Hello,
I would like to suggest a new feature: a “Paint-on Process Settings” tool, similar in spirit to support painting or seam painting, but used to apply local print parameters to specific painted areas of a model.
The idea would be to let users paint surfaces, edges, holes, engraved details, overhang areas, visible faces, and other specific zones, then assign local printing behavior to those painted areas.
This feature should be independent from the existing Adaptive Layer Height system.
Adaptive Layer Height should remain responsible for progressive Z-based layer height changes, with smooth transitions to avoid print quality or mechanical strength issues.
Paint-on Process Settings would instead control local process parameters on painted surfaces or zones, without directly changing layer height.
Both systems could be used separately, but they should also be able to work together.
Examples of local settings that could be useful:
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speed
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cooling / fan speed
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overhang speed
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or any other local process parameters the developers consider relevant
Example 1: vertical circular holes
When printing large circular holes in a vertical wall, the first half of the hole is usually easy, but the upper half becomes a progressive overhang / short bridge area.
Today, users can use Adaptive Layer Height to reduce the layer height around the hole, but this only affects Z resolution.
It would be very useful to also paint the hole edges and apply local settings such as slower speed, slower overhang speed, and stronger cooling.
This would allow the rest of the part to print normally, while only the critical hole area receives a higher-quality print behavior.
Example 2: small recessed details
Another useful case would be very small vertical recessed circular details, for example 1–2 mm wide/deep engraved circles, logos, slots, or decorative details.
For these details, adaptive layer height is not always the main solution. The important parameters are often local speed, cooling, overhang behavior, and other fine-detail related parameters.
With a Paint-on Process Settings tool, the user could paint only these delicate recessed details and apply a “fine detail” behavior locally, without slowing down or modifying the whole part.
Why not only modifier volumes?
Modifier volumes are useful, but they are not always precise or convenient for organic shapes, circular holes, engraved details, or complex surfaces.
A paint-based workflow would be much more intuitive because the painted area could follow the exact geometry of the model, just like painted supports or painted seams.
Suggested workflow:
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Use Adaptive Layer Height if needed to progressively improve Z resolution in a region.
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Paint specific model areas with a new Paint-on Process Settings tool.
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Assign a preset or custom local process behavior to the painted area, for example:
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“Clean holes”
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“Fine details”
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“Visible surface”
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“Slow overhang”
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Slice the model.
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The slicer combines both systems:
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layer height comes from the adaptive layer algorithm;
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local speed, cooling, overhang behavior, etc. come from the painted process settings.
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In short:
Adaptive Layer Height = progressive Z resolution control.
Paint-on Process Settings = local print behavior control on painted geometry.
The two systems should be independent, but cumulative.
This would make it easier to improve difficult areas without slowing down or over-tuning the entire print.