Simplify3D User Forum

If I remove all the set points for the fan, will Simplify3D auto control it as the software sees fit? I'm just curious as I've read about just letting the software do it, but I don't see an option to let it manage the fan aside from the set points.

Well, software doen't know how polymer behave to downward cooling and which kinda finish and strenght you want for your part.

You have to know how your material behave. Eg ABS won't like to be cooled, because of it's polymerization characteristics, keeping in mind that it's NOT a material engineered for FFF printers, as it's shrinkage it's make on purpose to be easily taken out from molds. And cooling it, turns to delamination, corner lifts and general deformation of the part.

PLA is different, needs constant cooling because when you extrude it, it's almost liquid and you want it to be solid as soon as possible.

S3D NEEDS to know at least some basic data to works with.
Try to Google and read some Wiki about polymers and how they behave. You became a master in no time.

Cheers.

There are some options on the Cooling tab where you can allow S3D to increase the fan speed automatically for smaller layers, so maybe that's what people were referring to.

I usually just set it on my own though

The other automatic settings come from the bridging aspect. I don't have a copy of the software to remind me of what tab its under on this computer, but you can define the unsupported distanced before the slicer starts treating overhangs as bridges. then when the slicer detects an overhang big enough to be a bridge.. it will turn on the fan. and turn it off when the bridging is done. This has helped some of my ABS prints that otherwise would have needed supports.

Sometimes I don't want to let the slicer decide what to bridge and I will use the preview to count the layers, then turn on the fan for certain layers and turn it off once it clears the part thats tricky, but with that method I have found with ABS some of the layers end up uneven