Saving Project Problems and (Pictures) yay!

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I've been battling with 4 different slicer softwares. One or the other will excell in particular areas and lack in others while others are the opposite. It kinda seems like there's a conspiracy to exclude particular usability in any one software while making the same available in another. A purposeful handicap on any one slicers functionality. And that's not even considering what should be intuitive and advertised functionality that is even more so supposed to exist. I haven't been able to "made" the thing/things I'm working on because of this and likely the design shortcomings (also probably by design) of the particular model has thwarted my ability to utilize my 3d printer and filament in a dignified, relevant, and relatively easy way. What have (I made) with the tools sold to me? Basically a pile of plastic that looks a little bit different than it did before. Not much other than failure to  succeed at production of parts to a highish /acceptable degree of quality. At best Test Articles. You wanna see them? 

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I thought maybe I could add a description easily to each picture there but apparently not so... 

Picture one shows between my Ender 3 featuring SKR Mini E3 V3 and a lemon of a SLA the Anycubic Photon Zero (that hasn't functioned since new out of the box) maybe 1/4 of all the "test prints" for an "R.C. DLG Glider" called Argon that I've been working on for many many hours over the course of about a year. I don't have the CAD proficiency/there are (no surprise) no CAD software that work very intuitively or are available to me or else I would have likely designed and have had been flying my model in that time. The fact that these "test prints" are haphazardly thrown on top of the mini fridge on its side in the 1987 Nomad travel trailer that I live in is evidence of the greater troubles in my life that have caused a lack of moral or will to deal with such in a more dignified and organized way such as that which I exhibited before. I guess it's that I don't know how to prioritize. Shoulda printed one of those fancy vase mode little waste baskets beforehand huh. Onto the second picture from top. This is representing my seeming lack of proficiency with Prusa Slicer and the resulting quality is garbage. Non useable for an R.C. Glider without an unreasonable amount of post processing (would take lightweight filler putty, a 3D printing pen, epoxy and fiberglass/carbon, some type of tape or other film or a combination of those to have a part that would be suitable for such) and at that point I would be better served and could more efficiently build without 3D printing at all. Picture 3 shows the resulting "product" (you want to buy that?) of using Matter Control Slicer. The print seen in the lower part of the picture represents last night when I thought I had won the battle/war and would be able to proceed with production of Argon parts today and be flying the model soon. The print above that represents where when testing bridging settings I realized that because Matter Control (perhaps "conveniently") doesn't have the feature Z seam user specified (coordinates based) that that was going to be a losing battle no matter now "nice it was" to have better control over extrusion tool path generated. That hurt... Pictures 4-5 representing the differences that allowing me more control over tool path while extrusion is taking place has on quality of results. (Bright Orange Polymaker LW PLA and Cura 3.6 is seen to seemingly have over extrusion (it's not over extrusion in any common understanding that I have) but is related to the failure to include a section of the model with the overall part (Printing in a separate move from the rest of the part) and the associated excessive filament deposition related to that. The brown/tan "Wood" Polymaker LW PLA and Matter Control Slicer. In picture 4 the differences in the Cura and Matter Control slicing can be seen in dimensional accuracy and stringing. (The stringing with Cura while not desirable is not particularly bad or nor would it prevent me from using such parts willingly) picture 5 shows the Orange Cura part "deburred" to better allow the differences in dimensional accuracy to be seen between that and the Tan Matter Control result. Picture 6 shows two Cura "Tests" of the same basic parts and settings yet with  seemingly unexplainable differing results. Can you see the difference between them? The pair of models in the middle of the picture and the one similar in the lower right hand of the picture. Come on its supposed to be fun like one of those cartoons on a cereal box! A use case that is as far as I'm concerned intolerant to many of the things that the average "maker" would accept or ignore. Obvious evidence of my (at least slight limited) proficiency in understanding the field of 3D printing software and hardware in general. 

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Here another picture to help you with the Where's Waldo sorta fun time. Spot the difference between the parts on the left side/middle and the one on the right. 

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What? No one here wants to play along with me? (That's supposed to be a joke right?) 

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What? No one here wants to play along with me? (That's supposed to be a joke right?) I don't want to alienate a community that is particularly able to help me. Please don't take my particular comments in the wrong way. I don't seek to personally attack or blame anyone individual. There are many many hardships and frustrations in my life that I'm trying to overcome and as little an issue as it may seem (3d printing) it represents an opportunity for me not only to do something I would like to enjoy but also that I could potentially make money doing, further alleviating hardship. It is quite important to me and likely moreso than to others. I hope you can understand to a degree. 

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To sum up I should be able to get excellent prints and two things will help with that. 1. the ability to save print settings with a particular model and 2. Have more ability to control the tool path by understanding what settings can help with that and/or seeing new features added to the Cura Software. 

 

 

[Torgeir 243]

Hi @displaynamenotallowed,

 

Welcome in here.

 

I've read your story in here and I'll think several see some part of their approach into the 3d world like you describe.

 

As you mention version 3.6 of Cura, I can say that's the version is also the one I'm using for RC stuff or tiny models.  For sure, I'm using -even an older versions of Cura as well!

 

I do not think there is any other slicer, that’s has been developed with so many editions over such a short time as Cura.

 

Just now I'm on a vacation at the Canary Island (west of Africa), so I'm far from my 3d printer's.

Hopefully we can print that wing profile -after some attempt.. And save the settings.

But I'm in holyday mode, so it may take some time. 

 

Thanks

Torgeir

 

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Hi there Torgeir sounds like you are quite certain you can take away my troubles. Enjoy you're vacation.