Evolution of the Cutting Tool

[RLF69580]

Hello everyone !

Happy owner of a P2S for a few months now, and generally delighted with all the prints I’ve made so far, I’d like to become a “Maker” myself by offering printable files.

I want to produce a multi-colored object that doesn’t use AMS (which—depending on the part—is very time-consuming and wasteful of filament), and that can be assembled separately.

Over time, I’ve discovered the many possibilities offered by BamBu Studio, but I can’t find the function (if it exists) to cut an object by following shapes and colors. The wiki hasn’t been helpful for this specific request. ( Cut Tool | Bambu Lab Wiki )

Explanation:

I have an object with different textures. This object is a single piece; it’s not an assembly of several parts. It cannot be split.

I can paint the different shapes using the ‘Paint Color’ tool.

I would like to be able to cut it, preserving its shape and color.

Currently, I can only find the tool for making a planar cut (or dovetail cut).

While you can orient and position the cutting plane as you wish, the entire piece will be separated.

Even right-clicking doesn’t allow me to select the entire desired area.

I’m looking for a way to obtain three pieces.

(For this example, I used five different pieces, merged, and used Boolean subtraction operations. But I’d like to be able to achieve the same result with a single initial object).

Ideally, I’d like to be able to position connectors on these pieces during the separation process, like with the ‘Cut’ tool.

Thank you for any answers you can provide, and apologies in advance for the somewhat rough English of my translation.

[Bullocks]

If you change the mesh definition (cut, boolean, simplify, reload from disk, etc), surface painting is lost. So I guess the “good” news is that you’ll lose the 3mf color painting on the saved object no matter which way you approach it, so you’re free to use the good tools (any of the CAD programs) to make your complex cuts and align connector holes.

I’m not sure it will help in your case, but within many cad programs you can keep the bodies unmerged, and then back in your slicer you can “select filament” for each body. If your coloration follows the shapes, this can take the place of complex painting, and requires less “artistic” mouse-painting in the slicer.

[MaxThreeD]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Looks like you want something like “cut body along plane” functionality. Studio doesn’t have that, the cutting tools are relatively primitive (pun intended :- ) .

Studio is a good slicer but personally I’m trying to do the absolute minimum amount of object manipulation in there as I can. Adding modifier objects to the original model, for example, instead of in the slicer. I’ve wasted way too much time customizing in the slicer only to have it all wiped out when the original model changes a little. Plus actual CAD software have much better tools.

In other words, what @ Bullocks just said.

Cheers,
-Max

[RetroSharky]

I could write a novel about how to do it, what the possibilities are, etc., but to put it briefly:

• What you’re looking for is Blender with the 3D Printer plugin. One, two clicks, and you’re done.

Using the slicer now is deliberately complicating things, because it’s not designed for that purpose. You can also use CAD, as others here have already recommended. It depends on what you want to use it for: For functional parts cutting, use CAD. For more organic shapes, use Blender for cutting.

The good thing is that Blender is free and there are good tutorials available. You don’t need to know all the functions; cutting is enough for now.

[Bullocks]

Tangent: Blender is CAD or blender isnt CAD? I kinda consider it in that same category, but printing is also the only thing i’ve ever used blender for. I like blender, especially the vertex edit mode.

[RetroSharky]

@Bullocks

Blender is CAD or blender isnt CAD?

• Blender is for mesh
• CAD, as the name suggests, is more for CAD file formats.

So it depends on what you want to cut. If you want to cut figurines, miniatures or geometric shapes, for example, then it’s almost always mesh. Not always, but almost always.

CAD often cannot handle meshes, and Bambu Studio often crashes when attempting to cut mesh. Why? Because, when a mesh is cut, it must be closed, and only specialised programs can do this - mainfold.

What is the difference, and what is the problem now?

• CAD files are solid, meaning the shapes are filled. If you cut a cube, for example, it remains solid.
• Meshes are just shells; they are hollow inside. When cut, they resemble two halves of an eggshell. The programme has to close the mesh and make it manifold, otherwise it cannot be printed.

This is what a mesh looks like from the inside, hollow, like this sphere, for example.

The most common problem occurs when someone cuts a mesh so that it is no longer manifold. Then people wonder why the 3D printer produces nonsense.

[RLF69580]

Thank you so much for your warm welcome, the speed and variety of your responses.

3D printing is such a vast world that I’m far from knowing all the tools available for every need.

Your advice will allow me to explore new avenues, and I hope to be able to put them into practice soon, so I can contribute even more to the community.