Grifftech
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:12 pm

How do I export supports in S3D 5?

Was easy to do in 4 but can't find it in 5
Rikests
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:01 am

Re: How do I export supports in S3D 5?

I am also looking for this option, its very tiresome to remake all custom supports every time I make a new part version.
S3D-Jason
Posts: 1379
Joined: Sun May 31, 2015 6:01 am

Re: How do I export supports in S3D 5?

The supports in V5 are already exported in the factory file, so just File > Save Factory File As.

If you want to make a minor edit to your part but keep the supports you already added in S3D, then you can use the new live reload feature in S3D V5. With that feature, the software will automatically reload the changes to your STL file, but it keeps all of the other information you had already added to that part in Simplify3D (position, rotation, custom support structures, process assignments, etc). You can go to Tools > Options > Models tab, and check the "Enable live reloading of modified 3D model files" option to make sure the feature is enabled. Then you just overwrite your original STL file with the modified version and you will see a prompt in the software to reload the part.
Rikests
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:01 am

Re: How do I export supports in S3D 5?

Still, often I make multiple versions of the same model, that have some minor differences. The model reload feature is not a solution in this case. Earlier I could just center the original model, save the supports, center the other model and apply the saved support file.
I often use angled supports therefore I lose a lot of time to this.
Maybe I understand why this feature was removed, it sometimes behaved in an erratic way and a newbie could get frustrated. Could just hide it under some advanced feature tab.

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