Support Structure Patern

[frozenoak 0]

In the Expert config (CTRL+E) panal, I changed my Support settings for the first time today, in order to get a better supported bottom layer for a project at work. I changed the Fill amount (%) to 30. I was suprised when it started printing lines as I had not changed the Structure type settings to Lines. I was once again supriesed when the next layer started was also line but in the cross pattern therefore making the Grid. That's great. I wish it did this at the 15% setting as well. Is there anyway to force this to happen regardless of the Fill amount %? I feel like this could increase some printing times significantly.

 

[gr5 2,024]

Is there anyway to force this to happen regardless of the Fill amount %

 

I don't think so. There is a sudden switch at 25%. 24% does one pattern, the other pattern starts at either 25 or 26%. I think 25%.

You should never be surprised at print time. Always check what's going to happen in layer mode. It may seem like a waste of time but 1 minute in layer view will often save you hours of printing.

 

[IRobertI 516]

I'm a bit confused, are you saying that the support type changes from "grid" to "lines" when you change the infill percentage?

If you're just talking about the actual infill, then yes, like George says it changes at 25%. This shouldn't affect the support though and doesn't for me.

 

[mikk36 0]

I have noticed though that small solid tops on top of infill work better, if the infill has smaller holes in it, making me use more infill than 24%, because below that the holes are just way too big for some areas (printing too much horizontally with zero support, between infill lines).

 

[frozenoak 0]

@IRobertI Not exactly. At 25% the grid pattern is built differently. Instead of each layer being laid down as a grid it uses 2 layers. The first layer being the horizontal lines and the second being vertical. I haven't tried to print with the Lines support but I would suspect that the lines are laid down on top of each other to create parallel walls as opposed to cells.

 

[frozenoak 0]

Always check what's going to happen in layer mode.

 

Thank you gr5. I typically do, but I haven't really looked at the support or infill structure layer by layer untill now. The time didn't supprise me.

 

[frozenoak 0]

Just a quick follow up. For expenrimental purposes I set the nozzle size to.3mm in Cura and all of a sudden the layer display told me I would be printing each layer as a grid again at 25%. At 26% however the printer would revert back to crossing lines on opposite layers. I'm guessing that line width plays a big part in when the software decides to change "grid type".

 

[Daid 304]

It does:

https://github.com/Ultimaker/CuraEngine/blob/master/src/fffProcessor.h#L723