Solid platforms collapse on low infill - option to outline

[ashleywebster]

When printing with low infill, partial solid layers, or what I call platforms, can collapse at the edges because the low infill doesn't provide enough support. A simple solution is to add an option to outline before printing the platform. This would be similar to how a bridge works, by providing a perimeter for the edges to adhere to. The images below should make it clear.

[MaOb]

+1

I would love to see something to avoid this problem!
But just framing it will not work with a rounded solid platform....
Maybe extending the solid platform to next infill-wall is the solution.

[bray.christopher]

+1

[Alex Borro]

Sometimes I need to print with high infill just to support top layers..
A feature like these would save us a lot of material.

Cheers.

Alex.

[NoahHornberger]

Why not create a new process, 2 layers before the platform and increase the infill for that process? See attached image. I usually use 5-6 processes now so I can change what is going on at each part of the model.



The other trick to getting this to work right is to remove the 'top' layers from the first process. And the 'bottom' layers from the second process. It kind of limits how complex the model can be.



If simplify3d could automatically increase infill to a specified amount, right before a top surface, the world would be a better place

[ashleywebster]

NoahHornberger, a decent workaround for sure, but also wastes time and plastic. This problem is coming up for me as I push into larger and larger objects where printing a few extra solid layers can easily add an hour to the print time.

The other potential solution is if S3D gives us something similar to Slic3r's modifier mesh feature which lets you change slice settings along any axis, not just vertically. With that, we could define just the region under the platform for modification and have total control.