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Shifting layers along X and Y selectively


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Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

Hello,

 

I want to print a structure / cylinder that solely consists of rectilinear (or zig-zag) infill where the 3rd layer is shifted by a certain length along the X-axis and the 4th layer is shifted along the Y-axis (repeated the same way for further layers). For better understanding, see the attached file.

 

I know the function to shift the whole infill by a certain length along the X- and Y-axis, but I don't know how to solely shift a single layer. Is there a posibility to do so? If not, is there a possibility to implement such a feature or is there another slicer that can do this?

 

As a second possibility, I could simply print my created stl-file. The problem with this is, that the path of my printer head crosses my structure when it is not printing and does not build up the structure in zig-zag way, as shown in the picture below (marked red is undesired, marked green is desired). Can I control the path somehow?

 

Thanks in advance for your response

Sebastian

Woodpile 1-3.JPG

Woodpile 1-3 Reaktor_Test_C.3mf

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    This is with Combing turned on and set to "All", "Avoid Printed Parts" is on, and Z-hops are turned off.  The travel moves are blue.

    image.thumb.png.9f7bc5d9e02cce646daa0fc5c589fe46.png

     

    Trying to do this with infill is possible by altering your Home Offset on the layers you want the grid moved.  That will make the outer periphery sloppy though and it could be a lengthy process.

    You are better off printing your model since it is what you want.

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Thanks for your answer.

     

    1. I have tried your settings and I get similar travel moves like you showed in the picture. Unfortunately this is not, what I am searching for, since I cannot stop the extusion through my nozzle. I have added another file with a similar structure and if you look in for example layer 8 in this structure, that is what I want the moves to look like. In comparison to that layer 9 shows the moves you got and that are unfortunately not useful for me. Can you explain me, why the travel moves for these two layers look so different? The printer needs to print nearly the same, just in another direction. (Btw I know that I can print this structure easier and in the way I need it, I just added it for demonstration)

     

    2. You said, that I can create the structure I want by altering the Home Offset for the layers. How exactly can I do this? Can you explain it to me please?

     

    Best regards

    Sebastian

    Woodpile 1-1 Reaktor_Test_C.3mf

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Your model is a grid with even layers left-to-right and odd layers front-to-back.  We want to print it with offsets.

    The 0 and 1 layers goes down as designed, The 2 and 3 layers are moved .5 to the right.  4 and 5 layers are .5 to the back AND .5 to the right.  The 6 and 7 layers are .5 to the back only.  8 and 9 layers are the same as the first 2 layers.

     

    The printer puts the origin of any print at the 0,0,0 defined by the Home Offset position stored in the M206 register in the printer.  If I were to change the Home Offset "X" it would effectively move the print on the build plate left or right because I've moved the 0,0,0 left or right.

    You would need to know your starting home offset.  When you auto-home the printer the nozzle may or may not be over the build plate.  You move the nozzle to a point where it IS over the left front corner of the build plate and then set the Home Offset on the LCD.  Your LCD will now read 0,0,0.  When you Auto-Home again, the LCD will display the distance from that 0,0,0 to the auto-home position.  Those are your Home Offset numbers.  On my machine they are:

    X-2 Y-5 Z0.  It would be the same as M206 X-2 Y-5 Z0.

     

    A gcode like this would alter the print as I described above (with layers offset).

    ;LAYER:0

    M206 X-2 Y-5 Z0 ;regular home offset

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:1

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:2

    M206 X-2.5 ;shift the origin .5mm to the right

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:3

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:4

    M206 Y-5.5 ;shift the Y .5 toward the back.

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:5

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:6

    M206 X-2 ;shift the X .5 toward the left.

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:7

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:8

    M206 Y-5 ;shift the Y .5 toward the front.

    >>gcode

    ;LAYER:9

    >>gcode

    In the Ending Gcode put M206 X-2 Y-5 Z0 (with your numbers) to reset the Home Offset.

     

    The Cura gcode preview doesn't understand M206 and so your preview of the gcode would look like it does with the extrusions on the layers stacked right above each other, but it would print with the layer shifts.

     

    With "Travel Avoid Distance" at 2mm I get this.  The ends of the extrusions will be connected (you can't retract), but there are no travel moves across the model.

    image.thumb.png.55888cd939daaf1e8a048fd2273db935.png

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    If I get it right, I need to modify my G-code after slicing, don't I?

    Additionally I think your solution by shifting after slicing won't work because I have a cylinder as geometry and if I shift, I shift my whole cylinder and the result would no longer be a real cylinder.

     

    I also tried the 2 mm Travel avoid distance and my result is the same like yours. But I still get different movement patterns for the layers 8 and 9. Why is this the case? Since it is the same filling only rotated by 90° I would expect the same path.

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    "...because I have a cylinder as geometry"

    Not in the project file you posted.

    Altering the Home Offsets shifts the entire print so no, that would not work.

    Cura is a good slicer but it isn't a CAD program.  It has a bit of capability to alter models, but the best thing to do is to give Cura the model you want.  Doing a "This is close except for..." often requires more work and you may not get what you want even after spending a lot of time on it.

     

    This is with support blockers configured as Infill Mesh.  The settings "Infill Offset X" and "Infill Offset Y" may give you what you want.

    image.thumb.png.210c4b6035edcd35b3224d3b758ecc66.png

     

    image.thumb.png.05c4f1dd73ef67851ecce7c18db15590.png

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    This looks really nice and it seems to what I am looking for. So what have you done? What are your settings?

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    • Solution
    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    I stacked support blockers 2 layers thick and with 2 layer gaps between them.  Each has a different ""Infill Offset X" and "Infill Offset Y".

    You can get different effects by altering the "Infill Layer Thickness" and "Infill Line width" as well.

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Ok, thanks for your answer, but I think we have to go more basic.

    So you have started with a simple cylinder, right?

    Than you have added cuboids with the height of 2 layers and the distance of two layers? These are the support blockers, right? What settings do I need for them?

    Than you have modified the infill of the cuboids by changing the X- and the Y-offset?

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Exactly.  The reason I went two layers is that your model looked thicker.  You can adjust the thickness and spacing of the blocker meshes to get the effect you want.  You can change the Infill Layer Thickness to 2X layer height to get a different effect.  Adjust the Infill Line Distance rather than the Infill Density and you can locate the lines of infill precisely.

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Select a Blocker.

    Scale it to the size you want and locate it to the model.

    In the Per Model settings set it to "Modify Settings for Overlaps" and as an "Infill Mesh".

    The default settings will be Wall Line Count = 0, Top/Bottoms = 0, Infill X Offset and Infill Y Offset set to whatever works for you.

    Copy that blocker and move the new one into position.

    Change the Per Model settings to a differen Infill Offset.

    Keep going up.

     

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    Thanks, that helped very well and solved the problem.

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    Posted · Shifting layers along X and Y selectively

    This one was a head scratcher.

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