Hi, I'm using CURA and simplify3D to
1. print at 0.1mm for good quality
2. no infill
3. no support
for product manufacturing, PLA.
I got very nice prints out of simplify and cura, both have their pros and cons.
CURA has it's focus on user friendly overview and customisation - what I wanna say is that this discussion here is not only about a usability but it is about efficiency, too.
Indeed simplify3D is more efficient, it runs even faster and calculates better, but what we see in this discussion is a hole in that red apple.
now have a look at CURA, it has the option to automatically increase the infill.
I was able to print very complex product prototypes.
as an example (to simplify
):
one small but high cylinder intersecting with a bigger cube, just like the cubes mentioned before, but imagine the bigger cube open at the front side, you look inside and see a cylinder floating in the center of the cube, connected to the roof of the cube.
so, how to print that?
CURA calculated much more complex models with gradual infill at all different roofs, or floating objects.
I was able to print in the air, I watched the printer all the time and there was no mess, no dropped filament, even the extrusion-factor gradually increased with the density of the infill. that way the first layers of infill were printed in the air, so thin you can't see them, gradually increasing its factors.
so for me there are two different things mentioned now:
- gradual infill steps for closing and better bridging the top layers
- gradual infill steps to print objects in the air, which are later connected to the whole piece
to connect what I mentioned before - as simplify3D is a more efficient and professional tool, it should include these features, even if it is about usability, and in this case with usability comes efficiency.
as you may see now, this feature increases not only the
1. usability (simple options for GI like in CURA)
2. efficiency (have everything done with one click)
but also
3. enables to print highly complex structures with floating parts in it at almost no infill
and
4. decreasing time / material at its max.
what do you think about that?
greetings,
jumbo