Simplify3D User Forum

Hi! I love S3D so far.

Can we specify top and bottom support separation in terms of dimensional units, rather than number of layers?

Thanks so much guys and gals.

So after realizing how easily support breaks off with "0 layer" separation, maybe this feature request is not needed?

Definitely needs to be dimensional - I've bugged them repeatedly about it.

It doesn't always break off when layers are at 0, all depends on the details, horizontal separation on an angled part can give it partial layers of separation then yes, it'll come off easily, but if its a flat surface, no such luck.

I think part of why it is in an increment of layers is because this way the printer doesn't have to constantly interpolate Z-movements. It can print the support at the same height as the rest of the layer. If you make the gap a physical dimension, then the printer would constantly have to adjust its Z-height when printing the support. In fact, you'd basically be printing 3-dimensional splines at that point which gets really complicated. Plus it can be a problem when the nozzle ends up moving over plastic that was already printed that is at a slightly different Z-height.

Yeah, but there is nothing wrong with doing that... as seen by having multiple processes with multiple layer heights on the same build plate. Besides, supports are always printed separately from all other parts of a layer, it would be trivial (in a printer-is-capable sense, not a coding-this-feature sense) to make it print first at the one layer height, then increment to the the other layer height for the rest of the lines.

No, it isn't one increment. It's a constantly changing Z-height. It would drastically slow down the print time and may even cause the nozzle to collide with itself. It's against the main concept behind FFF printing

I see no difference, practically speaking, from doing support like that, or having multiple parts on a single build plate with processes of different layer heights. There is nothing, at all, that precludes this from happening.

Joe I think you're thinking about it all wrong, it'll print the support on separate layers than the main part no problem, I've done it on numerous occasions with S3D and custom designed support. It works great to print support at 1/2 layer of separation, prints come off the support beautifully and the parts look great! ABS doesn't peel up from support either.

Z height changes are not an issue, it'll just change z-height twice as many times, each time you retract, you change z height if you have z lift.
Here is a part I designed support for, I used .25mm layer heights, .5mm nozzle, offset the support from the model by .125mm, created separate processes, it printed beautifully and the support actually worked - unlike S3D generated support - the part would curl off the support in certain areas. Print time was about 1/2 hour shorter than S3D generated support!

Nice looking print! I definitely get what you guys are saying, but if you are printing the support and object at different heights, there is a lot of extra work involved. Like you said, you would need to move the Z-axis twice as much, but you also have to worry about collisions. The entire layer isn't at the same height now. So when moving from object to support, you would also need to add something like Z-lift to ensure that the nozzle moves up, over, and then back down to avoid colliding with the elevated support/object.

There is not a lot of extra work involved. You must be thinking of this in the wrong way. The machine makes potentially millions of moves during a print, we are talking about essentially adding a few extra layers to the print... that's all. Moving the z axis twice as much? That's such a ridiculous statement. It would not even be close to a 1% increase in movements.

This is only for the layer that CONNECTS the support to the model. instead of having a 1 layer gap, a "small" layer is inserted onto the top of the support only before the rest of the print is finished at the normal height.

Just think about what the machine is doing... it's not even close to the increase in movements that you are describing.