Just sent this to ultimaker.

3D Printing
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Just sent this to ultimaker. Would love to hear some thoughts on the subject, and if anyone is willing some more requests to ultimaker and other software developers.

Hi,

I am a printer builder and use Cura as my primary slicer and front end. I had an idea the other day and wanted to put it out there. Has anyone tried to make a slicer with selective support? Where the software would show support “zones”. Or you could highlight an area with the cursor and have support generated for that area. I ask because sometimes just support touching the bed isn’t enough, and I don’t need it in all of the places it would generate it (causing rougher than necessary surfaces and extra clean-up and material used).

Thanks,
Dustin

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@Daid_Braam is the master genius behind Cura. Also, you can get a lot of what you’re asking for with a piece of software called “Meshmixer” – It combines the whole file, and outputs an STL with the supports and can work pretty well with enough tuning.

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@ThantiK you would know better then me, but I was under the impression that most slicers try to optimize the bond between layers in the stl, however they leave very small gaps between the support material and stl. This makes removing.the support much easier, if you add it in meshmixer you would make the job of removing suports much more difficult.

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@Camerin_hahn , you should check out Meshmixers support structures. It’s almost exactly what he’s describing. And you can still have a gap in the STL to create more easily removed structures, people build support structures into model files all the time.

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+1 to @ThantiK s Meshmixer advice. I also discovered that the output STL keeps the support structures as separate meshes, so I can import the whole file into Rhino, select all the supports and export them as a separate STL (with origin) then do the same thing with the original model, meaning dissolvable supports! THE KRAKEN turned up today so I’ll give this a go with HIPS/ABS fairly soon.

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“Interactive support material” is something on my wish-list.

(As on HIPS printing, we’re most likely not going to sell HIPS, because the production of HIPS is incredibly bad for the environment according to one of our PLA suppliers)

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@Daid_Braam did they mention why? Hips isn’t dissimilar to ABS.

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Something about the solvents used. Not sure, I’m no chemist, nor the person in contact with the supplier.
I’ll see if I can ask how it relates to ABS.

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not find this function in slic3r, cura, kisslicer. but it is good idea for only some area with supporting.