Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?  

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Your Live-Z adjustment has the nozzle too close to the print surface on the 1st layer. Lines are being squished a bit too much and eventually distort the adjacent lines.

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Posted by: bobstro

Your Live-Z adjustment has the nozzle too close to the print surface on the 1st layer. Lines are being squished a bit too much and eventually distort the adjacent lines.

If you have not already done so, try using Jeff Jordan's "Life Adjust" procedure for calibrating your Live-Z setting. It is much easier to use and understand than the on-board routine. In general, start high (less negative) and work lower (more negative) in large increments (e.g. 0.1mm) until the filament starts to stick on its own. When it's right, you should be able to gently rub it without it coming loose. Then start lowering (more negative) the level until there are no gaps between layers. When you've got your Live-Z setting adjusted properly, you should be able to gently rub the extruded lines without dislodging them. 

This is what I did already.  Came out nicely.  I think something with the slicer is affecting the print.

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

I'm trying to get the folks at GitHub to look at it:  Layer 1 isn't the only place it occurs, it also happens in top layers.  I have't found a solution that fits all cases. Being able to force directional printing would help reduce the artifact from becoming visible.

https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer/issues/2556

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

does it go away if you change the bottom and top layer style?

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

I have not tried different solid infills ... some have said using a geometric fill helps by making the collisions "everywhere" rather than infrequent lines.

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

I was just talking about the top and bottom pattern.

or is it after the bottom is done it's doing that?

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

So was I ... 

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Any chance we could get a link to the STL or a project file (3MF) with your settings included?

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

The 3mf ... 

InfillPattern

If you find a cure, you'll make a lot of people happy ...  lol.

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Posted by: Tim

The 3mf ... 

Not a cure by any means, but some data points. Note: Cut your 5mm test part in half for time's sake. I'm not going to worry about the top surface of layer 1 unless it impacts the final print.

The left print is using my normal "quality" print settings with a 0.40mm solid infill extrusion width, the right with a 0.35mm solid infill extrusion width:

The wider default 0.45mm setting has more of the bulging and surface irregularities. The right less so, with only the shift in finish occurring on directional changes.

Did a bit more testing with 0.45, 0.35, 0.32 and 0.35 with Archimedean Chords:

Just going with more narrow extrusion widths is no guarantee. 0.32mm was markedly worse than 0.35mm. The quality depends on the pattern and extrusion width. The 0.35mm chords seem inconsistent.

Unfortunately, this has to go into my "further research needed" bin as I've got some real-world prints I need to finish. So far, my impression of things that made a difference were:

• Changing solid infill extrusion width to 0.35mm. Unsure if 0.35mm is magical, or different widths will work with different shapes.
• Increasing top layers by 2-4.
• Increasing infill density to 20% grid pattern. It provides more even support for thicker parts.

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Besides the overlapping boundary, the is the opposite effect of underlapping boundaries.  Reducing extrusion width helps a converging boundary, but makes the diverging boundary worse, and reduces normal welding everywhere else. 

As a side note, I tried the concentric infill, and it also suffers the convergence thickening.  

RE: Different in path lines in slicer resulting in thick lines?

Posted by: Tim

Besides the overlapping boundary, the is the opposite effect of underlapping boundaries. Reducing extrusion width helps a converging boundary, but makes the diverging boundary worse, and reduces normal welding everywhere else. 

Hmm... The results I'm seeing are showing that varying this width can result in better "fit" if the gap is closer to an even multiple of the extrusion width. (Makes sense thinking about it.) The finer the width, the less dramatic the effect of any over- or underlapping. I'm actually seeing less effects.

Octagram Spiral is really interesting. Archimedian chords is an interesting variation on concentric, very interesting across mutliple parts. Hilbert Curve will beat your poor printer to death!