Simplify3D User Forum

Hi folks,

a very useful feature I recently discovered in Cura is the ironing feature.
The surface becomes much smoother.

I know S3D doesn't want to knock off features from other slicers, this feature however is extremely useful and I'd love to see similar in S3D.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

you can already do this with s3d, I did it few times, create another process on top of the final layer that's 0.1 or 0.05mm off the top, set for that process 0.1 or 0.05mm layer and reduce extrusion multiplier a lot (you can even increase the temp) and that's it .. that process will do the ironing

I agree that the S3D developers should not rip off ideas from other slicer developers...but rather have initiative in their own right.

I do not, however agree that the function described above should be put forward for inclusion in S3D. I would prefer that the developers spend time on addressing issues and new functionality on the subject of slicing for fff, and not on features that may be missing from CAD software.

This does raise a completely different topic, though. Perhaps the S3D developers might consider creating a separate utility (freeware or payware) that is designed to pre-process shape files ready for using by the S3D slicer. This would include the tools currently inappropriately (to me, that is!) included in S3D that address CAD related issues.

And before anyone jumps down my throat......this is my opinion, which I believe I am entitled to have!

dkightley wrote:and not on features that may be missing from CAD software.

ironing does not modify the stl, it just moves head (without or with minimal extrusion) over the top layer remelting the surface and "ironing it" so that top surfaces look "better" / "smoother". it is something a slicer should do and not something you can do in the cad software (of course if you want the feature, I personally did not find it very useful but that's me..)

arhi wrote:you can already do this with s3d, I did it few times, create another process on top of the final layer that's 0.1 or 0.05mm off the top, set for that process 0.1 or 0.05mm layer and reduce extrusion multiplier a lot (you can even increase the temp) and that's it .. that process will do the ironing

Hey Im interested in learning!

Do you have pics of the before and after using your method?

Thanks!

bolsoncerrado wrote: Do you have pics of the before and after using your method?

no, i didn't find it useful enough to store / record as the effects of "ironing" are not very useful imo. it might have more use for some materials then others, dunno, the tests I seen online are made with PLA, I don't use much PLA..

anyhow it is easy to reproduce
1. add one more top layer to your process then you normally do
2. duplicate your process
3. divide object height by the layer height, set stop of first process at the height that's one layer shy of the top of the object (e.g. if you have 25mm high object and print with 0.2mm layer set the end of process one to 24.8mm)
4. set second process to start where first process ends and change second process extrusion multiplier to smallest value allowed by the s3d (0.02) and increase temp of your extruder a bit, you can also change the speed for better effect... so all in all in this process you define how you want that ironing to be performed
5. slice and try

sample picture, last layer is printing with 0.02 extrusion multiplier and slow 4mm/sec, as you can see below it (layer 99) it's 70mm/sec normal 1.00 multiplier (20mm cube, 0.2mm layer 19.8 stop of first and start of second process)
now, this does the "ironing" .. useful or not is up to everyone to decide themselves... also the part will be printed lower by 1 layer, so this 20mm cube will be 19.8mm and not 20mm.

arhi wrote:you can already do this with s3d, I did it few times, create another process on top of the final layer that's 0.1 or 0.05mm off the top, set for that process 0.1 or 0.05mm layer and reduce extrusion multiplier a lot (you can even increase the temp) and that's it .. that process will do the ironing

Yes, that will work - but only for the very, very top layer. I'm pretty sure Cura's will do it for any 'top' layer/area (IE, a space that doesn't get built upon on the next layer/layers). IE, if I was printing a ziggurat, all the flat, ceiling-facing surfaces would be ironed, not just the very top of the model.

Also, Doug - yeah not sure what you're talking about. Ironing has nothing to do with modifying the model itself, it's purely a fabricating process to smooth out the top layer infill on flat surfaces.

Also, Doug - yeah not sure what you're talking about. Ironing has nothing to do with modifying the model itself, it's purely a fabricating process to smooth out the top layer infill on flat surfaces.

Okay! Okay! I made a mistake! I hadn't heard of the term "ironing" before (used in the context of 3d printing, that is!) and mistakenly assumed it referred to smoothing the surface in the shape definition. Arhi had already advised me of my mistake....., you didn't have to rub my nose in the dirt!!

Now I know what is being suggested, I still don't support the idea. I'd prefer development effort to be put into developing variable layer thicknesses as an alternative way of getting smoother surfaces on top of models.

Still, ironing seems the way to "go" as in the end fdm is fdm, and an empty "iron" remelting the surface will probably be better than adding any other algorythm to plastic deposition...unless someone comes up with a "liquid" plastic that can fill the holes and get cold quickly at the same time hmmm

Funny you guys talking about this. I made this idea and Cura dev team added to the program on 2.7

Originally I made it on Simplify3d. Of course if Simplify3d wants to add it, sure why not? Of course a simple email first to me should be mandatory.

I made this a year ago
https://ultimaker.com/en/community/2264 ... er-sanding

Also not so long ago made a 2.0 version

https://ultimaker.com/en/community/5064 ... -different

All with samples showing how to do it on S3D.

Also could be nice if Simplify3d team would ever contact me or answer my many questions about much stuff that most of the time I get an auto reply. I did try to help them make a better um3 profile but all I got from them was a ‘nah, we know what we do’.

So here I’m, S3D guys, I’m very easy to google and find on twitter or Ultimaker forum where I’m one of the moderators.