I’m new to modifiers, I’ve never used them before, so please bear with me.
I have fairly complexly interlocked objects, and was wondering if there is a way to use modifiers to create a gap between objects that are otherwise touching?
My use-case is that I have text printed with one filament completely surrounded by another filament that is being used as solid supports. Of course this is problematic as when I will be removing the “support” object, it will likely tear out the text layers along with it, since there is no gap (and I’m not using it with support features, rather I pre-rendered the support structure).
Is there a way I can use modifiers to create a gap between the text and the support object, so that when I remove the supporting object it will not destroy the text?
Or should I go a different route altogether? Thanks for your help.
Can you provide a screenshot of something that helps to describe your situation.
where the purple is the support material, and the silver is the text I want to keep:
That model will have strength issues with the text on the circumference and the thin inner circles.
A modifier may solve this, but, you have to provide it.
- Create a model in your CAD package that booleans the text and circles (expanded as you noted).
- Add the new shape with the main model (select both and drag them into the slicer).
- Answer yes to the merge question (all one object)
- In the objects panel, select the expanded part
- Right-click it and choose “Change Type”
- Select “Modifier”
You can now set it as the support material.
It is important to know that you can design ANY model/shape to be a modifier, support enforces/blocker even a boolean.
They are powerful.
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ok, sounds like modifiers won’t help me in creating gaps along surface areas, looks like I’ll have to manually create the different size, do the boolean operations, etc. Was hoping to avoid that, will be incredibly tedious, will see if I can come up with something else.
thank you for confirming my suspicions, even though its not what I wanted to hear
They do help, just not how you want.
In your CAD software, do you not have the option to take your text, duplicate it and add a thin outline?
The circles will be easier.
I don’t think Shapr3D (which is what I’m using) has that (yet?) … what I think I’ll do is create another SVG that is slightly larger and use that to cut out from the support object – Shapr3D is horrible with text, so I used SVG to create the text and import it as a sketch into Shapr3D.
