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Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 10:57 am
by craigshereen
We are occasionally running into an odd bug that I'm wondering if anyone else has experience and if so, what to do about it. We are using Simplify 3D with the FlashForge Creator Pro. On some files, the print path will print random layers of filament where there are void (empty) spaces. One example is all but 2 of the files on this Thingiverse thing
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:662447/#comments. If you go to the comment section, the thread started by "wonka" and commented on by "Jeggo", you can see where other people running S3D and FFCP are having the same trouble with it. I've experimented with various settings and nothing makes it go away. To double check it, if I set the External Fill Pattern to either rectilinear or concentric it prints the void area. Thank you for any suggestions/help!
Re: Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Fri May 06, 2016 3:00 pm
by cquinn
I have seen the same thing with a number of prints, mostly vases. Simplify3D creates artificial planes within the open space and fills them in. I think this was one of them:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:126567
Re: Broken Slicer! Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 2:01 am
by btodoroff
Yes, I'm seeing the same thing. It looks like the slicer is getting confused about inside and outside (i.e. it counts the wall at the edge of the open space and two very close walls so it thinks "I'm inside! Oh, wall, I'm outside!, oh wait there are two walls here?!? Must be inside again!") when two two long almost vertical surfaces meet. Very frustrating as I've yet to find a way to fix it and am having to go back to the free alternatives like Makerware Desktop and Slic3r to print these models. So far is hitting about 10% of the models I import and independent of tool. Some generated from OpenSCAD and some from Autocad Fusion 360. Frustrating as I had real high hopes for this software...

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Re: Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 7:23 pm
by craigshereen
We really like Simplify3D and this is the only bug we've noticed so far, but it is quite annoying when it happens! On the above referenced Thingiverse file ( UrbanAtWork_Geared_HeartV1.stl ) Simplify3D inserts a lot of layers in blank spaces... I got part of them to go away by selecting "Mesh" from the menubar and then "Separate Connected Surfaces". But the bottom of the part still has several layers in the void area.
Another file we have (a bookmark, a personal file) fills in different parts every time we restart S3D. On that file, it only fills in random void areas on "Medium" quality. "High" and "Fast" print fine!
Re: Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:11 pm
by shackman0
I have an assemblage of individual parts i want to print with one printing. they are listed in the models list, so simplify3d ought to know they are separate parts. when i prepare to print, it produces a spider's web of threads from the outside of one part, through the wall of another and out the opposite side to the wall of yet a 3rd part. at first, i thought it was an artifact of the rendering. however, when i print it, it has all these threads meshed within and around all the parts.
the only way i can eliminate these threads is to print these parts one part at a time. considering this particular build has about 20 parts, it's somewhat of a nuisance to baby sit the printer when i should be able to let it print overnight.
come on S3D. we paid a pretty penny for a quality product. how about giving us one for our money?
Re: Printing in void (empty) areas
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 3:31 pm
by dorsai3d
Sounds like you're looking at travel moves and have a nozzle that oozes a lot. Take a look at this to try to fix your printer:
https://www.simplify3d.com/support/prin ... -or-oozing