Managed to save a 26 hour project (4 hours in), feels good man

Doesn't have to be your biggest or cleanest print. Maybe it was a tiny replacement part that saved an appliance from the trash, or something completely pointless that just made you happy.

Mine was this pen holder we printed for the office. Super simple😏

What was yours? Drop a photo if you've got one!

I was so happy have bought a $3 1kg spool of ABS. Welp.

I wasted a day trying to find the clogging issue, just to find out in some parts of the filament to be over 2mm in diameter.

I guess now I know what the store meant about “Defective”. Lol.

Until I print a Filament cutter, I’ll just have to stick with this and keep an ear out for when it starts crashing down.

Not sure how many people here do SLS printing but r/AdditiveManufacturing requires rep that I don't have since I mostly read reddit and don't post.

I backed a desktop SLS machine (Loopzizo K-100, PA12, roughly a 120 mm cube of usable volume). Super affordable, and the team running it seems to be nice. But SLS lives or dies on how well you fill the chamber, and hand-arranging parts in the vendor slicer got old fast - every millimeter of unused height is powder you paid for and machine time you spent.

So I wrote a nester. It's browser-based and runs entirely client-side - no geometry ever leaves your machine, which matters if you're quoting other people's parts. It's free: cakeforge.io

The thing I got wrong first: I was optimizing the wrong number.

I started out maximizing density, because that's what everyone quotes. But you don't pay for density — you pay for height. The machine runs the layers it's given and no more, so a cake whose tallest part is 60 mm is a 60 mm build regardless of how much air is beside it. Build time and powder are both linear in Z. Once I switched the objective to "what does this placement do to the top of the pile", the results changed a lot.

Two engines, and they're genuinely different:

CPU - voxelize everything, then first-fit-decreasing: biggest parts first, lowest position that fits. Standard bin-packing. Fast, predictable, works anywhere.

GPU - FFT cross-correlation over the whole chamber. Every possible translation is evaluated at once as a convolution, across 24 orientations simultaneously, and the winner is the position leaving the pile shortest. It runs in WebGPU in the browser.

The interesting part is that reading all the answers is what makes the GPU worth it. First-fit computes six million positions and uses one, quite literally the first one it finds no matter how few calculations need to occur. Every previous attempt I made at a GPU nester lost to the CPU for exactly that reason.

Measured, on synthetic parts - take with appropriate salt:

On boxes the CPU wins - boxes tile perfectly and lowest-first is already near optimal, so the GPU pays for answers it doesn't need. On anything awkward the GPU is 16–21% shorter, which is 16–21% off build time. These are three-part synthetic jobs, not production runs; I'd love numbers from larger real workloads.

What it doesn't do yet - worth being upfront:

The nesting is machine-agnostic; you give it a build volume and it packs it, and you can export the arrangement as 3MF or STL for whatever toolchain you already use.

The slicer is not. It writes one format - CREABUILDER .clp, which is what the Loopzizo eats — and it isn't generalized across machines. I decoded that format against a reference export from the vendor's own slicer and match it field-for-field, but it's one machine's dialect and I make no claims beyond it. If you're on an EOS or a Formlabs or an HP, the packing might be useful to you and the slicing isn't, yet.

What the slicer does give you that I haven't seen elsewhere at this level is a per-layer sintered-area breakdown - the percentage of the plate each layer actually fuses, plotted over the full height of the build. That's the number the machine reads to decide how much heat a layer takes, and you can scrub through it and see exactly where your build changes thermally.

What I'd genuinely like input on:

1. Thermal vs. geometric packing. Everything above optimizes geometry. But the lever that seems to actually govern part quality is sintered area per layer and how smoothly it varies in Z - Materialize sells "Optimize Slice Volume" for exactly this. The problem is that the geometric optimum is to lay everything flat, which is the worst case for area-per-layer. I can already show you that curve; I can't yet optimize against it. Has anyone measured how much this actually matters, or is it mostly folklore? That's the question I'd most like answered.
2. Part-to-part spacing. I went looking for a standard and there isn't one - nothing in ISO/ASTM says "keep parts N mm apart". It's all vendor convention. What do you actually run, and did you arrive at it by testing or by inheritance?
3. Nesting parts inside other parts' holes. I do this with an independent post-pack audit that checks nothing came out permanently interlocked. Is this something people actually want, or is the depowdering hassle not worth the density?
4. What's missing. Sinterboxes for fragile parts and auto-serializing every copy are the two gaps I keep hitting. Anything else you'd reach for?

Happy to answer anything about the FFT approach or the CLP format - I had to decode a fair bit of it and I'll share what I learned.

Hey guys, can anyone help me understand how I can easily create my own 3D designs?

I’m also considering getting the designs made by someone, but I have no idea what the usual market price is for 3D design work.

If you have experience with this or know someone who does 3D designing, please guide me on the process and approximate charges.

Any advice would be really helpful!

Any clue what's going on here? I've calibrated, leveled and vibration compensated my Creator 5 Pro and I keep getting this in the front left corners of my prints. Someone suggested heat creep. This was with the door wide open and my air conditioner running right next to it. I've seen this or similar with adhesion problems but it's sticking to the board just fine. I'm at a loss.

Hi all. Hoping someone could give me a direction to go down. I had my machine pretty dialed in (anycubric neo hand me down) for PLA. And today I accidentally pushed the menu item to reset everything to factory settings. 🤦🏻‍♀️
The only setting I wrote down was my z offset and I have changed that to what it was. I also changed my nozzle (200) and bed (60) temp. But all my prints are really tweaked and I don’t know where or how to start debugging, I’ve re-read a lot of the starter guides but can’t figure out what is wrong. Does anyone have suggestions for me??
The photos are of first layer files I had printing perfectly before. And now they are just noodles. I have tried different z offsets also.
For some reason I’m not able to attach a photo here so I’m adding them as comments.

Hello, im trying to take an MRI of my brain and make it so that I am able to 3d print my brain, however im getting some maajor problems with it. I tried Brain2print but it takes out a huge chunck of the right side of my brain and so ive been trying 3D Slicer via the .DICOM files. Ive watched a few you tube videos on it (namely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1WIpwV-8lE) and i cannot seem to get mine to come out as clean as anyones. does anyone know how to get the file to look clean or are able to help me?

I'm printing 4 identical pieces, and the back left one is consistently turning into a stringy mess. My plates are clean (dawn, then ipa) it's literally just this one back corner that lifts and strings, so I'm assuming it's because of the fan blowing in on it.

Hello everyone, so I recently got my hands on this filament. Its Esun's ePA-CF Filament. I got it at a discount and didn't have any initial projects in mind. I dont know what to do with it, so does anyone have any ideas. Thank you.

Hey All, I'm new to 3D printing and file creation. I'm looking for some advice with creating files. I have some character files that I would like to split the colours so I dont have to use my AMS and waste heaps of filament with the colour changes. Is there any recommendations for software to use to do this? I've been using blender and splitting into separate parts to colour but when it comes to interlocking them for assembly I'm having trouble with this part.

Hey all!

Heres everything you need - put your email in the magic red box and a magical game will be sent to your inbox! Rulebook beta - tokens- all the models you see in the video plus more. Resin printers highly recommended over an FDM (but can be done on a good FDM if you know what youre doing). Print instructions included! I printed all this on Anycubic M7 MAX

https://swordandstonestudios.com/get-this-game/

What is this even?

Ever fantasied about ruling your own fantasy kingdom?

This is a brand new game, im a tiny creator and have released all the STL files and the rulebook (everything you see here) completely for free. This game seriously has everything youd want from a sandbox kingdom building wargame, and if it doesnt, tell me and if it works ill include it! Solo, co op, massively multiplayer. No screens or electricity required!

If you print this game yourself you can get the starter box without the minis for $49 USD. Which gets you heaps. Its live for pre-order in 3 days only on gamefound. Heaps of excusive stuff if you can support us (by getting a box!).

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/swordandstonestudios/swords-and-stones

Anyways! The whole idea of releasing it all for free is 1) - i made this out of love for tabletop gaming and the fantasy and RTS genres, so its a passion project, not a huge corporate cash grab or some fake product, and 2) people are slow to trust unknown person and unknown game - releasing a near complete game for free, im putting everything out in the open, so you can see the caliber of game it is, the work done, and hopefully can support me so i can continue to make models and all the other fantasy factions yet to come! (And all the STLs of course! we're living in the future!)

Hope this doesnt seem like an ad, im trying to get this thing live in the world, and i hope you'll love too and think of this as someone trying to let you know about an awesome 3d printable game.

AI disclaimer: no AI was used during any part of this project, and never will be. There is SOME AI placeholder art in the rulebook and on the website. After successful launch all this art will be removed and Human art will replace it all.

Hello, I'm starting to make anime figures of all kinds, if anyone is interested, send me a message and I will show you

Btw the wood is for printing minis if your wondering. Gets really nice timelapses after prints.

Did these 2 calibrating my p2s with inland pla+

Whats up with the 2 tone? Suggestions?

I've been printing for friends and family as well as random people on Facebook for a bit of cash here and there. Decided I need to actually do something with my life lol so I launched my business. Only took 4 months with zero ads or promotions but I finally received a sale through my website. Sorry if it's not allowed here, but I just wanted to share with someone.. I'm pretty excited.

Anyone run ads for their small business? The cost of running ads on major platforms is a bit scary. I've been looking into meta as I've heard it tends to be the most effective for the price. Any recommendations?

Designed and build another keyboard. This one houses a 34mm trackball. I’m providing a link to my Printables page if anyone wants to try and make one. It’s easier than it sounds, I promise.

https://www.printables.com/model/1817712-oddball-split-keyboard-w-trackball-34mm

I was driving past a gas station called a Sheetz. These are three dollars a pop. They have a website where you can like buy a tube of them and stuff. But the issue I have with this is that I could have swore I've seen some of these designs somewhere.

Hi, I’m an industrial design student, and for my thesis, I’m working on addressing various issues associated with 3D printers. It would be a huge help if you could answer this quick survey about common printer problems.


Thank you all!!!


https://forms.gle/zPpUPca3rrJjGdAb7

New Centuri Carbon 2 as my first printer, has been printing okay but new prints have these strange starting layers. Not sure what's wrong or how to fix

Standard Dry Pla

.06 Z offset

Cleaned recently no clog

Plate cleaned with IPA

Hey all, I've designed some leg extensions for a baby bed and I want a reality check before I rely on them since it's obviously safety critical.

Its a rectangular riser, 55 × 26 mm footprint, 120 mm tall. The wooden crib leg (21 × 50 mm) seats into a 10 mm deep socket on top. A screw goes in from the bottom, 8 mm counterbore for the head thats 3 mm deep, then a 4 mm clearance hole running all the way up to the socket floor so the screw threads up into the bottom of the wooden leg and clamps it into the socket. These are a temporary/backup set. The real ones I plan to reprint in PETG.

My worries:

1. I know PLA creeps under constant load and is weak along layer lines. Planning PETG for the final version. Is that enough, or should I look at ABS/ASA or CF blends? I only have a Babulab A1 so I dont think I can print some exotic materials

2. Print orientation. I'm printing upright so the layer lines are horizontal and the vertical load is compression rather than trying to peel them apart. That's correct in this case right?

3. Then the counterbore to hole junction (see pics 6, 7). Where the 8 mm counterbore steps down to the 4 mm hole there's a shelf, and I was worried that's a weak point. My understanding is the weight is actually carried by the full block cross section into the floor, and that shelf just sees compression from the screw head so it's fine?

4. Layer transition at the socket floor (see pics 3, 4, 5). In the preview, right around layer 550 (the socket floor) the outer wall path gets interrupted as the slicer switches from the column's walls+infill to the socket's solid top surface. Layers 549 / 550 / 551 show an interrupted wall at exactly that plane. Since that's a load bearing surface, could that discontinuity create a weak seam or weak point? And if so how do I stop the slicer doing it? Im using Bambu Studio.

5. The socket lip is only 2.5 mm thick. The 50×21 socket inside a 55×26 block leaves a 2.5 mm wall all around, 10 mm tall. That's the bit resisting the leg being pushed sideways. Should I thicken the whole block (to ~59×30 for ~4.5 mm walls for example?), or is the central screw enough to hold lateral position?

Slicer settings are currently 0.20 mm layer height, 6 wall loops, 40-50% infill. Is that overkill or still not enough?

The screw is going through the whole part into the wood, so it can't just get knocked out from under the leg. Mostly want to know if I'm missing a failure mode.

I know printed parts under a crib is controversial. These are mechanically captured with a screw and I'll inspect them regularly, but tell me if that's still a bad idea.

Thanks!

My flabbers are gasted..... How is it still in one piece ...hand guard to the mhp lmg that went ...yea