Cura 4.0 Mac Spiralize

[ClayJ 0]

We've been using Slic3r successfully for several years. I'd like to go over to Cura for Macintosh but one thing is stopping me. I'm using spiralize mode and I can't control the fill pattern in the base layers. I've set the infill pattern to 'lines' and it works fine for the first layer. In the second base layer Cura generates a loose, weak concentric fill with gaps, the third layer gets the lines again and the two patterns alternate for all the base layers. The result is that I can see daylight through the base layers. I've spent a long time with the 'expert' settings trying to replace the concentric fill with lines (ideally at right angles to the layer below) but no success. Any ideas?

 

 

 

I should probably add that we extrude clay not plastic and make a lot of fancy bowls and vases. That's not a problem for most slicers. The slicer thinks it's printing rather coarse layers with a large nozzle and extremely fat filament! It does however explain why we use spiralize mode a lot and why we need our print bases to hold water.

 

[burtoogle 516]

Hi @ClayJ, looking at your images, I think the problem is that the width of the wall lines is very large compared to the size of the model so you end up getting gaps between the walls on the layers with the extra walls. The extra wall lines on alternate layers works OK for most spiralized prints. Now there is a way to get around this problem and that is to use a modifier mesh to reduce the wall line widths for the bottom solid layers.

 

Here's what to do...

 

1 - Enable spiralize in the profile and load the main model (the vase).

 

2 - Create an object that is the same height as the bottom layers of your model and big enough so that it completely encloses the model. Let's imagine it's a disk shape. When you try to place the disk, the auto-arrange will probably move it  but you can select it and manually set it's position.

 

3 - Now, using one of the tool buttons on the left, set the mesh type of the disk to be "Modify settings for overlap with other models" and then use the select settings box there to specify that the wall line widths are to be different. Edit the line widths to match, say, the skin line widths you are using.

 

4 - When you slice, the volume of your vase that is enclosed in the volume of the disk will use the thinner line widths.

 

Hope this helps.

[ClayJ 0]

Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. I'd never have thought of that idea – I'll give it a try.