Greetings all!
I've been fiddling around with Blender, trying to learn the ropes, but I haven't actually got a printer (yet) to test out my first design practically (A shield with some simple motifs and handle).
My main concern in creating designs relates to the level of detail printers can manage. Obviously, printers have a minimum layer size - with the Photon (The one I'm looking at) being 0.01mm. And I assume that the XY resolution (0.051mm) is the minimum detail that can be reproduced horizontally.
I guess my question is - how do you design for maximum detail? Is it a case of simply designing so nothing is finer than the XY resolution (0.051mm), or can you be 'clever' and design down to 0.01mm but orientate the model so that the finer details print in the Z axis instead of the XY axis?
For example, my shield features some embossed flames on an oval surface - would it be better to print horizontally and live with the flames tapering to no more than 0.051, or would it work to orientate it vertically ('stood up') to get the flame tips down to 0.01mm? What impact would this have on the oval shape, which would switch from having the curvature printed in the Z axis instead of layer by layer in the XY axis?
I hope this makes sense. I have a use for a printer anyway, but it would be nice if I could also get to grips with some of my own ideas. Any help would be most appreciated.
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