Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Ask the MakerGear community for assistance...
mhorton
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 12:48 am

Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by mhorton » Fri Jul 25, 2014 2:03 am

I have a file that I'm trying to print. It's a mammoth on an oval base with some text on the base. When I drop the object onto the Simplify3D workspace, it looks great. Then, when I prepare it to print, half of the text is missing. I printed it anyhow to see if it was just an issue with my display or something and the printout came out perfect except for the missing text. What could I be doing wrong?

Image

User avatar
Tim
Posts: 1205
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:19 pm
Location: Poolesville, Maryland
Contact:

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by Tim » Fri Jul 25, 2014 2:38 am

This is similar to another recent post about S3D problems. See how your text is reduced to two filament thickness on the wider parts of the text and one filament thickness on the thinner parts. It looks like the text is probably just on the edge of being too thin for a single filament. Whether it actually gets that thin in places, or whether it's due to roundoff error, S3D can't figure out how to make the filament that thin, and so it deletes the part it can't generate.

I'm not sure if you have any control over the model details, but in this case, you might get by with scaling the whole piece just a fraction larger. If you do have control over the details, try making the text larger or using a boldface font to avoid the pinch points.

User avatar
jimc
Posts: 2888
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:30 pm
Location: mullica, nj
Contact:

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by jimc » Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:18 am

X2....text is too small. You need a bolder font or increase size.

Josh
Site Admin
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:32 pm

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by Josh » Fri Jul 25, 2014 1:44 pm

It may also be possible to get that through by changing your extrusion width value in S3D - take the automatic, or your current manual, value and subtract 0.05, and slice that, then inspect it for how it will print? Playing with the extrusion width has its own set of caveats, but for a small adjustment on a non-structural part, you should be fine.

mhorton
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 12:48 am

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by mhorton » Fri Jul 25, 2014 9:53 pm

The thing that baffles me is that I've printed this object before and the letters were fine. The project failed for other reasons (as it almost always does). I had issues with joined objects making holes in each other and falling over during prints (see images below). It was recommended that I upgrade the Creator software, so I did. I also just changed from a manual extrusion width of .42 to auto extrusion width (which still came out to .42) and the letters sliced fine, but the print still failed because of the holes.

3-D printing has been the most frustrating experience of my life and I have two kids and a physics degree, so it's not like I have never done anything difficult.

Image
Image

Josh
Site Admin
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:32 pm

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by Josh » Fri Jul 25, 2014 9:57 pm

You seem to be having different issues at the same time - those most recent pictures show a different model than before, one which seems to have model intersection issues. Could you post the .stl and .gcode for that most recent attempt?

mhorton
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 12:48 am

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by mhorton » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:33 pm

Thanks, Josh. Yes, there are different models in there because we've recreated 15 times trying to figure out these issues. It's printing again now, but I'm not holding my breath. Some of those were combined in CAD, others were combined in Creator. Creator 2.0 was supposed to fix my intersection issues and did not.

Here's one of the .stl files, I have so many, I don't remember which is the most recent. http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/f ... 123456.stl

Here's the gcode http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/f ... usan.gcode

Another issue I've been having on this one is that I have to place supports manually because Creator does not support the trunk or tusks. That's not too bad, but a mystery why it doesn't place them automatically.

User avatar
ednisley
Posts: 1188
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 5:34 pm
Location: Halfway up the Hudson
Contact:

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by ednisley » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:40 pm

mhorton wrote:3-D printing has been the most frustrating experience of my life
Welcome to the club! [grin]

There's a fairly stiff learning curve, because producing a successful printed object requires knowing about mechanics, electronics, firmware, rheology, solid modeling, machine control, and debugging, absolutely none of which you'd expect by reading anything in the popular press. At the current state of the art, DIY 3D printing provides very few pure rainbow-and-pink pony events, but when it all comes together, the result is pretty good; I've actually done the Happy Dance.

You can reduce the frustration level by always previewing the nozzle path before printing; I use http://gcode.ws/ to get a layer-by-layer view. If the path doesn't look right, then the plastic won't come out right: you can save hours and meters of filament on each iteration. After a while, you'll be able to flick through the entire model from bottom to top in less than a minute and spot any problems on the fly.

The interaction between small model elements (letters, thin walls, spikes) and the slicing software can produce surprising (and rarely expected) results. Previewing the path while varying the solid model and slicing parameters will give you a pretty good insight into the interactions, without blowing the rest of the week waiting for failed prints...

Dale Reed
Posts: 376
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:39 am
Location: Cleveland Heights, Ohio USA

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by Dale Reed » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:42 pm

mhorton wrote: Another issue I've been having on this one is that I have to place supports manually because Creator does not support the trunk or tusks. That's not too bad, but a mystery why it doesn't place them automatically.
I believe even with auto support generation enabled, there are some parameters that need to be set. Some of those are related to the "separation" layers, but others relate to the grid spacing and orientation, and the grid spacing parameters determine the minimum support structure size. Anything on the model that's smaller than that minimum won't get support generated. I know, seems odd to me, too, but that's how it seems to work. Try running smaller numbers for the support grid spacing and other support size parameters.

I would like the auto support set up to support stuff using "funnels" instead of "columns". If I can support a wide area at the top of a model using a support that's "funnel" shaped, that would use less plastic at the bottom of the support structure, yet the slope of the funnel could be controlled so that it prints well, say, no more than 20 degrees off vertical.

I could draw it so you could understand it immediately -- much better than my awful description above.....
Dale

p.s.: Should I have gotten a patent on that idea before disclosing here? Time will tell...

jsc
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:00 am

Re: Simplify3D/Makergear issue

Post by jsc » Sat Jul 26, 2014 2:43 am

Slic3r does that (the funnel support).

I wouldn't rely on Simplify3D to fuse objects. It can be done, but it is best if they are not actually intersecting, as you've found. What CAD program are you using?

Post Reply