From ba3e77d0cd0807dd81baf651625b23dabb1201d0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Brian S. Stephan" Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2024 23:41:12 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] explain more about printing the parts, esp. patterns Signed-off-by: Brian S. Stephan --- docs/printing-and-materials.md | 46 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 38 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/printing-and-materials.md b/docs/printing-and-materials.md index 6e43e7a..5087c09 100644 --- a/docs/printing-and-materials.md +++ b/docs/printing-and-materials.md @@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ My preferred settings are 3 wall loops with 20% gyroid sparse infill. This gives strength against bowing forces, but something more default, like 2 wall loops, 15% grid sparse infill, is fine and does not lead to a weak enclosure. +### Supports and Positioning + +All of the parts are designed to be printed outside-face-down. The bevels are at an angle (45 degrees) that should print +fine with no supports. Make sure everything is aligned properly on your plate so that the flat face you will look at the +most is on the bottom. + +The only exception to this is the interconnect piece(s), which are not visible and need a support to print. Maybe one +day I'll rejigger these. + ### Working With Flatness A lot of the pieces are long and flat, so I recommend really dialing in your printer settings. The frame pieces make @@ -20,15 +29,36 @@ uniform lines that create reflection patterns on long, flat surfaces. This can b panels and their decorative plates, since they're what you're looking at 90% of the time, and the holes break up a perfect pattern, making the long lines stand out even more. -* **Top panels:** using a non-uniform pattern reduces if not eliminates the problem of the surface catching the light, - but for some patterns, it may come at the expense of time. Other patterns may improve beyond monotonic, but hilbert - curve seems to be the gold standard. -* **Circle-centric decorative plates:** don't use complex patterns like Archimedean chords on decorative plates, as they - seem to have issues with filling curves and you still want to try to maximize contact with walls. Concentric is great - here if you dial it in. +Some specific parts are worth some additional notes: -The concentric pattern is a good default and prints awesome parts, with the only exception being the top panels, which -benefit from using a Hilbert curve initial layer pattern instead of concentric. +* **Top panels:** using a non-uniform pattern reduces if not eliminates the problem of the surface catching the light, + but for some patterns, it may come at the expense of time. + * **Avoid:** monotonic. + * **Good for the time:** Archimedean chords create the look of a circular ripple radiating out the center, and + depending on the material, you may not even notice it much, so it's a pretty good look/speed balance. + * **Great if you can wait:** hilbert curve leaves no discernable pattern on most materials, but some high gloss, + high contrast materials may show the winding pattern at some angles --- consider Archimedean chords for these. +* **Circle-centric decorative plates:** simple ones could be fine in whatever, but the ones for action buttons end up + having lots of weird interaction points. + * **Avoid:** none; monotonic doesn't look *good*, but the plates don't have enough surface area for the pattern to + stand out too much. + * **Decent:** concentric is generally good, but you can get some pitting when the pattern radiating away from + buttons collides with other patterns, because none of the geometry lines up well. + * **Great:** Archimedean chords, just crank up the infill/wall overlap to avoid pits on the edges. +* **Frame walls with Neutrik or aux button cutouts:** a reduced but similar problem with the action button decorative + plates, the circles near each other create weird interactions with the walls. + * **Avoid:** concentric, again, has problems with pitting where geometries clash. + * **Decent:** monotonic is pretty decent here, and you probably won't look at the sides too much, so maybe it + doesn't bother you. + * **Great:** Archimedean chords again, with the same infill/wall overlap as decorative plates. +* **Flush frame walls:** you can pretty much do whatever you like here. + * **Great:** concentric produces an interesting pattern and you won't have collision problems in a rectangle. + * **Essentially great:** Archimedean chords yet again, you may just not like the pattern as much as the end result + of concentric. + +The Archimedean chord pattern is a good default and prints awesome parts, with the only exception being the top panels, +which benefit from using a Hilbert curve initial layer pattern instead, though you may be happy enough with Archimedean +chord. ## Materials