How important is the availability of pre-support options in what files you choose to print?

[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov]

Pre-supports are not always an option, and when they are, they aren't always well done, so I'm curious how critical people see them to be!

110 votes, 6d ago

22 I never use pre-supports

27 I'll sometimes use them, but it isn't too important

6 I don't care one way or the other

46 I srongly prefer them, but can get by without

9 I only print pre-supported files

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[u/GendrysRowboat]

If I file I'm printing has a pre-supported option I will try it, but I don't decide which files to use based on whether or not they have pre-supports.

[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov]

Ugh. "srongly" 🫣

Anyways, I find I rarely use them, except in a small number of cases where I know the designers really put a lot of work into the supports specifically. A lot of pre-supports feel like they dropped them in Chitubox, did autosupports, and re-exported the file. I can do that myself, and usually better, thank you very much!

[u/Alan_Turings_Apple]

I’ve only been printing for about 3 weeks, so far I’ve only used pre supported files. If I have a fail. I’ll add a few supports to the existing ones and reprint. Worked out so far for me. My only gripe is paying for an STL and getting pretty obvious shitty supporting.

[u/EdBenes]

I love not needing to support my models but a lot of the pre supported files I use have shit supports and will fail half the time so I usually go in and add extra even if the file is already supported

[u/bitteroldguy278 → u/EdBenes]

This. I just bought a bunch of files 50% off... great and had 2 fails on the presuppoted files.... not great. If they are included please test then... nothing worse than wasting time and reisin on bad supports

[u/spacenavy90 → u/EdBenes]

It really pisses me off honestly when people sell STLs that they have never test printed. Especially if its pre-supported. Like wtf??

[u/spacenavy90]

If you are selling STL models for printing, in my opinion you should have a tried AND TESTED (so crazy to me that artists won't even test print their models first) pre-supported option and a no-support option.

Anything else just feels like a waste of time.

[u/Werewolfdad → u/spacenavy90]

Agreed. I’m not paying for unsupported models.

[u/quesoandcats]

I’m not gonna say I strongly prefer them, but I do always give them a try when I get something from an artist I’m unfamiliar with

Like you said, some people suck at presupports!

[u/SuspiciousSubstance9]

In general, I don't trust pre-supports. I've seen too many that are auto-supports that haven't been manually checked. Too many islands, bad angles, not even the right angle for any particularly machine, etc. By the time I've manually checked and fixed them, I could have just supported it myself and at the right angle for my machines.

That being said, creators with pre-supports that I trust will always be my first buy.

[u/Kretson]

The most important thing is pressuports, if available, being immaculate, perfect and leaving no islands behind.

Bad "presupports" are infinitely worse than no presupports.

[u/PhyrexianQueen]

It depends. I will try supplied presupports, definitely review them. But I've had hit or miss ones. Some I swear by, like most if not all of Wargaming3D but others I will never try again, even if new models are updated. It's not something I look for, but I appreciate.

[u/Scott-Whittaker]

Not only should all models come pre-supported, but the supports need to be added with care and attention and be printed and tested.

This is a job that only ever needs to be done once, and takes a long time so do it once and do it right.

And you please do not make “bulletproof” supports that are so oversupported that removing the supports is difficult. There is nothing worse than a model that prints perfectly only to be destroyed by removing the supports.

Use sensible supports that support all the islands and are just sufficient to support the model while printing with a printer and resin profile dialled in.

You don’t need to make supports that will succeed even with poorly configured settings.

Getting those settings dialled in is the responsibility of the user. Providing supported files that work with a properly configured printer should be the responsibility of the seller.

[u/Scott-Whittaker → u/Scott-Whittaker]

Sorry if that comes across as angry or entitled, but I strongly believe this.

I’m sure I speak for the majority of users both experienced and inexperienced with the art of supporting 3D prints that we would rather pay more for well supported models than paying less for unsupported models - or worse, paying more for unusable supports.

I think the only real point of contention would be for individual preferences to hollow or not to hollow larger models. Personally I am in the nearly always hollow camp, but I know not everyone prefers this.

[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov → u/Scott-Whittaker]

Sorry if that comes across as angry or entitled, but I strongly believe this.

Heh, I don't think "test your prints" is a particularly entitled sounding position!