STL file with one layer svp
Hi,
I am using Sketchup (free version) to generate stl files. However, I cannot find a way to get one layer (path) object.
Is it possible to use sketchup for such a purpose ?
What free software could do the job ?
My main concern is to control the number of layers of my object.
Thx
Thank you very much for this clear reply Jeff.
Best
Bertrand
Bertrand
thank you for your reply Jeff. Actually, I am a biologist, and, even if I have been looking into fab files and toolscript to introduce modifications, I don't understand (var i = 0; i < silicone.meshes.length; ++i). How can I use it to manage the number of layers of my object ?
My goal is to print one layer of hydrogel. I don't need a doubleedge feature, I only need successive lines of material. The thickness of my layer will be the result of deposition rate and pitch between successive lines. For 3D printing, I would like to manage myself the z-motion of the printer (because I can print the second layer, only when the first one has gelified, and so far, I don't know how much the gel will schrink during gelification). Also, I would like to print drops in some particular positions : is it possible (I guess it would use either the z-motion or the bay would work intermittently) ?
From what I understand, there is no layer in an STL file. I have made an object 2cmx2cmx0.3mm with sketchup.
I have modified the tool script "red taper silicone" as follows : slice height 0.29, path width 0.3. Consequently, I can see one layer of print job in Fabstudio (Fab1.jpeg). If I put in "slice height = 0.9", I see 3 layers (Fab2 and Fab3.jpeg). But I don't really understand how the printer will manage the thickness of the final object.
Is it a correct way to manage the number of layers in a STL file ? Is (var i = 0; i < silicone.meshes.length; ++i) the right command for this ?
/home/bertrand/Bureau/Fab3.JPG
/home/bertrand/Bureau/Fab2.JPG
/home/bertrand/Bureau/Fab1.JPG
Other questions, the printer goes back and forth, with a certain pitch between lines. Where can I manage the pitch ? For example, I would like a pitch of 500 µm between lines. How to remove the connection between each lines (deposit of material on the side, while going the opposite way) ?
How to tell the print to deposit single drop, or drop by drop, instead of by continuous line ?
Last question, is it possible we communicate by email or by phone ?
Thank you.
Bertrand
If you use the Beta release of FabStudio V1, you can edit the toolscript file of the material you are using. Where is says
for (var i = 0; i < silicone.meshes.length; ++i) {
you can edit it to be "i < 1" or the number of layers desired. You have to edit the file before opening fabstudio atm. Eventually it will be dynamically editable.
- Jeff
Thx a lot for your reply Jeff. I do use the FabStudio V1 beta (do I ?) I must say I am a biologist, and I don't really know about code. However I have tried to understand the fab file and the toolscript. Could you explain in more detail what (var i = 0; i < silicone.meshes.length; ++i) { means ? and what to expect if I put in i < 1"
My goal is to print one layer of hydrogel. I don't need the doubleedge feature, I don't want the printer to print 3D, that's to say, to print several layers on top of each other, and I want to control the trajectory of the printer (mostly the pitch between the back and forth.
Would you mind defining some terms for me please ?
I don't understand "slice" and "path" (in the toolscript). I actually managed to print the desire amount of layers (is it slice or path ?) by modifying the fab file. I actually put in a value for "slice" which is inferior to the value of "path". for example : 0.25 and 0.3. If I want to print 3 layers I put in 0.09 and 0.3. However, I know that the thickness of the layer I want will be the result of the speed, the pitch (the interval between the back and forth), and the debit of the printer.
In conclusion, I need to create a print job in which I have control over the number of layers, and over the trajectory : I don't need the "doubleedge" which I remove manually from the fab file. Where can I find the "doubleedge", if I want to get rid of it ?
Thank you.
Bertrand
A toolscript file is broken into two parts. The first part is the settings. It contains the static values specific for a material on a particular tool head and tip diameter. Editing the value of sliceHeight changes the thickness of each layer, changing the pathSpeed changes how fast the tool move while depositing. These values are usually calibrated once for a material on a given tool head. There isn't a need to modify them
The second section is the print script. This is JavaScript code which controls the print planning process. each geometry mesh is assigned to a material. That mesh is passed into a slicer and converted into slices. Those slices are then passed to a pather and converted into individual paths. The for loop I mentioned in a previous post is what cycles through the layers and paths them if you change (var i = 0; i < silicone.meshes.length; ++i) to var i = 0; i < 1; ++i) it will print a single layer.
thank you for your reply. Things are getting clearer to me... but I still have many questions :-)
My goal is to print one layer of hydrogel, and after further processing of that layer with another printer, I would like to use the Fab@home to print a second layer on top of the first one.
For this, I don't need a doubleedge feature (see my last question in this post), I only need to print successive lines of material which will subsequently coalesce to form one layer, and then I need to manually place the tip in position above that layer to print the next layer. The thickness of each layer will be the result of deposition rate and pitch between successive lines. For this reason, I need to print only one slice. For 3D printing, I would like to manage myself the z-motion of the printer (because I can print the second layer, only when the first one has gelified). Also, I would like to print drops in some particular positions : is it possible (I guess it would use either the z-motion or the bay would work intermittently) ?
Here are my questions :
_ you say that the values are calibrated for a material. Sure. But I am not using the material which have been used for calibration. Hence, I guess I need to recalibrate at least some of the values. I have found "deposition rate", but I would like to have control on the pitch between deposit line of each slice : the printer goes back and forth, with a certain pitch between lines. Let me call it the "trajectory" of the printer. Where can I manage the pitch ? For example, I would like a pitch of 500 µm between lines. It looks like the trajectory is defined automatically when clicking "Create printjob". Where can I modify this "trajectory" ? (see also last question).
_ What does "slice height" define ? What doest "path width" and "pitch" mean ? I would like to make sure I use the right terms.
_ how to remove the connection between each line (deposit of material on the side, before going the opposite way) ?
_ how to tell the printer to deposit single drop, or drop by drop, instead of by continuous line ?
_ in the next topic (Slice STL to readable coordinate file), you mention "edge only", is it another option in addition to "doubleedge" ? I have seen that "doubleedge.somthing" is generated by Fabstudio. But I don't understand how, and I suspect the "how" is where I can have control on what I call the trajectory of the printer. Where can I get access to that "trajectory" ?
I guess all these values are not accessible from the graphic interface of Fabstudio. I suggest this could be interesting development in the next version.
Thank you.
PS : last question : how to put images in my post ?
Bertrand
To remove the double edge pather and fill the interior, you would need to edit the source code for Fabstudio. by the time we full relase you will be able to turn the double edge off.
we are working on doing a voxel depositon in the FabInterpreter, right now you would have the jog the printer by hand and then jog the bays to replicate the effect. what you called trajectory, we call a path. The pitch of the path is what we call a path width. Changing the width changes the spacing of the path segments. "pitch" the setting is a hold over from the model 1 code. It will be eliminated in future software versions.
you cannot have fabstudio eliminate the connections between the ends of paths, this is done to make a continuous motion of the tool head.
Since you just want a square with straight lines, I suggest simply writing a program to make a custom fabFile for you.
As for the photos, thats a bug in the Theme of the ebsite that makes it impossible to see the insert photo text. I suggest posting the photo on flikr and linking to it.
- Jeff