Simplify3D User Forum

I keep being tempted to just go to one infill direction (like 45) and uncheck random infill placement so that I can get a solid infill wall that is stronger. However, if I do this, my bottom and top solid layers all run the same direction which isn't as strong. Is there a good way around this or does this just fall under the feature request for better infill support (hexagon, other patterns etc etc).

dennisjm wrote:I keep being tempted to just go to one infill direction (like 45) and uncheck random infill placement so that I can get a solid infill wall that is stronger. However, if I do this, my bottom and top solid layers all run the same direction which isn't as strong. Is there a good way around this or does this just fall under the feature request for better infill support (hexagon, other patterns etc etc).

0, 45, -45, 90 is what they use in composite engineering, that's the general convention.

Yes that's what I've been doing on a bunch of prints but I don't really like how the infill makes sparce walls since there isn't a solid layer of plastic under. Every time you add an angle it gets more sparse. Perhaps just going back to that and random infill is the best solution for now.

What I really want is a very sparce infill like 3% w/ one direction but then when it gets to the solid layers to switch directions so the infill acts as a support. I can easily fill a top panel with 3 or 4% infill if the first solid layer runs perpendicular to the infill direction. If it runs the same direction it's a no go of course since the platic just falls through the 97% empty space.

dennisjm wrote:Yes that's what I've been doing on a bunch of prints but I don't really like how the infill makes sparce walls since there isn't a solid layer of plastic under. Every time you add an angle it gets more sparse. Perhaps just going back to that and random infill is the best solution for now.

What I really want is a very sparce infill like 3% w/ one direction but then when it gets to the solid layers to switch directions so the infill acts as a support. I can easily fill a top panel with 3 or 4% infill if the first solid layer runs perpendicular to the infill direction. If it runs the same direction it's a no go of course since the platic just falls through the 97% empty space.

I traditionally don't print with such low infills so I don't have as much of a problem. From 15% onwards, the 0,45,-45,90 seems to work extremely well.

I'm doing a number of prints that are quite large. They are 24-36 hours. If I can cut off 6-7 hours that's a big deal. But yeah, for smaller objects I just print around 15-20% and it's good.

S3D is pretty good... but there are reasons to use other slicers still unfortunately. I keep waiting for the end-all software that makes it so I don't have to switch between 3 different ones.

Here is what I"m doing but it takes multiple processes..

right up until about 1/2 mm before the top surface, I print with a very low infill (like 2% or whatever) without random infill.
Then next process I switch to about 30% and print several layers, I make sure to chagne the infill direction 90 degrees so that there is something to print on.

Then when the top surface prints it can have a nice surface.

Problems arise when the part isn't nice and evenly flat. This specific part is quite squarish so it can work.

But if I have a part with other pieces sticking out at various points in the print I have to be more creative. A while back ago I had a part with I think 12 processes, each simply adjusting the infill angles and density. Hopefully sometime soon the software will do that automatically. To date it's still worth the time to do the processes rather than print the whole model at a higher infill. The pictured print is a 21 hour print approx... would be around 70 hours with a higher infill I think.... that and all that wasted plastic.