Extra Skin Wall Count for initial layer only?

[2go 7]

Hello! Newest Cura build. Goal for initial layer is to have 2 skin walls for every model on the build plate, only 1 skin wall for other layers. Am I correct assuming that there is no option to outright achieve this?

 

My workaround was to model 0.2 mm tall cube, stretch it out in X and Y, so it covers entire build plate and and use it as 'cutting mesh' with 'Extra Skin Wall Count' set to 1. This way it only changes this setting for the initial layer for all the objects on the build plate. It is a bit cumbersome, also introduces a few issues. First one, it somehow messes 'Regular Fan Speed at Height'; fans hit full speed at layer 2 instead of layer 6 as set in my settings. Second, I have to stare a yellow rectangle all day long 🙂 (screenshot attached). Models are also yellow in Cura, so sometimes they are hard to see. Can I somehow make this 'cutting mesh' model transparent or invisible?

 

[Slashee_the_Cow 489]

Well you could change the colour of the generic PLA 🙂. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to change the visibility of a cutting mesh like that.

 

I'm not sure why you'd want an extra skin wall on the bottom (they're much more important to prevent the top lines sagging into the infill) but I've spent enough time around here to generally ignore the "why" and get to the "how" (if there is one).

 

As for messing up the regular fan speed height: I'll admit this is just speculation on my part (I don't greatly know the internals) but it makes CuraEngine treat whatever's in the cutting mesh as a completely separate mesh which messes with the initial layer fan speeds because it's reached the top of the first mesh so should be at full speed. You could open the gcode file and add your own M106 lines to control the fan speed, but that's annoying, especially if you have to do it a lot.

[2go 7]

49 minutes ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

Well you could change the colour of the generic PLA 🙂. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to change the visibility of a cutting mesh like that.

Just changed the material display color to gray, good suggestion, thanks.

 

49 minutes ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

I've spent enough time around here to generally ignore the "why" and get to the "how" (if there is one).

😄 😄 😄

 

49 minutes ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

 

As for messing up the regular fan speed height: I'll admit this is just speculation on my part (I don't greatly know the internals) but it makes CuraEngine treat whatever's in the cutting mesh as a completely separate mesh which messes with the initial layer fan speeds because it's reached the top of the first mesh so should be at full speed. 

Makes sense. I'm sure I'll find a way to fix it one way or the other.

 

Thanks for your help.