January 2018 – Page 47 – 3d Printer reviews and information

Based on troubleshooting posts we see here, not everyone utilizes their slicer’s Layer View (or Print Preview, or whatever your software calls it). Here’s one example where OP asked why the print wasn’t turning out like the model view. I don’t link that example to criticize the OP in any way: just to show when Layer View would have revealed the problem before it ever got to the printer.There are tons of problems that can be caught in Layer View before ever wasting any plastic. Just a few examples:Supports inserted where you don’t want them or missing where you do want them.Your slicer settings interact in an unpredictable way or you simply hit a bug, like this case where “100% infill” was far from actually being solid.Features are too thin/small to be sliced.STL needs to be repaired: looks fine in model view but doesn’t slice properly. (In this case, OP did see the issue in Layer View before wasting time/material.)As you gain more experience with your printer, a quick scroll through the layers will also clue you in to optimization rather than just error. One of the most common things I check is the relationship between walls and infill, especially based on the angles, overhangs, and thickness of a given model.30-60 seconds spent in Layer View can easily save you many hours of frustration. http://ift.tt/2lRDM55