How should I print this keycap? Do I need supports?

[lilac flicker]

But theyre really short too

The top is thin too

But it gives a nice glow

I think ill make the rbg white

[random spruce]

nice,

[lilac flicker]

Instead of blue

See how that looks

[random spruce]

whats the diff of RGB white and just white?

[lilac flicker]

The stems are actually awful though

Nah like

Idk I just called it rgb

Keyboard glow

Stuff

Make it white

[random spruce]

what modeling software do you use? fusion tend to be good for mechanical stuff

[lilac flicker]

I use blender LOL, I never really made mechanical stuff

Not sure the style of modelling its called

But for looks I guess?

Not functionality

[random spruce]

Is RGBW and RGB+white diffrent?

[lilac flicker]

Wdym?

[random spruce]

wait I am thinking about diff things with color theory

anyways

[lilac flicker]

I was so lost

[random spruce]

There is cad sketcher for blender which might be good for mechanical stuff

[random spruce]

nvmd it, my brain is doing 30 things at once lmao

[lilac flicker]

LOL

I still dont know what type of stuff I really wanna print yet

Completely new

I think mainly stuff for looks rn

Hey but all the caps fit which is dope

[random spruce]

stuff from Make Anything is fun

[lilac flicker]

Make anything?

Whats that?

[random spruce]

a YT chanel about fun 3d modeling/printing stuffs

https://github.com/hlorus/CAD_Sketcher

https://www.youtube.com/@make.anything/videos

[lilac flicker]

Oh dope

[lilac flicker]

What stuff do you normally print?

[random spruce]

I don't print that much anymore, lately its just been stuff I need to organize so nothing that amazing

[lilac flicker]

I see I see

Printing 9 more

Making a whole army

[random spruce]

fun!

[lilac flicker]

Fr, ill prob regret this style too but ill just reprint

[random spruce]

lol

[lilac flicker]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/936592057735200788/1097008218309406811/20230416_205645.jpg?width=507&height=676

@random spruce Got 28

I think

I did 3 batches of 9

And got 1 extra

From the test

[lilac flicker]

Not sure these were a good idea

I can still type

But its a bit odd

Theyre kinda not centered perfectly either

But thats fine

They look cool when pressed though

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1084971477364912229/1097025935871590420/20230416_220712.jpg?width=507&height=676

[split widget]

Use a darker filament

Maybe translucent petg, or galaxy pla

[random spruce]

Nicee, you could also thicken the walls

[lilac flicker]

Yea prob but I kinda like how its really glow through

[lilac flicker]

Printed this and cut myself during the removel of the supports

[random spruce]

what where you using to remove supports?

[lilac flicker]

A multi tool LOL, used the tweezer parts for most of it and then a curved blade hook for the rest

[random spruce]

get some good needle nose pliers, they do the job well

[lilac flicker]

Yea ill prob have to find some

[split widget]

Use print support from bed rather than anywhere

[lilac flicker]

?

[split widget]

Setting in slicer

[lilac flicker]

Yea

Is that better?

Would it still work?

[split widget]

Ah, there's a cup in front. Lol

Looks ok

[lilac flicker]

Yea yea

Would the fingers still work?

[split widget]

Might work

The cup would likely hold it

[lilac flicker]

Maybe yea

[split widget]

Use an interface layer also

Makes removing support easier

[lilac flicker]

Interface layer?

Whats that do?

[split widget]

It leaves a certain distance between the support and the actual print

[lilac flicker]

Oh wheres that setting at

[split widget]

Should be under support

[split widget]

Top contact distance

0.2 to 0.25 should work well. What's your layer height?

[lilac flicker]

ITs 0.15

[split widget]

Hmmm

Try 0.2 first

As it already is

[lilac flicker]

0.15 too low?

[split widget]

It might fuse and be more difficult to remove

[lilac flicker]

Wouldnt that lower the detail more though?

[split widget]

Its only for supports

Not the whole print

0.2 is the distance it'll keep from the topmost support layer to the actual print

[lilac flicker]

Oh wait your not talking about my layer height

[split widget]

Nops

[lilac flicker]

I thought you meant my 0.15 layer height

I already printed the thing though at 0.2 top contact

[split widget]

Layer height is usually a good idea to keep it a multiple of the nozzle diameter

So, 0.16mm

[lilac flicker]

I see

@split widget Think this would work??

[split widget]

Better dial in your filament settings first

[lilac flicker]

Yea prob, what settings exactly

Heat?

[split widget]

Extrusion multiplier, temp, coasting, nozzle wipe, etc

[lilac flicker]

Nozzle wipe?

[split widget]

It does a little no extruding move to prevent oozing/blobs

[lilac flicker]

I see

[lilac flicker]

@split widgetHow about this?

[split widget]

Why not

[lilac flicker]

Itd work prob?

[split widget]

Dont think this model has crazy tolerances

Should hopefully be ok

[lilac flicker]

Wdym exactly by tolerances?

Requirements?

[split widget]

Say the design has 0.2mm clearance between adjacent parts, if your printer is not properly calibrated it may not be able to satisfy the 0.2mm requirement and the 2 adjacent parts will fuse together

[lilac flicker]

Yea yea, I see

[random spruce]

Have you done tolerance tests yet?

[lilac flicker]

Oh not really

Do you know any good ones?

[random spruce]

eh, most of the are pretty simmlar

https://www.printables.com/model/116911-clearance-tolerance-test/comments

this one looks ok

[lilac flicker]

I gotchu, lemme test it out

What is it supposed to do?

Also what layer height and settings should I uyse to try it?

[random spruce]

test how small of tollerances your printer can go to

[lilac flicker]

Does it move?

[random spruce]

yeah

[lilac flicker]

I see, should I print at 0.2 layer height?

Or lower?

[random spruce]

yeah, that would work

[lilac flicker]

It says I should consider usign a brim

[random spruce]

don't its gonna make it fuse

[lilac flicker]

Yea thats what I was thikning

Lemme test it out

I bet this gonn fail terribly LOL

[random spruce]

well, then you know what to tune lol

[lilac flicker]

Yea

Are there good indicators to what to tune?

If it dont work

Like specific things to tune

Or you just gotta guess

[random spruce]

it depends, it can be a variety of things

[lilac flicker]

Thought so

3d printing is so cool bro

[lilac flicker]

@random spruceHey its done

They all move at least a little bit besides the 10

[random spruce]

yayyyy

[lilac flicker]

Is that good?

[random spruce]

yeah its good

[lilac flicker]

Like the 35 can do a full flip LOL>

Should I try and fix the settings for the 10 to work?

Or nah

The 15 is kinda rough too, not smooth

Very moveable though

[random spruce]

tbh, I wouldn't now but maybe later on

[lilac flicker]

Is the 10 like not really needed

That amount of precision

[random spruce]

it depends on the model, when I model I tend to have my tolerances set at around .5mm

[lilac flicker]

Wait so you gotta change them?

For specfic models?

[random spruce]

no, I mean when I make my own models

[lilac flicker]

Ohh

[random spruce]

stuff like threaded parts

[lilac flicker]

I see

Are there any other tests I should do?

[random spruce]

what tests have you done?

[lilac flicker]

I think only that one?

Besides a z leveling thing

[random spruce]

personally I would get to know the printer a bit more and just comfortable with it

[lilac flicker]

Wdym?

[random spruce]

hard to explain lol its like a feeling

granted I name all my printers lol

[lilac flicker]

Like use them a lot more?

[random spruce]

yeah

[lilac flicker]

I see, I been stuck on what to model for a bit

I dont really know what I wanna make rn

[random spruce]

get models from printables or any equalivlent

[lilac flicker]

Yea that but like, idk what stuff I wanna model myself

[random spruce]

do you think you know how to do the keycaps?

[lilac flicker]

Like, model them?

[random spruce]

yeah

[lilac flicker]

Well not for precision

Like the stem part

I guess thats just testing over and over though

To see what fits

But I can model it to look however I want

[random spruce]

why not?

[lilac flicker]

No clue how to LOL

Well I do I guess

Just measuring

Wdym exactly though>

?

[random spruce]

sorry, I mean like parametic based softwares.

have you looked a bit more into the CAD blender add on?

[lilac flicker]

Nah not really

I usually just used blender to make stuff for looks, not for exact proportions

I should probably though bc I really like blender

Cad doesnt look for me at all, but combining a bit of cad would maybe be cool

I printed this and all the stuff move well

Trying this bottle thing now

With screw in lid

To see if it works

[lilac flicker]

Damn doesnt work

[split widget]

Tune your flow

[lilac flicker]

Flow?

[split widget]

Extrusion multiplier

[lilac flicker]

Is there a test?

[split widget]

E-steps

Elis tuning guide

But the 0.8cube test has worked fine for me.

https://youtu.be/LDAnTXyDKOI

[lilac flicker]

Wheres that at?

[split widget]

https://ellis3dp.com/Print-Tuning-Guide/

[lilac flicker]

@split widget Should I make this subd? Or will it print smooth?

[split widget]

Make it flat or use support

[lilac flicker]

So I dont gotta make it more smooth?

Like the actual rim

Around it

Does that need to be higher poly for printing

[split widget]

If you want rounder edge, then yes

Otherwise no

[lilac flicker]

Damn

I gotchu

[split widget]

It'll be more of a polygon than a circle

[lilac flicker]

Do you think I should just remove the little lip at the top

Idk if its a good idea

[split widget]

Ideally yes

Otherwise you'ld need supports

[lilac flicker]

Yea true

Thats what I didnt really wanna have to doi

[lilac flicker]

How about this

Added more topo

And kinda made the rim smoother

[split widget]

Better

[lilac flicker]

Dope, kinda looks like a joystick

I should print like this right

Upside down

I think thats best

WHy is the like brim around it so wide

Normally its only 1 line around the object

[split widget]

Yes

[lilac flicker]

It came out kinda nice tbh, nicer than the other one

[split widget]

It's a skirt. A brim would connect to the model

[lilac flicker]

Im printing it a tiny bit bigger for the rim, and a bit thinner

In hopes it glows throuhg a bit more

[lilac flicker]

Whys it so wide though?

[split widget]

It's 3 lines in this case likely because there is min skirt length

[lilac flicker]

I see

Going balls to the walls

Did a couple tests

[random spruce]

did you model it? bc if you did what tolerances did you put in?

[lilac flicker]

Nah didn't model it, it was just a thing I wanted to test out

[lilac flicker]

@split widgetDo you know why in the model view it looks like this

But then in sliced

Theres a gap

Part of its just gone

[split widget]

Most likely these are "do not insert support here" areas

[lilac flicker]

Yea but I think even without supports its still there

Model looks fine in blender

I think its bc my object isnt "manifold"

I need a blender addon to fix

Must bc bc his topo is a mess

[split widget]

Could just be bug

Try printing it and see

[lilac flicker]

No clue, but I managed to fix it with the blender addon

I just hit a couple buttons

[split widget]

Generate the gcode and use an independent gcode viewer to view the toolpath

[lilac flicker]

And it magically fixed itself LOL

Added more supports

But thats where it was missing

[split widget]

Could also be it was a non-manifold area

[lilac flicker]

Like the little peice

Yea thats what the vid said

I guess it wasnt manifold

[lilac flicker]

Testing the mini-13 figure in the gray polypro filament I got

Just the moving part and not the cosmetic piecex