How do I scale print assemblies correctly in Slicer
When I am downloading a multipart print from Prusaprints or Thingiverse, I struggle to appropriately scale the print down in PrusaSlicer. For example, if I am trying to download and print a 4-part wind turbine print that is attached via M3 bolts, how do I scale down the prints successfully to make sure the machined bolts match up as the original creator intended? If a creator has a multipart print, how do I scale it to make sure it is the same size as theirs, especially if they list specific bolt sizes they used to complete their assembly?
I have an MK3s+ and am printing with PLA at standard temperatures.
Thanks for the help!
RE: How do I scale print assemblies correctly in Slicer
AFAIK there is no need to scale anything in PrusaSlicer; the STL should already have the correct size on import (I printed multiple things like this and the printed size has always been perfect without any manual scaling, except on rare occasions where the part tolerances were slightly off).
Although the STL itself does not contain units per se (if I'm not mistaken), I think CAD software and slicers standardize their use of STL somewhat so that something that is modeled as exactly 2mm wide in say Fusion 360 is printed as exactly 2mm wide in PrusaSlicer.
RE: How do I scale print assemblies correctly in Slicer
@fortinmike
I found my issue. I was importing into Slicer as STL Inches and the original design was in metric. Now the autoscaling is correct. It must have been importing the stl dimensions as english instead of metric as you stated.
Thanks for the reply!
RE: How do I scale print assemblies correctly in Slicer
Scaling down - as in making smaller - will never work if you want the hole geometries in the original to remain functional with externally obtained hardware parts - like screws. If your model has included plastic threaded screws - my experience is those scale poorly due to the tolerances already involved at full size.
But I also do scaling - to try a new model before I go for the full thing, and have learned that to scale down is to re-cut all of the holes and threads. Not so bad if you just get the hole size close and later use a thread tap to cut threads into the printed blank hole.