curasurf

Thanks! A local solution would be great.

I have 2 cutomized printers, 2 customized materials, and 10+ customized profiles. I wonder what's the easiest way to backup all my Cura settings reliably. Is it keeping a copy of the folder "C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\cura\4.8\"? Thank you!

Hi @Cuq If you think my complaint is not appropriate, let me delete it. Thank you for remiding!

Hi @ahoeben @nallath Thank you for your comments!

As I use modifier mesh more, I find more limitations.

You are absolutely corrrect to some extent! Yes, very often, we should create the models in the way making the printing process easier. But this is not the excuse for slicing software not to do its job that could be done better. In many cases, the slicer can do more.

Yes.

Hi @ahoeben Thank you for sharing! But I'm sorry to say that your approach is not generally applicable. In fact you created the lower "top layers" manually. Here what I presented is only a simplified model, and you can do it by hand. If the model is a figurine or a real mechanical part, to manually creat every lower "top layers" is unaffordable. Thanks again!

Hi @nallath Thank you!

I find some .cfg files in the folder C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0\resources\quality\creality\base But all the .cfg files, including all the "global" .cfg files, contain only some modified items. Where is the full list of all the setting items stored? Thank you for some clues! ADD: I just found it here: C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0\resources\definitions\creality_base.def

How can I create a read-only profile that works as those coming with predefined printers, espcially with customize formula? Thank you for some clues!

Yes. Exactly! Do you think that it's possible by using modifier mesh? I tried it but failed, because a modifier mesh always lead to NEW top/bottom layers in the main model. If possible, could you have a try? Thank you!

Please let me clarify the question further. Is it possible to use Cura to slice an oversimplified model as shown in the picture while ...? in the orientation as shown (don't rotate!) no top-most layers (=0) only at the top (other top layers not affected) z-STL.stl

Hi @GregValiant Thank you for your experiment and comment! You are always helpful!

I wonder whether somebody tried this profile with S3 printer. It's unbelievable.

Here the cylinder is only a over-simplfied example. "Real model" means for example a model having bottom/solid layers in middle heights (not the top layers and not the bottom layers). What I talked about in the original post was that: When a model is "cut" by a modifier mesh in Cura, "NEW" top/bottom layers would be added. This behavior is not appropriate. In S3D, when you print the height 0~50mm of a model of height 100mm, no top layers would be added at the "cutting plane" (at height 50mm).

@GregValiant @gr5 Thank you both!

@GregValiant Thank you! Very interesting work for manipulating Z hops. But I can't find it in the market place. Is it a script?

When I open a project file created by other people, my visibility settings would be overridden by that stored in the project file. Is it possible to keep the visibility setting from being overridden? Thank you!

Hi @fvrmr It works. I was not aware that the X/Y distance has such a big effect. Thank you! Sorry for another question (to simplify, I changed the support type to Normal and overhang angle to 60°) How can I remove the steps and make the support contact the model 100% at the edge? I tried to suppress it with settings below, but the steps persist: Support X/Y Distance = 0 Minimum Support X/Y Distance = 0 Support Stair Step Maxmum Slope Angle = 89°

Hi @geert_2 The technique you shared is very inspiring. Could you give some clues on how you make the support body stay where it is? Thank you!

It seems to be magic for some Ultimaker profiles. I know that disabling "Outer Before Inner Walls" would give some help, but it's really magic. Ultimaker S3 / PLA 0.4 nozzle / Draft Fast 0.2 mm • Layer Height = 0.2 mm • Outer Wall Line Width = 0.4 mm • Overhang angle = 60° Ultimaker S3 / PLA 0.4 nozzle / Default Fast 0.2 mm • Layer Height = 0.2 mm • Outer Wall Line Width = 0.35 mm • Overhang angle = 60° Ultimaker S3 / PLA 0.8 nozzle / Default Extra Fast 0.3 mm • Layer Height = 0.3 mm • Outer Wall Line Width = 0.75 mm • Overhang angle = 70° Ultimaker S3 / PLA 0.8 nozzle / Default Sprint 0.4 mm • Layer Height = 0.4 mm • Outer Wall Line Width = 0.75 mm • Overhang angle = 70°

@GregValiant I was never aware that combing would suppress Z-hops. Thank you for your help! It's odd that Z-hops can't be observed in Cura preview mode. I opened the g-code file in S3D and did observed those Z-hopps.

Let's consider slicing a cylinder of height = 100mm. Layer Height = 1 mm Top Layers = 1 Botton Layers = 1 I want to suppress the Top Layer at height 99~100mm. But Top Layers for the cylinder must be set to 1, because my real model need it for lower range. So I create a Cutting Mesh to modify the cylinder top (99~100mm) Top Layers = 0 Botton Layers = 0 But the Cura result is: One top layer at height 98~99mm (immediately below the cutting mesh) is printed for the cylinder. How can I suppress the Top Layer at height 99~100mm, without getting new Top Layer at height 98~99mm? (Top Layers for the cylinder must be set to 1.) Thank you for your help! ttt.3mf

Sometimes the color change is not easy to judge. I doubt whether it's possible to significantly increase the contrast. This seems to be impossible. Thank you for sharing your approach!