Simplify3D User Forum

Guys I have a large intake tube I want to print with my Makergear M2. Its 2 or 3 times larger than the build envelope so I need to slice it into multiple files & glue it together. I cant for the life of me figure out how the simplifiy3d will slice into multiple prints. Can anyone give me any advice on it?

Thanks

Jason

Usually, people break up the models in their CAD package, since many times you want a very particular break line to avoid critical features.

You can also do things in S3D like dropping part of the model below the build table (z=0 plane) so that it won't be printed. For example, if you had a statue that was 300mm tall, but your build volume was only 200mm tall, you could print it like this:
[*]Import the entire 300mm model, click "edit process settings", Advanced tab, and enable the "Stop printing at height" option with a max height of 200mm. This way the printer will print just the first 200mm of the part.
[*]After that print is done, double click on the 300mm tall model and decrease your Z-axis offset by 200mm (so if it was 0mm previously, make it -200mm now). This will drop 200mm of that model below the build platform. Now when you slice, you will see that it will only print the top 100mm of the part now.

If you need more complicated break points than these single Z-axis planes, then you need to do it in your CAD package

I agree with JoeJ, if it was a part I was designing I would design it in the needed part sizes in the native design program and then make .stls from there.

If you're starting with an .stl or obj - Netfabb Basic is free and is the easiest way I've found to chop up an .stl. There are some nice youtube tutorials on using this program where they are printing movie prop guns full size on a small bed by cutting off the barrel and standing it up, printing the grip in two halves laid flat on the bed and gluing it all together. Most people just use netfabb for stl repair but S3D does a nice job of that pretty automatically.

I've done the same as joel but mainly dropped an item by half as a complete print wasn't feasible due to it's shape. then glued it.

in the advance tab there is the stop and start printing at height xxx.

so in combination with dropping it below the bed level for the middle it you could stop the print at the specific point.

if the bed surface is big enough you could duplicate the model and set each up for each height or better yet, if the part is the same the whole length then you could just drop 2 or 3 models by the same amount.

hope this helps

While the workarounds make it possible to cut objects, it isn't very intuitive.

I agree with everyone above in that the best way to do this would be to edit your CAD files directly. However, this isn't always possible. Most parts on Thingiverse and YouMagine do not have CAD files available. . . .

Am I mistaken in thinking that NetFabb can do this?

I need to do this. I need to print only "PART" of a model and I can't do it in cad as this will alter the model (adalinda) and it won't line up properly anymore.

Adalinda failed at 60 hours. (400mm print) nozzle hit the wing and broke it off.

SO I found roughly where it failed and dropped it into the virtual print bed figuring to glue it together later.

problem is one of the 5 island keeps failing and this island causes another to fail so I am only getting 3 of the "bits" i need.

I tried sliding the model SIDEWAYS off the bed but its still "making" gcode for the portion outside the designated print volume so I assume my printer will get "upset" when it tries to go out of bounds and print that code and don't want to try it without knowing what it will do.

how do I get it to ONLY gcode what is "on" the print bed?

Hi guys,

My work flow for very large objects that I did not design (otherwise I would just use Zbrush/Solidworks/etc), includes mesh mixer. It keeps the sizes the same (unlike zbrush), so I like to use it.

Look up "spliting stl in meshmixer" on youtube and you should get a few hits. I can't link because I'm at work. Find one that uses the Edit-> cut with plane and then separate shells (selecting the option to fill the cut area). You might want to look into how to control the cut plane because at first it seems very hard to manipulate until you know how to move it around. It also lets you put in a print area so you can eyeball it a little better.

And it does not remix or decimate the mesh? If so very cool! Thank you.

I had this very same need. The best way I found was to use Slic3r. It has a "cut" feature that you can very intuitively move the cut "line" and it will automatically cut the 2 pieces and lay them on the bed without having to mess with figuring out the exact layer etc.

I then save the STL and then drop it in S3D.

So far it's worked for mesh object with no problem.

If you have Windows10, it's very simple to slice the model in 3D Builder and then export discrete STLs and print separately.