I would like to pause a print, add some flat headed metal posts (fasteners) then continue the print. This could cause collisions with the printer tool head. Is there a way to create an X and Y axis Exclusion Zone for this print? I have been able to find a setting like this yet. I thought about designing a “negative cylinder area” or barrier in the model at the positions of the posts that rises above the paused layer and serves as a guide to prevent printing in that area, but it wouldn’t block out tool head pathing for traveling when not extruding.
The TL;DR answer is: No.
The detailed answer is that there is a setting to exclude areas where the nozzle cannot move, but this applies universally to all prints within the printer definition. It is intended to confine the nozzle to the build plate rather than to create a checkered “no-fly zone” pattern. I suppose one could add areas of exclusion and save them under different profiles, but I don’t believe the software was designed to accommodate such “patchwork” geometric boundaries, so experimentation may be necessary. Perhaps someone from this community can offer another suggestion. Here’s where that setting can be found.
Now, having said that, I don’t think your concern is quite valid. I do this all the time with embedded nuts and magnets. It’s true one must pause the layer at the correct point to insert hardware, and yes, it can be tricky with magnets because if the fit isn’t tight enough to hold the magnet in the cavity, it can be pulled up by the nozzle. But that’s what crazy glue is for, or you can redesign the hole to fit the object correctly, or use X-Y hole compensation to shrink the fit. These are all trick I use regularly to achieve what you described without worry about excluding nozzle movement.
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Thanks, this is great information to have. Your suggestion to pause the print to insert magnets and other flat items is a great one, I also frequently use it. In this case where a post is not flat, it will extend above the current tool pathing plane and provide an obstacle for possible collisions so I am reluctant to do so.
OK. Now that I have that visual reference, I can better understand the challenge.
This is akin to the “Bolt Challenge,” for which I have never found a suitable solution. My only recourse was to orient the part so that the hole where the bolt was inserted would pass through the model, allowing the model to close up behind it after the pause. I’ll freely admit that this is an inelegant solution but the only one I could come up with.
Here’s another thought. I often rely on a combination of slicer-based connectors for alignment purposes and then using cement to create a bond that is not only permanent but even more durable than if I relied upon layer adhesion. I’ve run tests with two separate materials using cement and it creates a bond that cannot be broken. By that I mean that the surrounding material fails but not the actual weld.
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Thans @Olias I appreciate your expertise and insight.