I should’ve posted this here sooner in hopes of getting the devs eyes on it. Copied from my feature request on github:
Hello I just wanted to put in my request for re-adding the ability to add instances or set number of instances of a specific model from prusaslicer/superslicer as it’s implemented over there.
I find it’s far easier to work with than using clone.
Thanks!
As others point out more clearly than I can on github, instances provide a lot more functionality than the clone feature does! It’s really far superior to clone and could just replace it entirely.
Seconding this. I was filling the print bed with parts and I made an assembly to tile the print area with. I had no idea that creating an assembly would remove the seam painting from the model. I didn’t catch it until after the print finished and I had a bed full of parts with a bad seam. Instances would make this workflow way more tolerable.
Linked instances that all share the same parameters and modifiers is a critical feature for anyone that produces multiple identical parts on a build plate. The way it’s implemented in Prusa Slicer is very powerful and simple to use. The clone function in Bamboo Studio basically just makes ‘dumb’ copies of a part. Any changes to one part are not automatically reflected in the other parts.
The absence of linked instances in Bamboo Studio requires a lot of tedious effort to make even small changes to multiple identical parts. I routinely print 120 small parts on a build plate. For various reasons it’s sometimes required to change the parameters, a modifier or some other detail of a part. In Bamboo Studio I must delete all instances except one, make the changes to the one part and then re-create the desired number of clones. Finally, I must redo the arrangement of the parts on the build plate.
Another problem with the ‘clone’ approach is that there is no easy way to know how many objects are on the build plate. You must count them! In Prusa Slicer, under each part there is an ‘Instances’ item that can be opened and you can see all the instances listed and clearly numbered. If you want to change the number of instances in Prusa Slicer, you just right-click on an instance and select ‘Set number of instances…’. There are a lot of things that I like about Bamboo Studio and the X-1 Carbon is an absolutely awesome 3D printer. Bamboo Labs seem to be very responsive to user feedback. I really hope that this powerful and more rigorous approach will be implemented soon!
I couldn’t agree more. It’s so frustrating to do many copies without the instance feature.
As you said there is no easy way to update clones without going into each individual clone as they don’t share the same modifier parameters.
I recently switched to an X1C and couldn’t believer that this important feature is missing in bambu studio.
I hope it gets implemented sooner than later.