Creating custom support  

Creating custom support

I'm a total newbie. Completely, so not just new to the forum but new to 3D and most software so please keep that in mind if you kindly reply?

A super nice person shared some thoughts and this is some of them RE: the model I'm trying to print.

The model is a cylindrical assembly of isolated crystals above a solid base area.

There's isn't any structure joining the crystals so the model will not print satisfactorily without supports.

However, adding automatic supports seems to overpower the model and makes it difficult to see the actual model structure.

It seems I would need to add custom supports to make this model printable.

They also shared when you put a cylinder on it's side, there is often so little material in the first layer that the slicer, does not recognize it's presence, which is why, it seems, I'm getting an error message about empty layers.

Again, if I add supports the empty layers message would disappear, but the model would be swamped with support material. 

I have no idea how to add custom supports with the Prusa Slicer nor how to proceed from here.

Thank you kindly for your helpful thoughts.