Practical 3D Printing: Mesh Files & Slicers
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Mesh Files & Slicers
01.46
| 00:00 | The steps that take us from having a 3D model to printing for SLA 3D printing are very similar to our earlier discussions on FDM, involving mesh files and slicing software. |
| 00:11 | So, we'll keep things brief here and you can check back on the FDM section of the course if you need a refresher. |
| 00:17 | We'll still mostly be using mesh files and slices are still required to generate instructions for the printer. |
| 00:24 | For SLA however, rather than creating a toolpath or g-code, the slicing software will create images for each layer that needs to be cured. |
| 00:33 | The slicer will also control all the basic printing parameters and handle any support material requirements which we'll be diving into in the next module. |
| 00:42 | While it's always been common to use the default slicer that comes with the printer, more recently third-party slicers have been developed that can work with multiple printers and offer more functionality. |
| 00:54 | This is the same as how we're able to perform FDM slicing and CAD software with CAM functionality like Autodesk Fusion for example. |
| 01:02 | After the slicing is done, the file can be exported, usually as a CTB file, which essentially contains the images of each of the layer cross sections. |
| 01:12 | The file can then be loaded onto a USB stick and used by the printer or sent wirelessly. |
| 01:18 | We'll cover the practical slicing process in an upcoming practical skills section, so all we really need to understand here is that SLA slicers are much the same as FDM slicers in that they create instructions for the printer to make the part, including the parameters of the process. |
| 01:35 | The key difference, however, is that they create cross-section images for each layer of the part rather than a toolpath. |
