Help with basic design of multi color prints

[ozonshak]

Hi all!  I’m entering the multi color world for the first time. I’ve done color changes at layers before, but not true multi color printing with several mounted spools at a time. I’d like to design a colored model, but interested in the strategies as far as Fusion 360 goes. For example, if I want to import an SVG image onto a solid plane or just overlay a basic shape like a circle, wouldn’t I have to extrude the edges/lines of the design a bit so that a slicer can see the shape in order to color it with various colors?  I’ve seen really cool coins and coasters that don’t seem to have any extrusions (seems like a perfectly flat multi color design with no obvious extrusion or edge outlines), so wondering how that might be done?  Thanks!

[Warmingup1953]

Whilst also new to multicolour (X1-C Newby) I simply create the design as coloured bodies as appropriate:

Will you use an external Slicer?

[ozonshak]

Thanks. I wasn’t aware you could do multi color bodies in Fusion. So that would accomplish what I’m looking for and that design pattern would show up in the slicer?  I would be using Bambu Studio. 

would you mind describing how you created those bodies?

[ottonetwothreeott]

To change the colors you see in fusion you have to change the appearance of the bodies. That may aid you in visualizing the design. However, the appearance assigned in fusion does not translate to the slicer. You have to use the slicer to assign what filament will be used to print what body.

This is Orcaslicer, a branch of Bambu slicer and they should work very similarly.

You have to add your filaments using the button labeled 1.

Switch from global to per object settings using the button labeled 2.

Change what filament is used by each object by clicking on the colored tabs labeled 3.

[ozonshak]

Thanks. I totally understand that the colors are assigned in the slicer. I was asking/confirming if the basic design you have (flush with sketch/plate with no extrusion) would actually be picked up by the slicer? Your design seems to be basically what I’m looking for. If the slicer can actually see that design, then I should be able to colorize it in the slicer. 

You mentioned you used bodies to make that. Would you mind providing some basic steps form how you embedded a design like that?  Thanks!

[ottonetwothreeott]

I am not the same guy that made the first design that you are referring to, however, I can explain what is going on. He has a design in a sketch. he has extruded a base. The next extrude would build the positive model, joined with the base, extruded from the surface of the base to whatever height he chose. To create the negative piece, that fills around the design, with a different color, he would just extrude the negative space around the design, starting from the surface of the initial base, but instead of joining, he opts to create a new body in the extrude options.

If you load the object in the slicer as one, and you do not see the 2 individual parts, do not split to objects, but split to parts to keep their arrangement.

Here is a video showing the basics:

My slicer was slightly unresponsive, you do not have to untick the "toggle printable properties" box to access the filaments.

[ozonshak]

Thanks.  I'm having trouble getting this working.  I think I'm close.  I've attached an example I'm working on.  Trying to overlay a heart onto a rectangle sketch (with some overhang).  I want to color the heart (in the slicer) separately from the EKG line through it.  I've tried extruding the EGK line upwards to meet the heart and left about 0.05mm recessed for a bare outline for the slicer to see.  If I don't do this, the slicer doesn't see the sketch lines of the EKG.  Here is how this looks in the slicer:

As you can see, this is really close.  My issues are that:

1) I have to recess the extrusion a bit to even allow this in the slicer.  Not sure how to adjust my design to be completely flush and still be able to color in slicer (if that is even possible).

2) Because I only dropped the EKG line by 0.05mm, it will be a very thin white color on my printer.  The slicer image above shows this on the edge.  I'd prefer this white EKG line to go all the way down to the base plate.  However, I'm not sure how to achieve this.  The slicer colors the top-most portion (the 0.05mm gap). Everything below this it thinks is part of the heart.

Any suggestions?  I've attached my Fusion file so you can take a look.  Thanks!

[ottonetwothreeott]

Here you go buddy:

As long as you create the body separately, the slicer will have the information that the body is there. You won't see it unless you change the filaments for the individual bodies. As long as you split your design to parts in the slicer and toggle from global to object process, and add multiple filaments that you can assign, and then assign the colors to the objects, you can do it.

[ozonshak]

Oh wait.  This might be because my EKG upward extrusion is defaulting to join, not new body.  Slicer looks better when I do that.  I can color that edge now on both ends:

[ottonetwothreeott]

If this solves your problem, please accept the solution

[ozonshak]

Hi.  After running some more tests, I still don't think this is working properly.  I have split the EKG line in the heart as a separate body.  The slicer (Bambu Studio) does seem to see it.  However, when I color it, it is only coloring the top-most thin layer.  This part of the model should be going all the way down to the base plate (3 mm).  However, the slicer is partially coloring that EGK line all the way up to the top layer making it thinner than it should be.  I've attached my Fusion model.  I'm also including a few shots of the slicer showing that the white EKG line isn't white all the way down.  Any idea why the slicer might be doing this?  Is this an issue with how I'm creating it in Fusion or perhaps something I'm doing wrong in Bambu Studio?

Layer 32 - as you can see here, Bambu started the white coloring along the edge, but the entire EKG line should be starting here all the way across:

Layer 40 - here is a few more layers up.  It is still not doing the entire white line all at the same time and all the way down to the plate.  In fusion, this entire line was 3mm extruded all the way down to the bottom plate:

Any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

[etfrench]

The EKG should be one part, not three.  The base, heart, and EKG would be better as separate components so you can see the color differences. Save the entire file as a 3mf.

I only have two colors in my AMS at the moment😃

The attached zip file is the mesh.

[ozonshak]

Thanks for the quick reply!  I pulled your example into Fusion, exported as 3mf, and then imported into Bambu.  I'm still not seeing this working correctly.  If you slice it and preview the layers, the white EKG line is still not going all the way to the plate.  Here is what I'm seeing in Bambu.  Notice that the white edge started on the plate where it should be.  However, none of white line interior (the rest of the connected EKG line) has started yet and this is on layer 33 already:

I've already tried printing several versions of this heart trying different techniques in Fusion.  The issue is that the white line is being printed piecemeal by layer and the final top layer ends up with some very thin portions of the white.  I'm just not sure why this EKG line isn't being connected and colored all the way down.

The above image is the preview layers (the way it gets printed).  Here is the colorization I gave it in Bambu Studio:


So, looks good here.  But when I slice the plate is when the problem happens.

[Warmingup1953]

I'm looking now but have you thought of printing as two parts face down on the bed?

Also I find it helps if you name the Bodies (For Clarity as Objects in Bambu Studio)

[ozonshak]

If that means that I would have to print the part separately and then glue them together. I would prefer to have this as one solid piece.  But if there’s no other option, it would be better than nothing.

Full disclosure - I am a brand new bamboo user. So it is certainly possible I’m doing something wrong on the bamboo side.

i’m also not opposed to modeling that EKG line separately from the walls. In other words if there’s a way to extrude it so it is not touching the outer walls of the heart that might give it the separation it needs in bamboo to color it all the way down. I’m OK with a very slight edge gap all the way around that EKG line if necessary.

[Warmingup1953]

Can you confirm your model is flat on the bed (Use Auto first then rotate face up)? My Bambu file attached as a zip (hopefully)

[ozonshak]

Yes!  Your model looks really good in the slicer by layers.  Can I ask precisely what you did (steps) in both Fusion and Bambu?  I have a larger model this heart is a part of and I'd like to reproduce this in that model.  If there are Fusion adjustments, I'd like to try and make those changes to my model, export, import into Bambu and then make any similar adjustments you did in Bambu.  I'm still learning both tools, so this would really help me out!

[etfrench]

Start with Rule #1.

Individual multi-color prints should be subcomponents with the same parent.  This allows you to use different colors for each as well as making exporting easy. 

Review the file attached in the previous post to see the changes.  Those changes would not be necessary if you follow Rule #1.

Turn off all of the 'Auto' settings in Preferences.  If you need some geometry from another sketch or body, project it.

Here are my settings.

In Bambu Studio, I use the builtin configurations with one major change.  Grid infill is the default which unfortunately can lead to destroyed nozzles.  I use Cubic which is just as strong as Gyroid and prints faster with less vibration.  The only other changes I make are wall loops, top and bottom shell layers, and infill density depending on how strong I want the piece to be.

[etfrench]

In order for the EKG to go all the way to the plate is to make the body start at the plate. 

[ozonshak]

I’ll see if I can determine the changes from the file you have.  However, your file "as-is" was not working properly for me in Bambu Studio.  I was still having colorization issues as described earlier.

Sorry, with my first reply, I thought I was responding to @Warmingup1953.  His is working as I would expect in Bambu Studio, so was hoping to get instructions on how to reproduce what he did in Fusion.