creating walls instead of shells

[dfptown 0]

I have a strange (I think)  problem. When I slice this model standing upright on the platform is seems to slice fine, i.e. all the outer surfaces are shell. When I slice it lying down on the platform, the upper facing surface of the snake is divided into inner walls and prints not as a shell but as a series of blocks.

 

I  am stumped. The  real problem is this model is part of a larger piece so it has to be sliced and printed lying flat not standing up. I have attached screenshots of the preview view after both. I am happy to provide the actual model if that helps.  This is part of a large important project so any help will be very very much appreciated.

[ahoeben 2,012]

The resolution of your printer in the X & Y direction is much higher than the resolution in the Z direction. This explains the z stepping you get when you print this particular model on its back; the top surface has a slope to it.

[dfptown 0]

ok I think I understand what you are saying, how can I overcome this? Do I change the slope? I have attached the stl of the model in case that helps. I have some experience but not a lot, particularly in modeling so I could  use some help in trying to resolve the issue. Thank you

star snake hand words to print.stl

[dfptown 0]

I think it is the model, I laid it flat on the platform and sliced it the  top facing surface is not being treated like a shell/top layer even if there is no slope....

[gr5 2,268]

This looks 100% normal.  Is this the first time you have ever sliced a model with a flat top surface?  This is how cura normally does it (and how other slicers normally do it) - diagonal lines on top surfaces.

 

Maybe we are missing something?

[gr5 2,268]

I looked at the model and it looks okay - I mean it has issues but the top of that snake is very flat in the model.  Initially I thought maybe you wanted a more round snake but that's what the model shows - flat snake.

 

Flat top surfaces are printed differently but they come out fine.

 

The printer prints with different resolution in X and Y versus in Z.  That's why it looks different depending how you rotate the model.

[GregValiant 1,411]

It almost looks like the snake is not positioned correctly to the staff.  There are gaps where they aren't connected on the right side, and an overlap on the left.  The little tail piece isn't really connected at all.

[gr5 2,268]

I think it used to wrap around the staff but someone flattened the top and bottom of the snake/staff parts.

[dfptown 0]

 

Thanks, 

I have sliced and printed all kinds of things, and this was a new result. I understand the issue with printing slopes and that the printer has to create the slope by a series of 'steps" it may be this is the first time the top was at a steep angle. The pieces of the model come from other models and thought there might be something strange going on when I combined them.  

Thanks for the input, I will have to figure out how to re-orient the combined pieces to get a smooth top layer I guess.  I appreciate the responses.