Making Your Own Support

[inventabuild]

I don't want support everywhere, just where there is a long horizontal overhang. Any tips on making my own support w/ my CAD program? I happen to be using Inventor.

Layer thickness = 0.42, Extrusion Width = 0.5. What size gap s/ I create between the part and the support? Should I create a tic, tac, toe pattern at the interface to minimize surface contact?

[metaldrgn]

Check out meshmixer

[inventabuild]

Yes , thanks . I don't like their support structure , even when I use it to add my own supports...I'd like to figure out best way to add supports in my CAD program .

[Mikk36]

It depends highly on the particular part you're trying to print.
For example on one specific part where I needed a very precise horizontal overhang (open from bottom side) I made a horizontal plate for full fill and then between the part and the plate I put down vertical posts that were just thick enough for Kiss to put down small dots of plastic. I put down enough of those dots to get myself a nice smooth bottom layer of the overhang. Afterwards the removal of that part was easy enough with peeling it away with a flathead screwdriver.

[de_kaminski]

Why not use 85degree support angle and for example 10mm gap?


Usually I process STL-files from clients and use either Rhinoceros 3D or Solidworks when possible to do Feature Recognition (turn STL into parametric Solidwork Part)
Meshmixer is also effective.