Assistance with print - not just first layer  

RE: Assistance with print - not just first layer

Well, this is not encouraging. After some more reading, I decided to download Cura. I did not touch the settings. Simply loaded the saved project from PrusaSlicer into Cura, resliced, reposted, and printed. The results are excellent, considering.

Why would Cura print better than PrusaSlicer on a Prusa printer? Seems a bit ridiculous. So what am I missing?

( supports were more numerous as well as being immensely easier to clean up, too )

RE: Assistance with print - not just first layer

Make a first layer calibration and make a picture for us, first layer looks strange.

Picture how model sits on the bed?

Did you print with infill?

Do you have the prusa project file?

Possible better to make a top model and bottom model and glue/screw it together.

RE: Assistance with print - not just first layer

@yggsson

It looks as if your first layer has been printed in mid-air as a bridge.

Can you check your stl/amf file, is there a second object or a microfine extrusion placed below the part (-z)? 

The problem is especially common with complex .stl files; some avoid them for this reason but they are still the most convertable format for exchange.

If a part is designed by subtracting shapes from another then sometimes segments which have been calculated to be the same height might not be due to irrational numbers differing in (say) the tenth decimal place - so there is a micro-thin, unprintable, unwanted remnant left outside the body of the wanted part.  The slicer sees the remnant and despite not being able to reproduce it in plastic it honours the entire shape and so places the part you wanted in mid air.  Usually this is obvious but sometimes the remnant is no nore than a millimetre below the main body and it's not obvious unless you are looking for it.

This phenomenon can be useful too:  by putting micro-fine cut through the body of a part it's possible to print with little or no fill and yet have the slicer detect the internal perimeters and so place internal reinforcement just where you want it.

- and make sure you have 'Detect bridging perimeters' ticked.

RE: Assistance with print - not just first layer

Posted by: @yggsson

[...] Why would Cura print better than PrusaSlicer on a Prusa printer? Seems a bit ridiculous. So what am I missing?

Short answer is: They are different. Each has strengths and weaknesses. PrusaSlicer is derived from the much older Slic3r which -- for a variety of reasons I don't recall -- does supports this specific way. At one point in time, this may have been a great solution, but other slicers definitely handle supports for large, flat surfaces better. Here's a comparison of PrusaSlicer with 3 other popular slicers available today (Cura, ideaMaker, Simplify 3D):

Team Prusa is actively making improvements on the old Slic3r code base, but doesn't seem to have gotten around to supports yet. I know they're working on top infill quality and ironing now. You might drop a feature request over on the Prusa github page where the devs will actually see it (odds are low here as this is user-user support) and add your voice.

In the meantime, I'd say another slicer is the way to go if you do a lot of these prints. Right tool for the job and all that. PrusaSlicer is definitely my preferred slicer, but this is one situation where I might use another.