I recently started using BBL PLA Aero for my projects, and the filament itself is fantastic. However, the settings in BBL Studio are inadequate for managing the constant oozing and expansion of this filament. One of the major issues is that Bambu Studio Slicer offers almost no control over travel paths, which is particularly problematic. This may be compounded by a display glitch in preview mode, where the travel paths for the tool head moving in and out of position for timelapse always remain visible, maybe because timelapse can not be turned on or off untill sending printjob.
In BBL’s official guide for using Aero PLA, they recommend setting the seam to “Nearest,” which makes sense for strength and aesthetics. However, this setting is counterproductive when each new layer starts with a looping movement that leaves a blob of filament on the print’s outer surface. Enabling or disabling “Avoid Crossing Walls” does, surprisingly, nothing to mitigate this problem.
I used Cura some time ago, where it was possible to restrict travel paths to specific areas. As I recall, I could prevent the slicer from crossing walls and confine travel to internal infill paths. This approach avoided external looping and stringing—a straightforward solution that seems absent here.
BBL Developers: please provide an option to loop on layer change within the print, or simply avoid looping altogether. Alternatively, consider implementing the more refined travel path options available in Cura. (And yes, I’ve tested every conceivable setting in the PLA profile related to Z-hops, retraction, etc., without resolution.)
I tried OrcaSlicer, but it exhibits the same external looping issue. I downloaded Cura, but unfortunately, it still lacks support for my BBL printer despite this being a stated goal of BBL’s crowdfunding campaign.
I look forward to the possibility of fine-tuning travel paths or gaining Cura support, and I welcome any insights from the BBL development team on this.
