Anycubic Photon

[Chris333]

That jagged approximation of the desired edge is called "aliasing".   In computer graphics and digital audio there are techniques to improve this, which are called (surprise!) "antialiasing".  I'm not sure how that could be implemented in a 3D printer though.

Well I think you could fix the image I posted, but the image is generated that way to reflect the LCD screens pixels. I could tell the software that I have a 4K screen and the image would look better, but it wouldn't print as those aren't the settings for my machine.

So it is pretty easy to just keep parts square, but I need to find out what is wrong with my drawings that is causing the triangles. It took me about a year to get where I am now with Sketchup so I just don't want to start all over. What does Shapeways use to fix me files when I upload?

[peteski]

That jagged approximation of the desired edge is called "aliasing".   In computer graphics and digital audio there are techniques to improve this, which are called (surprise!) "antialiasing".  I'm not sure how that could be implemented in a 3D printer though.

Since a voxel is either printed or not, there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to antialiasing as it is done on computer screen (where there is a large scale of colors and brightness levels are available to soften the jagged edge).  The only way to smooth the jaggies is to increase the print resolution.  Then at some point the rounded edges of the voxels will make the jagged surfaces fine enough to be acceptable. Then applying primer to smooth out the surface also works well). Actually applying primer/filler would probably be equivalent to antialiasing in the computer displays.

[peteski]

Well I think you could fix the image I posted, but the image is generated that way to reflect the LCD screens pixels. I could tell the software that I have a 4K screen and the image would look better, but it wouldn't print as those aren't the settings for my machine.

So it is pretty easy to just keep parts square, but I need to find out what is wrong with my drawings that is causing the triangles. It took me about a year to get where I am now with Sketchup so I just don't want to start all over. What does Shapeways use to fix me files when I upload?

I wonder is that CadSpan plugin for SketchUp would fix those models?  The free version of CadSpan that is.  I have not really used it (since I have not used much of SketchUp), but it looked really promising to get your designs ready for 3D printign.  I asked few times and nobody here seems to use it with their SketchUp, but they did mention other similar programs or plugins available out there. Just look for my CadSpan thread.

[Chris333]

I think CADspan is no longer a plugin. It is now a online service.

Edit: I found it. I'll try it.

Edit: When I try to use it they ask me to register and login. 

[peteski]

I think CADspan is no longer a plugin. It is now a online service.

Edit: I found it. I'll try it.

Edit: When I try to use it they ask me to register and login. 

Oh well.  How about other ones mentioned by the other Mark in https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=45966.msg597491#msg597491

[Chris333]

I installed the plugin and registered. Tried to use it and it said "upload" (so it is still an online service) when I tired to upload it said 20248 triangles please try a smaller file.

So now they have my e-mail address and nothing works.

[peteski]

I installed the plugin and registered. Tried to use it and it said "upload" (so it is still an online service) when I tired to upload it said 20248 triangles please try a smaller file.

So now they have my e-mail address and nothing works.

Sorry dude!  Was only trying to help. 

[Chris333]

I know. 

[rodsup9000]

  Well, Chris I do have some great news for you, I hope.

 As you know I was having the same problems as you with my caboose body. I got mine fixed so it'll print with out all those weird triangles and the missing parts. I used Make Printable Pro (trial cloud service) and it looks like through the preview that it all fixed and will print. As soon as the trucks that are printing are done, I'm going to give it try.

https://makeprintable.com

[Chris333]

Rodney, I'll give it a try, but that is the same service that didn't fix my ore car very well.

Also you cannot sign up for them without a phone number.

[tom mann]

We need an Anycubic Photon engineer to join.

[carlso]

Thanks John and Chris for the explanation and images. I understand ? ? ? Yeah sure.

Keep up the good work,
Carl

[narrowminded]

Having good success with the tipper cars.  I redid the hopper to be slightly wider at the top which was accomplished mostly by making the hopper vee 90 degrees rather than the less than 90 angle on the first print.  The proportions look right now but it seems a tad thin so I'm going to add about .003" which should look great.  I also drew a shorter car based on Chris's prompting but haven't printed it yet.

I printed the units flat and they came out fine.  The chassis is perfect but there are lines on the hopper due to it's angle.  I also am not printing at the finest resolution and honestly, I don't find the lines to be all that terrible on this part, this small.  With that angle they're going to be somewhere so might as well let them be level.  And they may show less if I print them at a finer resolution.  I'm at .05 right now.

What I DID get that I haven't looked at yet is, when printing a passel of them (14?) in one batch it dropped out a few supports causing that print to fail.  No rhyme or reason, just plain didn't print a few of the supports.  They were copies of the first one where the supports were placed so I don't know why that would happen.

Also, is there a way to make the pad smaller in the Photon slicer?  That was overlapping slightly to fit fourteen and it occurred to me that just maybe, that's what caused the supports to drop out.  It happened on five of the fourteen but two still printed fine.  Of the three that didn't print, one dropped out a pair at one end and it just distorted that whole end, one dropped the bearing supports on one side so never printed those bearing blocks, and the last dropped them all in one corner. 

And lastly, I made a monument for the spot next to the station for those who might remember that scene. Having fun and still can't believe what a leap forward this is for me.  Thanks all for your help and especially @Mark W for sending the material scraps, kicking this off for me.   

[PiperguyUMD]

I order a machine today! I haven't been this excited for a package since I was a kid, I feel like I just bought my own model train manufacturer!

[Iain]

One of the nice things about having a sister who used to design 3D printers for a living (Lulzbot) is that I can ask her all sorts of questions.