Cube3, problem with walls and top layers

[Ramdak]

So this is a problem I'm facing with the Cubeprint software. Seems not to correctly fill gaps between walls if that gap is smaller than 1mm (more or less, didn't measure correctly). It does not create the top solid layers.
I tried using Simplify and the quality is awful. Here's the example:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1URGzQTtHUaujMVR6

The top one is made with Cube print, and the other is sliced with Simplify and converted to cube3 format.

[TommyDee]

The magic numbers are 0.9 and 1.8mm thick. This assures a nice wall thickness that attempts to fill with either 2 or 4 traces.
If walls need to be bound together, drill some micro-holes in your print's 3D model walls. That will add a lot of rigidity.

[Ramdak]

Ok, will try with that numbers however that crappy slicer seems to leave a lot of open holes. Thanks a lot!

[TommyDee]

It does that indeed.

[JohnTee]

@TommyDee -
Could you please elaborate a little on "microholes"?

Does this mean to design small diameter holes thru thin walls?
What diameter works well?
How closely spaced?
Why does this help?
Thanks!

[TommyDee]

Microholes for stitching. More or less 0.2mm diameter or square holes through your print where you want extra strength. I use it a lot to stitch long wall sections together but I can also surgically place them within a structure to provide extra strength and still have a solid wall. Good example: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3250065

These stitches are in the plane of the extruder. They force stitching between walls at intervals of your choosing. They are quite strong so you can be sparse with them. However, I use a similar technique for high fill by adding holes in Z or random axis. Basically, it adds more structure.

[JohnTee]

Aha, I see. Nice!
The battery case example looks as if you used little rectangular holes.
I wonder how small you could make the holes so Cube Print would still honor them?
Could they be small enough to become practically invisible in the finished print, but still exist as at least one trace? The idea would be to have an exterior wall that is perforated but doesn't look perforated...

Experimentation is called for!

[TommyDee]

It is hard to hide this feature. Anything 0.2mm in height will be recognized by the slicer as a feature. I have gone in and buried the hole which will make the outside face smooth but it always seems to have some level of tell-tale. If you offset the feature within the wall, say back it off 0.45-0.5mm from the surface, you don't exactly get the stitching but you still get better adhesion or a stronger core.

[Mstruthers]

Will using another slicer fix this?

I'm trying to get the most out of this printer because I got it for free and have silent time and a little bit of money getting both mine and the sister one in my high school shop running again.

It's actually a pretty impressive machine for what it is.

[TommyDee]

These are impressive for sure. Used as intended with a little knowledge will get you very productive prints.

Unfortunately there are no other compatible slicers, not wholly compatible. This is because Cube3 shares a heaters in a single hot plate.

Simplify3D could come close for single filament prints. You would need to make a few edits with buddybu's Cube3editor.