Allow overlapping parts

[rick 0]

Considering everybody wants to have an option to manually select the support structures, i thought it might be a nice temp. solution to add some sort of overlap between parts function. It's for the majority of parts fairly easy to make a support part in your CAD of choice. If you would then be allowed to place those parts in the area that needs to be supported it would save a lot of time spent on printing unneccesary supprt structures.

Apart from the above it seems like a nice function to play with anyways. It could open up a whole new way of "adjusting" parts without modifying them in a CAD

program.

 

[gr5 2,176]

Cool! So I could have maybe 10 "support" parts in Cura of different shapes and sizes and I could add my "support" parts when I want to support something then adjust the scaling factor until the support part almost just touches my actual part. And rotate as needed also.

 

[rick 0]

Exactly ! Don't even need to put them in cura as a stock. You could just import it as a normal part.

 

[gr5 2,176]

I thought more about this after my previous post. I don't think the parts should overlap. They should just/almost barely touch the part. They could autoscale such that they just barely touch the part as you try to place them. Just like meshmixer supports. I've used meshmixer supports and they work much better than one would think:

http://www.extrudable.me/2013/12/28/meshmixer-2-0-best-newcomer-in-a-supporting-role/

 

[mastory 44]

How about if the support models are positioned to slightly overlap the primary object, and then a boolean subtract is performed on the support models leaving the appropriate support gap that is contoured to the model. A possible step prior to the subtract, is to add all the support parts together.

At this point it begins to function like a modeling software, and I know that has been intentionally avoided in the past.

Matt

 

[rick 0]

Well that's not realy what i had in mind... The point is, as it is now, you can't put any other parts within their own "gray" area. Thus making it impossible to place manual support models in the area to be printed. What you suggest is nice and automated, but it would probably be difficult to implement as you need al sorts of algorythms to calculate it.

All i'm suggesting is to have an option to remove the placement restrictions caused by the grey area around the to be printed object.

 

[gr5 2,176]

Go to "tools" and click on "print all at once" now the gray area is only about 1mm larger than the part so you can place very very close together. Is this what you want?

 

[rick 0]

No, let's take, for example, this one. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:83193

If you want to print the main body parts, you have pretty much an impossible overhang from the engines. So you actually have to be able to put a part under the body part to be able to support it.

Now you can turn normal supprt on in cura, but then it's gonna print support beneath the entire part. Which in this case is not neccesary, and a waste of material.

This overhang occurs at 3,3 mm hight. So if i would be able to place a 3,3mm high part under the overhang of the engines, it would support it correctly without having to support the entire part.

 

[gr5 2,176]

I see what you mean. That would be very simple for this part - just make a 3.3mm high cube.

But it would a bit difficult to remove without damaging the part. I think you are still better off using meshmixer and it's AMAZING support algorithm and you can place supports manually with meshmixer and it's so fast. Click click click and you have 3 supports. And it's free.

 

[rick 0]

I'll give it a try