Layer change seam option?

[mechamecha 64]

I've asked this before, but I don't think I received an answer.

Is there an option in Cura that I'm overlooking allowing for the layer changes to occur along a single seam at the same location all the way up the side of the model? If not, are there any plans to implement this option?

Last time I checked (it's been a while, though), the way Cura handles layer change locations is to search for corners in the model where seams may be hidden. However, in very smooth models that don't feature suitable locations for Cura to hide the seam (cylinders, for example), especially when printing with layer heights of .2 mm or larger, this has left noticeable scars all around the perimeter of my prints.

It would be really nice to have the option to place the scar in a single line up the side of the print instead of scattered all around. Actually, I consider this a must-have feature, and it's really the only reason I use Kisslicer instead of Cura at times.

[nallath 1,124]

As far as I know, cura does not try to hide it, it does however has some optimisation with regards on where it starts with a new layer.

[mechamecha 64]

Is there any plan for Cura to provide an option for this in the future? With certain types of prints, it would be extremely useful to be able to limit the z-seam to a single location up the side of the model instead of marring the entire perimeter. For me, this is the major thing that's missing in Cura. I can't possibly be the only one who feels this way...

[eldrick 65]

Cura does a miserable job with the z-scar, and offers no options to try to minimize it. I've been griping about this for more than a year, and the Author simply isn't interested in doing anything about it.

As you have discovered, it is seriously inadequate in this respect compared to Slic3r or Kisslicer.

For this reason, I only use Cura for casual prints, particularly because most of the things I print are round, where Cura does a really offal (sic) job, creating very-visible vertical scars instead of random divots.

It's the single worst flaw in Cura, IMHO.

[nallath 1,124]

There is no one author of Cura. I assume you mean Daid, who is currently not even working on the slicing.

It's not a matter about not being interested, it's a matter of not having resources or having other priorities. Just because we dont implement something right away (or ya know, we forgot, we get a lot of feature requests), does not mean that we're not interested.

All that being said; It's open source. You can help us with this.

[eldrick 65]

Sorry, but I'm not a coder. What I can contribute is a couple of specific requests for Cura. I did get a response from Daid last year, indicating a total lack of interest in the issue.

I'm well aware that the start/end-points can never be completely eliminated, but the way Cura goes to the "nearest" start-point makes it impossible to use for rounded objects - the results are random vertical scars that drunkards-walk up the sides of the piece in disjointed unpredictable pieces - seriously ugly. It's worth noting that Kisslicer, Slic3r, and Simplify3D all have decent approaches to this issue built-in.

IMHO, what Cura needs to be competitive with the other three competing programs in this respect, i.e. the ability to print round objects, is:

- A random start-point choice that distributes the blivets at random around the periphery. I'm aware that this would slow the print, but the choice should be up to the user.

- A feature that allows the user to specify where the start-points should be, as an angle relative to the Y-axis. This would permit the user to choose where on the print the scar can best be hidden from view.

- An expanded angle feature as Kisslicer has, with the ability to choose a range of angles within which the blivets are randomly distributed.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Guest

[nallath 1,124]

Well, Daid not the only coder working on it. As a matter of fact, he is one of the few coders -not- working on Cura at the moment. If you post the issue with the engine, combined with the solutions that you give here, we could take a look at it.

[FlightofthrCGal 0]

God I wish this was solved. Can you apply the same logic to the layer change code to support the option of changing the seam to randomize for the duration of each layer up to a certain layer? I know Gcode is hard to work with i'm not sure what to say.

[nallath 1,124]

Can you be a bit more specific? You're reviving a 5 year old topic, so assume that any statement made in this thread is completely outdated.

[MJC-SYD 0]

That question from FlightofthrcGal is exactly what I am searching for. I have a print job where I want the lower layers with Random Seam setting (do not want end customers to see any seam), but the upper layers are a tube where users in the field will only see the part of the tube so I want a seam at a defined position to make the tube as smooth as possible. Is there any way of changing the Seam setting mid way through a print?