How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?  

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Maybe possible, but not within my knowledge. The best I can suggest: 
- Just cut the little tip;  merge it into the other part; and then move it until it is placed as you want. 

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I have no idea where it came from. I'm printing a model of a tree, so tons of small branches. 

Technically, the software should know where that little tip belongs, right?

Unfortunately, once you have discarded the undo each cut section becomes an individual part with no external references; they become seperate parts intended to be fitted together, otherwise there is no logical connection.

The slightly better news is that the most recent version of the cut function in PS is intended to reduce this problem by allowing you to limit how much is affected by the cut plane.

Or in other words:  Re-doing it all might not require as much work as it did in the first place.

Cheerio,

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Posted by: @keffjoons

Resulting in a little tip of one part being part of another part.  

Unfortunately I have no idea where it came from. 

Maybe I misunderstood. What I understood: You have 2 (or more) parts as end-result of your process. 
Somewhere on (let's say) part A there is a little piece, what should be in part B. Correct me if I am wrong

If what I understood is correct. Then it should be possible to cut this little piece of part B. (let's call it part C)
and next merge part A + part C to a new object "Merge" called by PrusaSlicer
In the Mergeobject it is still possible to move part C around and stick it exactly where you want it. 

RE:

I think you understood me correctly. I could have simplified my question by just asking if it is possible to undo a cut made at an earlier stage, thus restoring the object’s initial shape. It looks like the merge function in combination with manually moving and (painstakingly) aligning the two parts is the only route for now. 

I don’t know how the software is dealing with an object that is cut up, but I would assume that it stores the coordinates of the cutting line, rather than the resulting shape of the cut parts? If the first is the case, wouldn’t it have knowledge of the part that is cut off?

I guess this is becoming more of a feature request for developers 😇 

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Thanks for the info and suggestions. I have a single, 1,5 m³ object that is cut up into 70 parts. Are you saying that fixing one mistake made at some point in that cutting process would require me to start from scratch? 

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

I just realised that I have been talking about parts all this time, where in fact I am cutting them up into new objects. I am using connectors, which does not seem to be supported for parts. But the issue remains pretty much the same.

You are asking about PrusaSlicer - which closes the cut on both sides by inserting new surface.  For the sort of result you require you would have to do the job in a CAD application that stores the history of the structure in its development, they exist, but PS is a slicer and is mostly concerned with shape, not the construction.  PS's job is to take shapes, reduce them to slices and calculate an extruder path around them.  In many ways it is a pity that PS has incorporated so many functions that are better done in CAD as it has misled people into trying to use it as a design tool.

Cheerio,

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Posted by: @keffjoons

It looks like the merge function in combination with manually moving and (painstakingly) aligning the two parts is the only route for now. 

When moving objects use the size and place-table in the right column. It is possible to move by 0,001 mm exactly. 
And rather fast. 

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Perhaps so, but I feel that the functionality regarding cutting and adding connectors is something that belongs to the slicing part. One can not just assume that because the printer bed has a certain dimension that all the objects people want to print should be restricted in size to those dimensions. I work in Blender, so my objects are mesh based. It would be a big task to add cut a model to the correct size and add connectors in Blender. So I'm very happy with the new functionality in Prusaslicer. 

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

Posted by: @eef

When moving objects use the size and place-table in the right column. It is possible to move by 0,001 mm exactly. 
And rather fast. 

I'm not sure what you mean? Do you mean the Object Manipulation panel? I tried to find what you are suggesting in the manual but cant find anything

I feel that the functionality regarding cutting and adding connectors is something that belongs to the slicing part.

Not if you want parametric associations in the file - that is fundamental to the design process and belongs in CAD, it's frequently the first step in the design.

One can not just assume that because the printer bed has a certain dimension that all the objects people want to print should be restricted in size to those dimensions.

On the contrary, all the dimensions *must* be restricted to sizes the printer can handle; if you want a bigger object you need a bigger printer.

I work in Blender,

Blender is a portmanteau design suite that can, incidentally, be used for 3D printing design. It does have some parametric CAD functions but you have to choose to invoke them; take a look at the measurit functionality.  There are ad-ons intended to make this easier - Sverchok and CAD Sketcher would be worth checking; caveat: I haven't tried them.

my objects are mesh based. It would be a big task to add cut a model to the correct size and add connectors in Blender.

But fundamental.  If the overall project is to be larger the printable parts are still restricted to the printer's build volume.  You may be using the wrong software for your use-case, Blender can do it but it's a steep learning curve.

Cheerio,

RE: How to fuse / join previously cut and moved parts?

I am happy to add my 2 cents: 
- I use Freecad to draw nice stuff, always trying to make it parametric. But there are days when I reach the borders of the program (example: designing a splint curling around a finger. It is parametric untill I change something, and Freecad just crashed overwhelmed by the task. ) I have to cut it up in several small drawings until it does not crash anymore, keeping my fingers crossed at every change I make. Oh yeah, and every B-spline has to be re-drawin manually, adding all constraints again. Maybe Rhinoceros would be better? 
- I use Blender, just to do those small things impossible in Freecad. Heavily using the Boolean possibilities. Also nice to download 3-4 stls from internet, cut, paste, merge them into something useful for me. Would take me days to redraw all in a CAD program. 
- I use the funtions added to Prusa Slicer. It is not CAD and it is not Blender, but it is very useful. On most prints I do, I have to test for correct tolerances or positioning. I just cut a little part, print it in minutes, and back to (Freecad this time to modify); Printing a logo/image on a flat surface (just import the logo in the galery; subtract the logo (negative ) from the object, place logo, negative and object exactly on the same spot (setting x,y,z the same ) and go. 

So in the end, it is correct: Use the tools where they are build for: CAD for drawing: Blender for modelling, Prusa for Slicing. (It is the reproducibility what counts)
And be happy for all options to be used as a Swiss Knife when you have to solve an issue. (the faster the better. It is the result what counts "fast and dirty)

And yep sometimes you have bad luck and have to redo, because you made wrong choice. Or use another tool what helps. 

Good luck, have fun printing (and would love to see that (christmas?) tree what is being printed here 😉