"Erode First Layer" Feature Request

[zapta]

Please add "horizontal size compensation" as option for the first layer.

You can already do this right now. I use it quite frequently. You just setup 2 processes, one for the first layer only, and the second one for the remainder of the part. Then you set the "horizontal size compensation" for the first layer process only. Pretty simple.

I just tried it and indeed it seems to work. I wish S3D would simplify the UI so we can just say inset-first-layer=0.3mm instead of having to deal with two processes.

Attached is a factory file that inset the first layer by 0.3mm. The setting is in the Other tab of the first process. When you click on the Prepare To Print! button make sure to select the two processes.

ring.factory

(39.1 KiB) Downloaded 472 times

[TheGoofy]

Please add "horizontal size compensation" as option for the first layer.

You can already do this right now. I use it quite frequently. You just setup 2 processes, one for the first layer only, and the second one for the remainder of the part. Then you set the "horizontal size compensation" for the first layer process only. Pretty simple.

Thanks for the hint. This works ... but I'd also appreciate a simplified GUI.

[SDX]

Please add "horizontal size compensation" as option for the first layer. Of course one could say, the print bed is not well levelled, but if I properly level the hight, the first layer adhesion is MUCH worse, because the contact area on the build-plate is maybe only 50%. For a 100% contact area of the bottom layer, material needs to be over-extruded, which results into this ugly brim. Often I'm creating a small chamfer in my designs on the base face in order to compensate this artefact. The result is usually perfect, but I see this just a workaround: it would be better, if the design doesn't need to be modified for the printing process.

Layer height in the image below is 0.15mm

... as you can see in this picture, the Elephant-Foot isn't a first layer only problem. Mostly it affects 3-5 layers depending on the layer hight. There should be a layer wise Horizontal Size Compensation (or a Start-Value and a Layer count that will be affected (linear or logarithmic)). This Elephant-Foot-Correction should be added to the standard Horizontal Size Compensation. That would be such a cool feature!

[gadittri]

I always design my parts with a .5 chamfer on the bottom to help with this. I wish more designs on Thingiverse would do the same. There are some nice designs and this would help with the post processing/cleanup. If anything it makes the parts look nicer.

[dbrunner]

I'd go a step further and suggest that horizontal size compensation have per-layer setpoints like the temperature adjustments, and also have linear interpolation between them. I've been able to mitigate elephant foot somewhat when printing ABS by ramping bed temperature down with increasing layer height, but it seems very hard to completely get rid of it without losing first layer adhesion. I usually apply an elliptical asymmetric fillet (2mm x 0.5 mm) in SolidWorks to compensate, but it would be much nicer if S3D could handle this - that way I'd get correct geometry on parts that are already in STL.

[rflulling]

There are a few first layer tricks I use. Including thinner layer with tighter calibration. Also using an extremely thin wide raft.

The thin layer works but requires a manual arrangement of FFF files with slightly different profiles assigned. This typically produces a far higher quality but is a pain to follow through in developing profiles for each filament and nozzle. Setting up FFF files and corresponding Profiles using the divide feature is a pain, when you know the layer you want to address, but the only opion you are given is an approximate height.

The raft works in most cases, and is a little simpler to configure. But works best with a similar complex set of FFF and corresponding Profiles. The draw back can be fixing the of set so the part actually separates clean from the raft, which is to say that if the part was not sticking very well the point of the raft in helping with adhesion would be mute. Raft made parts also don't have that clean sharp edge that direct to surface do.

Raft is also almost a requirement if you are working with material that high a very high expansion ration when heated, and you don't have a heated bed.

In the end, yes I think we have been given tools to compensate for the issue at hand. But they are perhaps still rudimentary, as using a screwdriver for a pry-bar. Yes it works but there are better ways we can do this. Better tools can be developed.