Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???  

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Not at this time no. I’d be glad to be wrong though. 

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Thanks for your answer, I thought that too. Nevermind, putting this feature at my wishlist. Alongwith the height curve defined by keyframes - way more exact way to control the curve. 🙂

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

If you place all the dominos then export the plate as an STL, I believe auto layer height will be applied to all of them when loaded as a single STL.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Yes, crossed my mind as well but I can not place all bricks onto one plate/print instance, the bricks are too big for that 🙂 Max. number I can print on MK3S is 3x6=18 pieces. This means 3 full print beds + 1 last brick printed solo.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Have you tried saving it as a project?

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Yes, it stays within the project but when I delete the object(s) with varible layer height and import another stl object instead, this new stl object has no variable layer data. And this is my point, how to get this data from one object to another. I think it is not possible (yet).

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

I have been experimenting with Prusaslicer 2.1.0 and your "opportunity" intrigued me. So I started a project  and did variable layering  at the top and around the half way point. Then the real fun began.

I tried importing another copy of the object and was unable to get the variable layering to transfer over to it. 😒 

I created 40 instances of the object by setting number of instances. They all inherited the variable layering. I selected auto-arrange. Here is something that I did not find intuitive originally. Prusaslicer will post a message when things don't fit on the build plate., but in this case the message can be ignored and Prusaslicer will only slice the objects on the plate. Then you can move things and print the next plate. In my case, I just dragged the ones on the plate over and the others followed. I think it was because they were all selected.

So then I created a project with 1 cylinder and did the variable layer thing. see starting object before adding jpg.

I found that if I right clicked on object and clicked on Add part ->Load and selected the file I wanted things would work.

The added part would inherit the variable layers.

I did this several times and ended up with the results in multiple part with variable layers.jpg.

You can load all the dominos into the one project, just keep adding them to the original object. save it as one project in case you have to tweak anything, or just want to print a missing one. Everything in one place and ready to go. Easy to maintain. Nothing gets lost.

NOTE: My Prusaslicer started to add the part floating in the air so It looked like the variable layers were lost. It isn't. On the right panel under part manipulation there is an icon to drop the part to the bed. once all the parts are on the bed you will see the variable layer slider again.

Fun part ends.

Kenn

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

@kennd

Thats because when you right click and add part you are not adding another object to the bed, you are adding a part to the same object.  Slicer seems to have the concept of objects and parts which isnt surprising as a lot of stl/print files consist of objects made up of multiple parts.

Slicer treats all parts the the same but different objects can and do have different properties.  Its why all OBJECTS have to have at least one point touching the bed but PARTS of an object can be positioned completely in the air even though they wouldn't be printable.  
Thats also why parts positions so they overlap will print as one object (as to Slicer they are one object) but objects that overlap will produce a real mess as the extruder tries to lay down plastic for both in the same area (unless clip object is enabled).

For the case of the bricks in the OP its the same end result of doing Bob's suggestion of adding them all individually and then saving the plate as an stl and then importing the plate, its one object made up of lots of parts.  Same result different method.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Hi all,
thanks for your insight. I will carry out a few experiments to see if it's worth doing it this way 🙂

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

I just tried out this method, using "Reload from disk" function.

1 - I can combine STLs into one file and call it let's say BATCH1, then make my settings, layer height, etc... and save m3f file (like SET1.m3f).
2 - Prepare a 2nd set of STLs, rename it BATCH1 again in the same location.
3 - use "Reload from disk" (right click on the object). This smuggles in an entirely different object but all settings stay! Again, save m3f file (like SET2.m3f) and back to point 1 and so on...

A bit inconvenient and prone to mistakes (esp. naming different sets of STLs with the same name) but leads to desired result too.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

How many project files are you ending up with?

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

55 bricks to print, 18 fit onto one print plate, means I can run 3x18 and 1x1 brick (or something more evenly distributed like 3x13 and 1x16, etc...). Anyways, 4 print jobs in total.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

@makak007

I see your Dominos have been posted. Nice.

keyframes???

Kenn

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Oh yes 🙂 I decided to keep it simple so no variable height for the time being. But I will get back to it soon!

By keyframes I meant something commonly used in video editing and visual effects software. In case of slicer I imagine to place a point (keyframe) at chosen height/layer and set a layer height. Then set more points and height values. Slicer then keeps or gradually changes the height value between the points.

E.g. in case of my Domino, I would set something like this: layer 0/0mm - print height=0.05. Layer x/0.5mm from bed - print height=0.2. Layer y/0.5mm from top - print height=0.2. Top layer - print height = 0.05mm. So the print starts with 0.05 print height which is gradually increased to 0.2mm, this value is reached at layer x at 0.5mm from print bed. Then height 0.2mm is maintained constant until layer y (0.5mm from the top) where it gradually decreases to 0.05mm again up to the very top layer. Domino bricks would have higher/finer resolution on curved edges meanwhile the flat parts would be printed at 0.02mm height. Hope my explanation itn't too clumsy... I think this method would be far more precise than the current implementation.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Since most of my designs are structural or graphic, I do something like that when I need finer detail, say on a slope, fillet or rounded top.. If you right click on an object there is a menu choice - Height range modifier. It allows you to select a height range and set various properties for it, including layer height. You can have more than one for an object. Check it out. It may be what you are looking for. for your dominos top curve, I would find where the curve starts and ends , note the height (in mm) and set a height range modifier with a lower height. 0.07 mm is a nice compromise between detail and speed. I have gone as low as 0.03, but print time takes a BIG hit. Only works horizontally. 😀 

Kenn

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Thanks a lot!

This sounds like excatly what I want. Will check it out tomorrow my time.

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

I tried to edit post. Not sure about more than one per object. tried to delete that, but forum wouldn't let me

RE: Variable print height - can be saved and used in another project???

Hi Kenn,
got your message, I will keep  looking into this, maybe some good and universal solution is out there 🙂

Regarding your m3f file (thanks so much for that!), this is exactly what I was after and tried to explain a few posts above (keyframe thing). It would be fine if we could easily save the Layer Height Curve and apply it to other models/objects.