Manually add/remove support structures

[deonholt 1]

Hi and thanks for the help.

Can someone please point me to some tutorials about this. I have read some blogs and watched videos and a "block" was mentioned in mostly all instances. How do I remove unwanted support. I cannot seem to find this block or how to draw it.

I will really appreciate your help & advice.

Thanks.

[GregValiant 1,455]

On the left of the Cura workspace screen is a toolbar.  The bottom tool is "Support Blocker".  Select your model and then select Support Blocker.  Click somewhere on the model to create a block.

On the lower left there will be a list of the objects on the build plate (oddly enough called the "Object List").  Your new support blocker will be Eraser and additional blocks will be added to the list.  You can make them active by selecting them on the list.

When you select the Eraser block you can drag it around or type numbers into the Move tool dialog.  You can also scale it separately in all three axis.  When it covers the proper section of your model you can also elect to have different settings for the intersection volume between your model and the blocker (it's under "Per Model" settings just above the blocker tool).  I found that if I wanted to block support AND infill from an area that I needed two blocks covering the same area with one set to infill and the other set to support.  I haven't played with that aspect of Cura a lot though.

[deonholt 1]

On 8/31/2020 at 7:30 PM, GregValiant said:

On the left of the Cura workspace screen is a toolbar.  The bottom tool is "Support Blocker".  Select your model and then select Support Blocker.  Click somewhere on the model to create a block.

On the lower left there will be a list of the objects on the build plate (oddly enough called the "Object List").  Your new support blocker will be Eraser and additional blocks will be added to the list.  You can make them active by selecting them on the list.

When you select the Eraser block you can drag it around or type numbers into the Move tool dialog.  You can also scale it separately in all three axis.  When it covers the proper section of your model you can also elect to have different settings for the intersection volume between your model and the blocker (it's under "Per Model" settings just above the blocker tool).  I found that if I wanted to block support AND infill from an area that I needed two blocks covering the same area with one set to infill and the other set to support.  I haven't played with that aspect of Cura a lot though.

Thank you very much for a very thorough explanation. Really appreciate your help & time. I got it to work.

[Sebpilot 0]

I do not get the Support blocker to work.

Have tried to remove support on models I make but the tool only turns gray and there is no option remove or add here.

 

It is not possible to add/remove support at all in my version of Cura 4.11. Or at least I have not found a way to remove it.

 

It says I need to slice the model first and then when I look in preview I can see supports but there is no way of removing them.

 

Also there are no options available when clicking the Support blocker, it only does one thing and I do not understand what it does, because nothing happens except those gray areas, huge blocks that are present on the screen, and when I go back to the model I need to slice it once more and the standard supports are there as usual.

 

Is there some tutorial for this somewhere?

Have been looking at many places but not found anything.

[GregValiant 1,455]

A support blocker must cover the overhanging feature that Cura thinks needs support.  Then don't always go on the build plate.

This first image has the support blocker on the build plate.  You can see that the support is still generated for the upper part of the model.  You can't see it in this image but the lower portion of the model doesn't have any supports.

 

In this image I've moved the support blocker up.  You can see that the lower portion of the model is still getting support generated (the blocker is too high to affect that area whereas in the image above it was covered and not supported).  You can see that the upper portion no longer gets supports.

 

[Jamr 0]

OK, I can not get this to work. I created the eraser and covered the area that I do not want support and it still makes supports within that blocked area.

What am I doing wrong?

[Slashee_the_Cow 541]

If you could share the .3mf project file (in Cura go to File > Save Project) so we could have a look at it, that's much easier to try and diagnose by than a single screenshot.

[Jamr 0]

I figured it out. Once you have a blocker set up, you have to go back to the settings and uncheck "Generate Support" and recheck the option and then slice.

That is terrible programming.

On top of that, even with the "Enable Support Brim" Unchecked, it still wastes material by making the brim for the support structure it is now blocking. What a waste.

Edited February 20, 2024 by Jamr

[GregValiant 1,455]

"...you have to go back to the settings and uncheck "Generate Support" and recheck the option " 

@Jamr I don't recall ever having to do that.  I also don't recall seeing a bug report regarding that sort of behavior.

Slashee asked for a project file.  If you could post one someone will take a look.

[Jamr 0]

34 minutes ago, GregValiant said:

"...you have to go back to the settings and uncheck "Generate Support" and recheck the option " 

@Jamr I don't recall ever having to do that.  I also don't recall seeing a bug report regarding that sort of behavior.

Slashee asked for a project file.  If you could post one someone will take a look.

Sorry, it is a proprietary file but if I have time to duplicate the problem on another file I can share, I will.

[Slashee_the_Cow 541]

29 minutes ago, Jamr said:

Sorry, it is a proprietary file but if I have time to duplicate the problem on another file I can share, I will.

If you can duplicate the problem (and solution) with another file, make sure to submit a bug report, but without a file that demonstrates the behaviour there's really not much they could do.

[steveofqueanbeyan 0]

I am at a complete loss to understand how this is supposed to work.

I have my model imported in the prepare view, then:

1. I select the model,
2. I click the support support blocker on the menu on the left of the screen
3. I click back onto the model and I can see a cube has been placed and Eraser is shown on the object list. But when I try to move it, it just disappears...
4. so... I then select the preview view and I get nothing... the model just 'greys out'. 
5. so... I select slice and the Eraser disappears from object list.
6. so.. I again select the model, click on the support blocker, back to on the model. But it just greys out again. 

 

Edited August 16, 2024 by steveofqueanbeyan
Please delete. I figured it out. The box needs to moved with a different icon.

[Slashee_the_Cow 541]

@steveofqueanbeyan

Make sure to switch to the Move tool  before moving the support blocker. Clicking on a focused (selected) support blocker while still in the Support Blocker tool will delete the blocker.