Is there any direct way or single step of slicing to 3D print object with different layer heights at different object height?

[technicalworld 0]

 

I would like to slice a pyramid such that I want a layer height of 0.2 mm for first half of the total height (base) and 0.1 mm for the remaining half (Top) of pyramid for smooth layers.

 

Note: I have tried Adaptive layers technique but that’s not what I want.  I have seen that I am only able to change some parameter like infill, line width etc. with the help of Support Blockers option.

 

It would be very helpful if you let us know if this option is available here in Cura. If yes, also please inform me how to use it.

[ahoeben 2,047]

1 hour ago, technicalworld said:

It would be very helpful if you let us know if this option is available here in Cura.

No, what you ask for is not available in Cura.

[GregValiant 1,489]

It can be done outside of Cura by combining two gcode files.  In the image below, the bottom (on the right) was at 0.2, the mid portion at 0.1, and the top portion at 0.3 layer heights.  For that print I got fancy and combined 3 gcode files.

My little system for doing this involves using "Pause At Height".  It requires a bit of practice but it's tedious and nervous rather than difficult.

There are a couple of rules to keep this from being overly confusing when you are starting out:

Don't use Adaptive Layers in either file.

Don't use Z-Hops in either file.

Supports can make this either very difficult or impossible.

If your pyramid is 100mm tall then:

Sliced at 0.2 that would be 500 layers.  Put in a Pause at Height at Layer 250.  Save the Gcode.

Slice it again at 0.1 layer height (now it is 1000 layers) and change the Pause to Layer 500.  Save the Gcode.

One of the things that Pause at Height does is to generate some Transition code so the print starts smoothly after a pause.

Copy everything in the base 0.2 file up to the pause line in the gcode.  Paste all of that into a new text file.

Copy everything in the top 0.1 file from the pause line down to the end of the file.  Paste all of that to the end of the new text file.

Here are the last few lines of the Base file, followed by the Transition code, then the top file starts.  This is what you want the transition area of code to look like (but with your numbers):

G0 F600 X111.553 Y126.1 Z50.2 ;Base file last Z move.  The last layer went down at 50.0 and there was no retraction.
G0 F9000 X111.628 Y126.3
;TIME_ELAPSED:3002.611472
;TYPE:CUSTOM
;added code by post processing
;script: PauseAtHeight.py
;Transition Code
G0 Z51.2      ;Move up 1mm above the print
G0 X111.642 Y126.3      ;Move to the X Y resume position for the Top print (this line is actually added by PauseAtHeight.)
G0 Z50.1      ;Drop to the print height of the Top Print
M82      ;Absolute Extrusion.  For some files this might be M83.
G92 Z50.1      ;Sometimes the Z must be adjusted like when the base is at .1 and the top is .2.
G92 E3389.47137      ;Sync the E to the Top print
G1 F1800 E3389.47137      ;If the base print ended with a retraction and the top print starts without a prime then it might need to be primed here.
;End of Transition Code
;LAYER:500
;TYPE:WALL-INNER
;MESH:X-Y Ref Block.stl
G1 F2668.8 X111.701 Y126.05 E3389.47564      ;First extrusion of the top file

 

Save the new text file as your third gcode file.

 

The two files can be combined with some copy and pasting and just 7 lines of gcode.

The base file ends, move the nozzle up, move the nozzle to the start of the first extrusion of the top file, drop down to one layer thickness above the print, adjust the Z if necessary using G92 and adjust the E using G92.

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by GregValiant