Software
Supports
Also known as: soportes · supports · estructuras de soporte · soporte de arbol · tree supports
Short definition
Supports are temporary structures the slicer adds under overhangs so material is not printed into thin air, and which are removed once the print is done.
Full definition
A printer lays material on top of what already exists; if part of the model juts out too far, there is nothing under it and the plastic droops. Supports solve this with thin walls, lattices or branching tree-like structures resting on the bed or on the part itself. The rule of thumb is that overhangs beyond 45 degrees from vertical need support, though it depends heavily on cooling and material. Every support leaves a mark on the surface it touched, so orienting the part to avoid them usually beats generating them.
Related terms
- OverhangAn overhang is the part of a model that juts out with nothing beneath to support it, measured as the angle from vertical.
- BridgingBridging is the printer's ability to lay material across a gap between two supports, with nothing underneath, and have it come out straight.
- SlicerA slicer is the program that cuts a 3D model into horizontal layers and generates the G-code with the paths, temperatures and speeds the printer will execute.
Updated