Preserve paint-on support when reloading model?
Hi All,
I'm using 2.5.0 on MacOS.
I was wondering if there is a way to keep a model's paint-on supports when reloading that model from disk? I've found paint-on supports to be very useful, although the interface to create them is time consuming and tricky. If I update a tiny unrelated change in the model, I have to go back and reproduce the paint-on supports as best I can. It never seems to be the same since the paint interface is hard to use. Once I get the supports where I want them, I'd like to be able to preserve them across model updates. Any idea if this is possible?
Thanks for any insight!
Justin
RE: Preserve paint-on support when reloading model?
Unfortunately not no. The paint on functions work by marking faces on the model as painted or not, as such they are indexed against basically a big long list of faces. When you load in a model that list is in effect reset.
its why painting on is always my last step, you can iterate with no supports and check the previews of the slice and then finally do the supports.
Also if you are having trouble with the painting process have you tried the smartfill brush option ?
The other option is not to paint but to use modifiers configured as support enforcers. As these are mesh shapes that you can add to intersect areas in your cad model when you reload the model they are automatically placed too. Although you would still have to split to parts and then designate them as enforcer each time so depending on the model complexity that could take even longer.
RE: Preserve paint-on support when reloading model?
Thanks for the quick and insightful reply 🙂
I will look into the smartfill option. I actually just discovered the view clipping feature, which helps me paint accurately on hollow and overhung areas with model geometry below. At least using that, I can more accurately and quickly recreate my last "paint job".
I do already use support enforcer modifier blocks & cylinders, etc. I have found that they remain after reload, which is helpful.
RE: Preserve paint-on support when reloading model?
Smartfill is definitely the way to go, if the model topology allows it. In 2.6 alpha, there's another smart fill option but I haven't played with it enough yet to comment.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE:
@justin-4
I agree with everything @neophyl said, but I would like to offer one other alternative suggestion to this.
The other option is not to paint but to use modifiers configured as support enforcers. As these are mesh shapes that you can add to intersect areas in your cad model when you reload the model they are automatically placed too. Although you would still have to split to parts and then designate them as enforcer each time so depending on the model complexity that could take even longer.
If you use this method can setup your support enforcers and blockers once, you can leave them in the project then select the new iteration of your model and simply right click on the model you want to replace and select "Replace with STL" from the menu. Even though the function is named Replace with STL, you can import any model type that you could normally import into Slicer, working this way you will not have to designate all the enforcers and blockers again.
Depending on the changes you make to your model.