Amend nozzle printing path?
I was just wondering if it's possible to force a 3D Printer to follow a set path when printing a layer?
I've been printing a 3x6 inch box in PETG which has a totally flat top and bottom layer. It prints great except for an ugly line that's always created by the extruder changing its print path half way through the first layer.
The nozzle prints from bottom left toward the right for about 70 percent of the layer, then it reaches a certain point and the nozzle moves over to the top right and starts printing back toward the last line it printed. This completes the layer but leaves an unsightly line in the models surface. It only does this on the first layer. Every other layer prints from left to right as I want it to do with the first layer!
I'm using Slic3r Prusa Edition. Is there a way to force the nozzle to print from left to right without stopping and changing position?
I've attached a photo incase it helps to better show what I mean.
Many thanks
Re: Amend nozzle printing path?
Looks like the nozzle is getting "trapped" by going into a corner. One trick you can try is either changing solid fill angle or rotating the part on the bed so that the infill pattern is parallel to the square sides; then it should be able to do straight fill from left to right without interruptions.
Re: Amend nozzle printing path?
Thanks for the good idea but when turned 90 degrees other parts of the model don't print correctly. I decided to spin the model by 45 degrees on the build plate, but oddly it moved the orientation of the nozzle (printing direction) totally out of whack at about a 4 degree angle from level with the bottom of the build plate. When I spun the model black the print orientation stayed stuck at 4 degrees and I had to force quit Slic3r to have it forget that weird decision and return to normal?!
In the end I solved my print issue by amended the original file and dropping in a decorative 1mm wide by .6mm deep trench around the top of the box. That way the nozzle printed the outside of the layer first and then started on the internal section which it completed in one pass.
I'm sure I have heard murmurs of ways to edit the nozzle printing path though (even if it is done in a program outside of Slic3r) and I would still be interested to know how it's done if anyone's got the know how?
Re: Amend nozzle printing path?
The infill angle is variable, you can set it to 0, 33, 45 ... or even 78 (couldn't resist) to align with edges.
Other slicers have more flexibility, and maybe more capability. I'd look there.
But you can improve top surfaces by slowing down solid infill and top infill to something closer to perimeters. Increases print time, but reduces the overextrusion implosion that happens when infill gets hit from two directions.
Re: Amend nozzle printing path?
The infill angle is variable, you can set it to 0, 33, 45 ... or even 78 (couldn't resist) to align with edges.
Other slicers have more flexibility, and maybe more capability. I'd look there.
But you can improve top surfaces by slowing down solid infill and top infill to something closer to perimeters. Increases print time, but reduces the overextrusion implosion that happens when infill gets hit from two directions.
Thanks for the helpful advice buddy. The item's printing nicely now. Somehow I managed to overlook the infill angle adjustment option.
Cheers. 🙂