Simplify3D User Forum

New thread as requested.

Issue: Slicer is filing in holes that should be there. The presliced image looks fine and other slicers like Afinia/UP! and MatterControl don't have a problem with it.

Seeing as you have the Merge all Outlines into a single solid model option set, I'm not surprised you're not getting the hole in this shape.

Uncheck it....its on the Advanced tab ....and there's a hole!

Ok, but say I have more than one item that overlaps and I WANT them merged since S3D doesn't otherwise handle overlapped items well. I can provide an example, if you need.

Why do you say that S3D doesn't handle overlapping models well? I actually use this all the time, and I've never had issues with it.

The only problems I've seen on the forum are when people have multiple self-intersecting bodies in the SAME stl file. That obviosuly isn't even a valid mesh, and I know the repair checks in S3D would flag it as well. But as long as your separate meshes are in separate STL files, then there's no reason you can't overlap those models in the software. Again, I do that a lot and it works well, just make sure you have a valid mesh first.

So, the STL file has to consist of one single object? Hadn't run into that requirement before, guess that's why I've been having trouble with S3D. The other slicers I use for our other printers (we have 3 currently as we sell a lot of 3D printed stuff) don't care how many objects there are and handle the merge/overlap just fine.

I'll try loading individual STL files and unticking the merge option. But...these individual files WILL overlap unless I do a lot of work to make them just match up. But then, I need watertight seams.

I'll report back if I get this to work.

So, the STL file has to consist of one single object? Hadn't run into that requirement before, guess that's why I've been having trouble with S3D. The other slicers I use for our other printers (we have 3 currently as we sell a lot of 3D printed stuff) don't care how many objects there are and handle the merge/overlap just fine.

May I advise that you can very easily separate intersecting/overlapping within S3D by using the Separate Connected Surfaces option. This somewhat mis-named option will separate the meshes out into separate "models" .....and S3D will then combine them for the purposes of slicing.

I tried a bulk combine in the CAD software and saved it as one big STL. I turned off the merge outlines and now it seems to work.

I'd tried various ways of combining and using the separate but hadn't thought to turn the merge back off.

I will do a test print on the short slice (25mm) of my model and if that works I'll add in the rest for a full print. The full model has over 2000 parts and millions of triangles.

You can put 100 parts in the same STL file if you want as long as they are truly separate valid meshes. What you cannot do is have multiple parts in the same STL file that intersect with one another, since that is not a valid mesh.

So if you have parts that are self-intersecting in your original CAD package, then either save them as separate STL files or use the separate connected surfaces option in S3D.