, simply, and properly (NOT relying on tool change scripts, multiple processes, or custom built sacrificial objects). The benchmark for this functionality is clearly MakerWare. Other users have pointed out that there are lots of clever ideas in the MakerWare screens that would make it a great place to start if this feature isn’t already in the works.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY SIMPLIFY3D!!!!! We are currently switching between MakerWare, Cura, ReplicatorG, and Simplify3D depending on the part. If we had this feature, I don’t think I’d ever launch one of those other applications ever again!

[S3D-Jason]

This feature was added in version 3.0. You can now include an ooze shield which will create a shield around your part, protecting it from ooze, while also helping to purge each nozzle before it is used. The skirt was also updated so that you can create a skirt that uses each of your extruders, for example, if you want to make sure that each nozzle is primed before starting the print.

Dual extrusion was a major priority for version 3.0. This video explains more about some of these new features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPufaJhyqME