Hello!
The short version:
I would love an option to flip generated bridge line directions 90 degrees.
Or: I would love to the option to make the Top line directions relative to the center of the model.
The slightly longer version:
I like to print my models without infill. It saves time, material and is more visually pleasing if the filament is transparent. I have had success with most models by modeling some strategic supports on the insides, if necessary. However my current project is a circular model made up of hundreds of tiny blocks, so I'm exploring other options.
Using s3d with esun pla+ I get perfect prints even with only 1 wall, 0.15 layer height and 12 top layers. However other materials like silk PLA and petg sag too much and even when increasing the number of top layers I get a bad case of pillowing and holes.
So I've gone to cura. Pretty much with just the Top skin expand distance setting (set to 1mm) I've gotten a perfect top finish (though cura brought issues like underextrusion). But I still have another visual issue to fix. The first (completey unsupported) top layer deposits blobs of plastic on the outer wall, which get pushed outward on subsequent layers, creating ugly scars (and ironically, small gaps).
Before resigning myself to dozens of hours modeling in supports for this first top layer, I delved deeper into cura's dark pit of secrets. I found the experimental bridging settings.
I "tricked" cura into bridging top layers over 0% infill by using an infill density of 0.1% with a concentric infill pattern and the Bridge sparse infill max density at 2%. The generated bridges only have the outer wall as anchor point but at least the line directions are generated relative to the model, unlike the Top line directions. However after some playing with the briding flow, fan etc. the ugly scars persist.
At this point I feel I have exhausted the current tools that cura offers. I found this thread and wondered if you could help me.
If I could flip the bridge line directions 90 degrees, I could have an actual normal bridge near the outer walls, which should capture the blobs of plastic before they get too close to the outer wall.
Also it wouldn't hurt if the second and third layer bridges over sparse infill could be enabled.
What should also help if I could set the Top line directions relative to the center of the model (maybe with a checkbox or as [r45, r135]).
I would love a response!
Nicolas