Hi Madmax,
However, to broaden the appeal for my Makerworld posts I decided to only post the .4mm versions, since most people don’t have .2mm nozzles or are unwilling to switch to .2mm for one print.
I completely understand your choice to post in 0.4mm.
But to be honest, I create my lithophanies primarily for my personal enjoyment, to give to friends/family, or to test new approaches. I am aware that they are not intended for everyone. The same goes for my program.
And anyway, the 0.2mm nozzle is not the main obstacle for printing the lithophanies I post. Printing in 8 colors or more is a bigger challenge. Not everyone has 2 AMS or an 8-color ERCF system. I’m not picky about nozzle size
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If you don’t mind, I would like to “pick your brain” since you obviously know a lot about color lithos. Your PIXEstl project is the only alternative to the “other” color lithophane generator that I have seen. It has some limitations that I haven’t been able to work around, like color palette choices and color layer depth. Will your algorithm reproduce the source image color palette with only the 4 CMYK filaments, or does it need additional colors? I would like to be able to post projects that only require the 4 filaments using one AMS. Thanks in advance.
PIXEstL is based on an open system of color/filament palettes. By default, it consists almost entirely of Bambulab filaments because those are the filaments I use.
But the system is open. You can add/replace any filament from any brand and any color. However, to do that, you’ll need to calibrate your filament so that the program knows its different chromatic properties.
Similarly, the palette is calibrated for 0.1mm layers, but feel free to create a palette for 0.08mm or 0.12mm.
If you want to know more, I invite you to check the instructions on my GitHub or my YouTube tutorials (in French, sorry). I’ve specifically made a video explaining how to add a filament.
To answer your question about the 4 colors, the program will work with the number of colors you provide.
But it’s certain that the more colors the program has access to, the better it can generate and reproduce all the colors in your image.
Also, I can’t guarantee that the algorithm will be able to reproduce an image with only 4 colors. The “classic” CMYK pack can simulate many colors, but unfortunately not all.
For example, it’s not possible to achieve beige (skin color), black, or even mixed pale colors.
So, if your image has only vibrant colors, it will work.
If your image has only pale colors, it will work (just use a pale CMY, like ice blue, sakura pink, and pale yellow, for example).
However, if your image has a very diverse color range, the CMY will be limited.
The advantage of working with 7 or 8 colors (or more) is that the program can generate a sufficient range of colors to reproduce almost all shades.
But 4 colors can be sufficient; you just need to find the right images.
Moreover, it’s another advantage of my program. You’re not necessarily restricted to thinking in CMY : if you want gray, you can simply use gray filament. The same goes for beige and brown if you want colors close to skin tones. Same for Black.
For example, this lithophane is printed in 3 colors (white, black, silver), not following a CMY logic.
Lastly, know that my program also has an option to print in 7 colors with just one AMS. It’s not perfect, and it won’t be as good as printing in 7 colors with 2 AMS, but it has its merits.
Sorry for this lengthy message