Fusion360, SuperSlicer and 3mf files
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I am trying to switch my work flow from STL to 3MF files. I was under the impression that a 3MF file could have multiple parts (as an example, two different coloured sections of a part), that I could just plate the single 3MF file in SuperSlicer and still print two colours.
If I try to 3d print a two colour part with fusion360, I am unable to do so. Just like with STL files, I have to generate the model as two separate parts, bring them into SuperSlicer separately and then slice the combined parts in SuperSlicer.
Is my understanding of 3MF files wrong? If my understanding is correct and a 3MF file can have both sections of a two coloured part in it, how do I 3d print it in fusion360 so that a single 3MF file is generated?Edit: I have also tried selecting the two bodies in Fusion360 and using 'export' (to 3mf) instead of '3d print' but I always get a 'translator failed to export te asset as file:' error message
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@jens55 I've not tried 3mf files, but I do use F360 and SS for multi colour printing.
If you have the two colours as two different bodies (or even two components in the same part), you can then import them both at once into SS as a multi colour print and it retains their relative positions, including any z offset.I'd presume 3mf files would be the same? Or have i missed the point and are you trying to get away from the multiple files?
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@engikeneer, thanks for commenting. In my digging for an answer I did run across part of an answer. I have no clue why Autocad decided to make this non-intuitive .... what was wrong with a single button such as "3D Print"? For some reason they had to make printing more difficult so they introduced the "save as mesh" button.WTF?
I searched for a way to generate two stl's earlier but I have not yet found out how to do that in a single command even though I have run across directions that imply it should be possible. The option to save multiple bodies or components to stl files in one operation seems to no longer be available ... I have been individually saving each part of the body as it's own stl.
How do you import both/multiple stl's at the same time? Again, I did that a single stl at a time.
I figured out that I need to 'merge' the two stl's in order to keep their relative positions to each other but is there a way to reset positions if you forgot to merge the parts? I have been unable to do so and end up deleting all the parts and starting from scratch - very awkward!
Anyhow, 'saving to mesh' is the answer I have come up with but it is anything but intuitive. If you could shed some light on my other questions I would appreciate it (is there a way to reset the parts relative to each other once you moved one component/body? Can you generate multiple stl's in one command in fusion360? How do you get multiple stl's into SuperSlicer with a single command?) -
@jens55 I've not found a way to create the stls in one command, so just do them separately.
To import into SS, just hold the Ctrl button and select multiple files when you choosing which stl to import. It will then also bring up a second window asking whether to consider them as a multicolour print, or just a bunch of separate bodies
Home-built CoreXY, Duet Wifi, Chimera direct drive, 2x BMG, 300x300x300 build volume
i3 clone with a bunch of mods -
@engikeneer In fusion360, if the parts are separate components, you can't generate STLs for both in one go. However, if they are both bodies in the same component, and you select that component to generate the STL, it will include both bodies in one STL file.
Here I have selected the two-body component:
And is just one of the bodies selected:
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@engikeneer, thank you! I will give that a try and presumably the accidental moving of one part to the other part is then no longer an issue since you have told SuperSlicer that it is one part!
@engikeneer and @mrehorstdmd, just for the record, if I generate a 3mf file in Fusion360, I can then generate the output file in one command (still need to become confident in that operation). If I then load that 3mf file into SuperSlicer, it will bring all parts of the object into SuperSlicer at once. The catch seems to be that the very first thing that one needs to do is to merge all the separate bits because, if you forget, there seems to be no obvious way to re-align the bits to each other. I am sure there must be a way but I have not discovered it yet (I will keep trying)
I will post an update .....
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OK, I think I am good now. I can get two (or more) stl files imported into SuperSlicer but not via the SS import function. I can however go into the file manager, select two (or more) files with the help of the ctrl key and then drag both of them into SuperSlicer. The very first thing in SuperSlicer that needs to be done is to 'merge' the two files in order to be able to manipulate te object without messing up the positions of the components relative to each other.
Once a part of the object has been moved relative to other parts, I can not get the parts to reposition themselves back to the original positions relative to each other.
In Fusion360, I can generate a single 3mf file that contains all the parts of the multi part model by making all the individual components/parts visible, then selecting the top level part and selecting 'save as mesh' followed by '3mf' format. I can then drag the 3mf file, which contains all sub parts, into SuperSlicer. Again, the very first thing that needs doing is to 'merge' the sub parts so that the object can be manipulated as one (foe example to locate the right face onto the build plate). If the sub parts are not merged and are moved relative to each other, I have not found a way to restore the original positions.
Merging is done on the right side of the SuperSlicer screen by selecting all the sub parts, right clicking and selecting 'merge'. If moving the combined merged object, make sure only the merged object is selected as the individual parts, if selected, could be moved relative to each other which would screw things up.
I have yet to see the screen where SuperSlicer asks me if individual parts should be considered one object.I am moving on from trying to get the object into SuperSlicer to hopefully printing a multi colour model.
Thanks for the help!
