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Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

I have a dual color printer with two heads. I am using Cura to slice the model, but I notice that when there is a color change in the model, there are the full top and bottom layers applied in the transition. Can these be specifically adjusted to not be as think (or not present at all)? A color change with the same material should go down quite well without extra top and bottom layers (as long as the heads are properly aligned/calibrated). When there is support, there is an option to deal with interfaces and their thickness, I see this as something somewhat similar.

 

The issue can be seen in the screen shot. There is along a sloped surface between the two colors. Each adds a lot of top and bottom layers.

image.png.c883e0ea15e2313e036a23656ee7dbee.png

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    Your screenshot shows the Line Type preview mode, which shows it what part type each part is (in this case, yellow = skin, red = outer wall, green = inner wall, orange = infill), not what colour it will be printed - I don't have a dual extruder printer (or access to Cura right now) but if you click the top middle button whle in Preview mode it should come up with a box, at the top is a combo box, just click on it to open the list and I think Material Colot is one of the options.

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    I know that. I was showing an example where two skins are touching each other (the top skin of one and the bottom skin of the other). My two "colors" are both generic PLA in Cura so no actual color change can be seen in Cura, so this view actually shows you the important part: two skins touching.

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    The best solution would be to have a setting that all infill is made continuous and done with one core (no skins or walls between them) and just change which core is used for which part on the real skins or walls.

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    "without extra top and bottom layers"

    There aren't any "extra" top and bottom skins.  What you see is the plastic required to meet your shell thickness as determined by the number of skins (tops/bottoms) and the number of walls you have.  For a simple rectangular solid, that is easy to understand but once you throw in curves and angles, things get triggy (sorry for the pun).

     

    If your model happens to have a surface that is at a small angle to the build plate, then the skin areas will be added because walls won't be enough plastic to account for the full thickness you asked for.  Remember that Cura works by layers and each layer is essentially a section through the model.  

    This model has two angles.image.thumb.png.cb262ea8b767c251f9be7e74ca49be7b.png

     

    The angle that is shallower will require more "skin" filling in order to maintain the shell thickness (which is measured perpendicular to the surface).  The width of the added skin area is a trig function of the shell thickness and the angle to the build plate.

     

    image.thumb.png.592dc126fe020bb45a8438276b2403c0.png

     

    Here is the steeper area.  The Skin area is smaller.

    image.thumb.png.574b384402e0f81018f345e6fd315e03.png

     

    The closer the slope gets to vertical, the less "skin" area is required to maintain the shell thickness.

    In a side note, this is also why "spiralized" models with large overhangs can't be printed.  There is no skin to back up the shell and so the wall extrusions end up too far apart to support one another.

    image.thumb.png.6d642220e4a1370ad2e7d69d20033fae.png

     

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    I understand that. What I don't want it shells between different colors of the same material. It was just the most obvious place to show it. Basically, I want a way to say "no shells or walls between colors" (or possibly how many walls/shells between colors).

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    Posted · Top/Bottom Layers between color changes

    It would probably be easiest to understand if you could share a Cura project file (.3mf, set it up then go to File > Save Project) of your work and point out the areas where you're not getting the intended result or annotated some screenshots with the preview mode set to material colour so we can see what specifically you're referring to.

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