Simplify3D User Forum

Why is there only a place to make settings to the FIRST layer and not the Last Layer(s)? (or is there?)

Having a place under the "Layers" tab to also make adjustments to the LAST layer would be a good idea.

Seems the last layer is very important because if there were settings for the LAST layer you could, for example, slow down the print speed, increase the flowrate, change the temperature ect to help produce a better appearance on the last layer. No?

There may be a good reason for not having last layer adjustment settings and I'm just not advanced enough yet to realize why.

First layer settings is usually about getting proper adhesion which is important for all prints. A last layer option to improve the top layer surface appearance would really only make sense for flat top objects. In this case, you can change settings using multiple processes. I do this for some wheels that I print where the lower sections, which are not really visible in the final part, are printed at the largest layer height, and a second process that prints the upper visible section with a much smaller layer height.

Now, if the function you propose would be implemented on any section that does not have a layer directly above it, that would be cool.

I don't think it makes sense to change things like extrusion amount or temperature for a single layer. Those should be the same for the entire print. If your top layers need more extrusion, then you're probably under-extruding and need to adjust a global setting. And temperature is incredibly slow to change, so I definitely wouldn't want that to be switching around constantly while printing tiny top layers.

But I think it DOES make sense to potentially change the speed of the top layers. Thankfully, there's already a setting for that. Go to the Other tab and adjust the "solid infill underspeed" option. That adjusts the speed of the top layers, which helps improve quality. I usually run it around 60-70%.

For flat pieces, it would be nice to have a switch to set the top layer to be exactly the same as the first layer.