Noob mind boggled with slicing STL vs G-code file not printing same quality.

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Hi, I am relatively new to cura and 3d printing (about 9 months) I have designed and printed a lot of models with success, and not new to 3d modeling, but this one model has me flat on the ground, I have spent weeks trying to find a solution, but just cant get it right, so here goes;

 

I downloaded a file that you can get on thingiverse and the company website itself, the G-code from the download prints perfectly well, except for some stringing on the inside, but that I can work with and solve, but the G-code does not have any supports in the code, on some parts of the model supports aren't needed, so I printed them as is, but on other parts, they are needed, so then I load the STL file instead, but then cura makes changes to print it the it thinks will work, but I know that it can be printed as intended, because the G-code prints perfect (besides the lack of supports), it either removes\changes some internal structure, or greys out some parts (to thin) I manages to tweak it up to a point that it prints every part, but now it adds "helpers on some parts that I do not like very much, now my actual question is, is it possible to "extract" read the settings in the G-code file? I have opened the code with a text editor, but I can't see exactly how to "copy" them over to a profile, I know that you can,t edit a G-code in cura, and you have to at least have some understanding of the code, I understand it about 5%... the code tells the printer what to do at what coordinate on the printer using commands, I know that is not exactly what happens, but for the sake of my problem, lets imagine that it is more or less that way.

 

If anyone can help me get the model to print as I need it, it would be appreciate it, this is the g_code loaded into cura, ready to be printed via sd card, perfect print.

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Just now, Mr_Stark1981 said:

Hi, I am relatively new to cura and 3d printing (about 9 months) I have designed and printed a lot of models with success, and not new to 3d modeling, but this one model has me flat on the ground, I have spent weeks trying to find a solution, but just cant get it right, so here goes;

 

I downloaded a file that you can get on thingiverse and the company website itself, the G-code from the download prints perfectly well, except for some stringing on the inside, but that I can work with and solve, but the G-code does not have any supports in the code, on some parts of the model supports aren't needed, so I printed them as is, but on other parts, they are needed, so then I load the STL file instead, but then cura makes changes to print it the it thinks will work, but I know that it can be printed as intended, because the G-code prints perfect (besides the lack of supports), it either removes\changes some internal structure, or greys out some parts (to thin) I manages to tweak it up to a point that it prints every part, but now it adds "helpers on some parts that I do not like very much, now my actual question is, is it possible to "extract" read the settings in the G-code file? I have opened the code with a text editor, but I can't see exactly how to "copy" them over to a profile, I know that you can,t edit a G-code in cura, and you have to at least have some understanding of the code, I understand it about 5%... the code tells the printer what to do at what coordinate on the printer using commands, I know that is not exactly what happens, but for the sake of my problem, lets imagine that it is more or less that way.

 

If anyone can help me get the model to print as I need it, it would be appreciate it, this is the g_code loaded into cura, ready to be printed via sd card, perfect print.

Next is my "own" profile for STL version (before slicing to G-code)

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Just now, Mr_Stark1981 said:

Next is my "own" profile for STL version (before slicing to G-code)

Note that light blue "helper" lines, they are not present in the G-code (first image)

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

1 minute ago, Mr_Stark1981 said:

Note that light blue "helper" lines, they are not present in the G-code (first image)

The G-code download prints perfectly

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Here I highlighted the problem, those horizontal lines are bugging me, (they showed up as blue before I updated cura yesterday) and they are not present in the G-code version.

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Here are the STL version (sliced)

CE3E3V2_fuselage_1_v5.0 TEST.3mf

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Original STL

fuselage_1_v5.0.STL

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

G-code

fuselage_1_v5.0_g1.gcode

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

https://www.shark.aero/downloads

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2865167

[Slashee_the_Cow 269]

Firstly: please take ten minutes to collect all your thoughts or edit your first post rather than leaving a hard to follow chain.

 

Secondly: The problem is the STL. It's broken in so many ways it's not funny. It has absolutely zero thickness to the walls, basically just a paper-thin shell. Cura can't slice that properly because it's essentially a 2D object in 3D space. It also looks like it's missing all interior faces, meaning the whole object is just one sided. That also gives you slicing problems because there's no inside wall telling it where to stop.

 

Frankly I'm impressed Cura can slice a model that fundamentally broken as well as it does.

 

Cura should have given you a warning when you loaded it saying it wasn't watertight and may not print properly - it wasn't wrong.

Edited January 20 by Slashee_the_Cow

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

1 hour ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

Firstly: please take ten minutes to collect all your thoughts or edit your first post rather than leaving a hard to follow chain.

 

Secondly: The problem is the STL. It's broken in so many ways it's not funny. It has absolutely zero thickness to the walls, basically just a paper-thin shell. Cura can't slice that properly because it's essentially a 2D object in 3D space. It also looks like it's missing all interior faces, meaning the whole object is just one sided. That also gives you slicing problems because there's no inside wall telling it where to stop.

 

Frankly I'm impressed Cura can slice a model that fundamentally broken as well as it does.

 

Cura should have given you a warning when you loaded it saying it wasn't watertight and may not print properly - it wasn't wrong.

Hi,

 

 

Sorry for the chain of messages, first time making a post here, ok, so as for the walls, it is a rc plane, so walls has to be one layer thick, i solved the issue with the supports not printing from the g-code file, so I will be removing this post soon, it IS a printable model, has been printed by thousands of people, cura is perfectly capable of slicing it to print every single part with enough tuning, I just had a problem with the supports not present in the g-code, but like I said, I sorted it out.

 

So to recap, STL not broken, Thickness is as it should be, it is not suppose to have any interior faces, one wall thick... cura has so many options, I just needed to get them all right to get a perfect print that brings my printer, the STL and the software all together, as for the watertight warning, that is just a "suggestion" it CAN be ignored.

 

 

"Anything is possible if you have a open mind"

[Torgeir 243]

Hi @Mr_Stark1981

 

Sure, anything is possible, so in this case you're looking for "surface mode", that you'll find in the menu "Special Modes". Under "Preference" click "Configure Cura", then select "Settings" and chose "Setting Visibility" to "Check All".  But you can also search setting "Surface Mode" and the setting become visible.

 

From here you can do lot's of the thing you want...

 

Good Luck.

Torgeir

 

 

[Slashee_the_Cow 269]

31 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

From here you can do lot's of the thing you want...

Except crash it, because 1 wall will be very light but also so weak I would be careful picking it up so as not to crush it, especially if you're just using PLA (which is very brittle). Although at one wall I'm not sure I can think of any material that wouldn't apply to (but I'm not very experienced with materials particularly exotic). PETG can be a little flexible but I still don't think one wall would be enough to survive much. TPU could definitely handle the squish, but one wall you'd tear apart just by looking at it the wrong way (it's particularly weak at layer breaks).

 

48 minutes ago, Mr_Stark1981 said:

So to recap, STL not broken, Thickness is as it should be, it is not suppose to have any interior faces, one wall thick... cura has so many options, I just needed to get them all right to get a perfect print that brings my printer, the STL and the software all together, as for the watertight warning, that is just a "suggestion" it CAN be ignored.

 

 

"Anything is possible if you have a open mind"

I stand by my earlier remarks, at least on a technical level. And I didn't say the warning needed to be heeded, it's still technically correct.

 

Also your life mantra is true in that it may be possible for me to win the lottery, but I think that no matter how wide open my mind is it doesn't make anything probable.

Edited January 20 by Slashee_the_Cow

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

1 hour ago, Torgeir said:

Hi @Mr_Stark1981

 

Sure, anything is possible, so in this case you're looking for "surface mode", that you'll find in the menu "Special Modes". Under "Preference" click "Configure Cura", then select "Settings" and chose "Setting Visibility" to "Check All".  But you can also search setting "Surface Mode" and the setting become visible.

 

From here you can do lot's of the thing you want...

 

Good Luck.

Torgeir

 

 

hi, I have "expert" visible, basically all settings, but anyway, I got it solved, thank you.

[ahoeben 1,950]

2 hours ago, Torgeir said:

Under "Preference" click "Configure Cura", then select "Settings" and chose "Setting Visibility" to "Check All".  But you can also search setting "Surface Mode" and the setting become visible.

Personally, I think this is bad advice. It will bog down the interface with lots of settings you will never use, especially if you are relatively new to Cura.

 

Make the settings you use regularly visible by default, and use the "Search" on top of the Custom settings for the rest. And consider installing the Tabbed Settings plugin from the Marketplace if you want to "explore" settings, or if you often forget the name of a setting but know what you are looking for. See

 

[Mr_Stark1981 2]

Thank you for everyone's input, finally got it to print a good model, busy with the electronics, and then maiden hopefully before winter.

[Torgeir 243]

Hi @Mr_Stark1981,

 

very, very nice!

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Torgeir

[Slashee_the_Cow 269]

I'm not sure I want to think about how many prototypes I'd have to go through to get it to look that nice but I'm hoping for you it's a lot less 🙂

 

Let me know how it goes, one of my neighbours is trying to print an RC plane in his free time and I'm sure he'd appreciate any tips.