Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
higher value will generate support that's eas-
ier to break away. The pattern angle is the
angle at which the support will be printed,
with respect to the
x
- and
y
-axes of your ma-
chine.
Too low of a pattern spacing will yield sup-
port that's more similar to the rest of the part,
and will be hard to break away. But, too high
of a pattern spacing may not provide
enough support for the overhangs.
Notes and Miscellaneous
Settings
Notes (
Figure 5-14
) are useful for your own
records; they are completely optional and
have no effect on the print. After printing a
part and noticing how your changes affected
the output, type your notes in here so you
know what to change in the future.
Figure 5-12.
Support material
Figure 5-13.
Configuring support material
The overhang threshold is the angle past
which support will be generated. To prevent
the machine from generating support for ti-
ny protrusions that really don't need it, start
with 45 degrees.
You can also select a pattern of support, just
like you did with the infill, but it's probably
more important here, since certain patterns
are easier to break away post-print than oth-
ers. Rectilinear is a good place to start.
The pattern spacing will also have a major
effect on the structure of the support—a
Figure 5-14.
Taking notes
You'll only need to mess with sequential
printing if you have an automated way to re-
move parts from the print bed and want to
print many parts in sequence. I've never
bothered with changing the output options
(
Figure 5-15
), but they're useful if you'd like
to create a standard format for G-code file-
names, for example.
