Jump to content

Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +


Recommended Posts

Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

I've got some models I've done in the past and wanted to know what upper limit I should shoot for as far as the number of polys in an object?

I'm using lightwave 3d and zbrush, and zbrush can go crazy high on polycount, but I should be able to decimate my stuff down for whatever the ultimaker needs.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Last year I printed something from a scan. The raw model had 700,000+ faces and that plus down to around 400,000 faces screwed several pieces of software I sometimes use; I did not get as far as Cura and printing. I decimated down to 80,000 and that was fine but I have no idea if that is a good target to aim for or whether it is smarter to go lower or higher; my output normally comes from Solidworks and is not something I pay any attention to.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    That at least gives me a start. I've searched online, but can seem to find any recommended upper limit.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    It really depends on the size of the model you're printing. You should import your model into cura, and zoom out until it's almost real life size. If you see large facets, you will likely see them in your print. If it looks mostly rounded/detailed, you're good to go.

    Generally zbrush models are already way high in polycount for 3D printing.

    If you have too many polys it will simply slow down your slice and you won't gain any additional detail in your print. So judge by the size you're planning on printing and adaptively decimate.

    As a guideline, if you imagine a 4cm diameter cylinder, 160 segments would be a good place to be to make it round and not facety. You need less for mechanical shapes.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Understood, but zbrush has excellent decimation tools for reducing polycount. The problem is I don't know what max ultimaker can take so I know what the top bar to stay under actually is, and I haven't been able to find that in the documentation anywhere.

    There has to be a file size or polycount that exceeds what ultimaker can handle, and that's what I'm trying to discover.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Just loaded a 200,000 faces model into Cura OK. I then loaded a 680,000 face model in but it was too big. I scaled it to 80% and it fitted and was OK. Now whether it was still 680,00 faces or 80% of that I have no idea

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Hmmm that's interesting... I wonder if there is some correlation between model poly density and model size?

    I'd think since slicing a larger print creates more slicing data, that it's cutting into the amount of memory allocated to poly count ?

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Hmmm that's interesting... I wonder if there is some correlation between model poly density and model size?

    I'd think since slicing a larger print creates more slicing data, that it's cutting into the amount of  memory allocated to poly count ?

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Ah I think you misunderstood me. When I said the 2nd model was too big, I meant that it's physical dimensions were too large to fit the build plate, not that it had too many faces.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Question.. what target poly resolution should I shoot for for the Ultimaker 2.0 extended +

    Ah, gotcha! Thanks for the clarification.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • Help Us Improve Cura – Join the Ultimaker Research Program
        🚀 Help Shape the Future of Cura and Digital Factory – Join Our Power User Research Program!
        We’re looking for active users of Cura and Digital Factory — across professional and educational use cases — to help us improve the next generation of our tools.
        Our Power User Research Program kicks off with a quick 15-minute interview to learn about your setup and workflows. If selected, you’ll be invited into a small group of users who get early access to features and help us shape the future of 3D printing software.

        🧪 What to Expect:
        A short 15-minute kickoff interview to help us get to know you If selected, bi-monthly research sessions (15–30 minutes) where we’ll test features, review workflows, or gather feedback Occasional invites to try out early prototypes or vote on upcoming improvements
        🎁 What You’ll Get:
         
        Selected participants receive a free 1-year Studio or Classroom license Early access to new features and tools A direct voice in what we build next
        👉 Interested? Please fill out this quick form
        Your feedback helps us make Cura Cloud more powerful, more intuitive, and more aligned with how you actually print and manage your workflow.
        Thanks for being part of the community,

        — The Ultimaker Software Team
        • 0 replies
      • Cura 5.10 stable released!
        The full stable release of Cura 5.10 has arrived, and it brings support for the new Ultimaker S8, as well as new materials and profiles for previously supported UltiMaker printers. Additionally, you can now control your models in Cura using a 3D SpaceMouse and more!
          • Like
        • 18 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...