Confirm Solidoodle Model?? (Page 2 of 3)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-yps1miopM

Any machines this good? This doesn't appear to have nearly the overhang issues my SD2 does.

Most machine on the market can do that and better. That is just a base model Prusa i3 there is nothing really special about it. If you are having overhang issues then you lack a layer fan or it is setup wrong and your machine needs more tuning.

Was SD one of the only fully assembled machines? With the price tags on some of these machines it would be very disappointing if they arrived as a bunch of parts. Lol.

No SD4 didnt come with one. We all had to print a bracket and add our own

finest detail on this type 3D printer is Z layer height next finest is limited to nozzle dia just like SLA is limited to laser pin-point size. layer height also adds greatly to print time as each thin layer takes same time as thickest layer on less fine prints. also thinner means easier to break/mess up print and any fowl during print on all but the most expensive models means start over and toss material wasted in failed print. so costs/time go up each failed print. its also why we dont print multiple items as it still takes more time and can waste more material. just saves pre/post print warmup/cooldown bed prep which is only a few mins. so if item to be printed takes more than an hour each then only do 1 item per print.

say you have an item that G code says takes 1hr at .3mm Z then for higher/finer detail you change Z to .1mm now its at least 3hrs, SLA type printer for same item  Z set at .001mm even if a bit faster than FDM printer still gonna take like a week likely when you do the math. also powder/liquid materials for SLA types cost lots more so its gonna kill resale profits if any. plus SLA uses different file type and must be converted to it b4 slicing/printing. Pirvan can chime in on this as He has done lots of both kinds.

the ones I looked at use SVG like a negative of each layer for laser to project as they dont make lines all over each layer like ejection type printers do thats the faster step how ever they do still have to do many more layers when fine settings are used to make same height item in 10-1000 times more layers which is the longer steps and each layer most SLA type move up/down Z more to allow resin under model each layer unless one of the couple higher priced models which do it differently.

DLP is pretty much same thing as SLA liquid resin type, just DLP use LED UV laser type light for curing resin. and most the lower cost/smaller DLP type only accept SVG which is converted from STL G-code to SVG in Slic3r and was the main draw back for me as I would have to convert all my files and create yet another folder full of dupe files just for that printer also some of those printers have random results in quality/finish. so even if 1/10th the cost of a Form1 it still wont match end result reliability and some of those printers closed down soon as they hit the market so no support. the Ibox nano was 1. and very small but enough for most my needs is why I considered it.

Not sure if you have noticed my signature, or where you get your information from?

But I own and use a D7 which is a DUV SLA printer. That means it uses a UV LED array for the curing light source and an LCD to create the photomask. This is a sub $500 printer and I can assure you that it uses the ordinary STL file exported from Tinkercad or any other CAD program. The slicer then converts it to a gcode file that contains the information the printer controller uses for creating and building the layers.

I have also owned a $1500 Formlabs Form1 SLA which uses the UV laser just like a print head on an FDM and it to used your standard STL file and converted it to gcode using the slicer that machine comes with.

Both of these can also use an SVG but it is not needed and there  is no reason to have to convert or have duplicate files. All you need is the STL just like the ones you can download from Thingiverse or as I said export from any CAD program.

Since this thread is really not about SLA printers we should stop discussing them here and derailing the thread. Besides it seems you have received old or incorrect information as all of the home consumer level SLA printers that I have seen even up to some of the higher Statasys units use STL files. SVG is reserved more for subtractive manufacturing while STL is more for additive manufacturing.

anyway... I only brought up the other type printers due to OP wanting to find best quality output at lowest cost etc. its just something I dont think is possible as of yet so we have to find a compromise we can live/work with based on needs vs ability & budget. when I jumped into this tech 6 years ago I gave myself 1-2 years learning curve based on my past ability to grasp new tech and research my way through while doing trial & error and sell a few jobs once I was able to get good enough results knowing my investment would be lost in the process but recover it once things took off. the economy was less than helpful in this and market interest has dropped a lot and seems to now be coming back a bit. most of this tech is reliant on hobby oriented markets which suffer when excess funds dry up. main point is if you want to get into this tech you have to be committed and tech savvy enough to self teach & learn how to rebuild & tweak the tools that are this industry. dont expect forum members to hand you a manual that answers every imaginable question with index like an 911 operators SOP book, as none exist. dig in and find a printer that fills most your needs (once you know your needs) buy some filament and start making stuff. when you hit a snag search for solutions here as most have already been posted. this forum has lots of very experienced 3D printing people that have made videos etc for nearly every aspect. and I for one have great respect and appreciation for their help and patience over the years.

Those barrel shaped objects look good, but they don't have nearly the overhangs I want to do. Including going downward at 45 degrees like a statues arm or the letter M or something. I assume I would need a machine with multiple extruders and the use of a water soluble support material for finer models that might snap apart with same material support. Also I would like to try tri-color sometime.

you assume wrong. you do NOT "need" multiple extruders and water soluble material to create supports.
"wanting" those items is a different matter entirely.

go back to the first picture I posted.. the one of the eagle & horned skull.. that was done entirely with one extruder and one material, there were no issues with removing the supports because the machine, the material, and the slicer were set up correctly to do the job it was asked to do.
Each and every one of those downward pointing feathers in the eagle's wings required support in order for it to print correctly.

Again - YOU have to be willing to learn how to adjust, calibrate and learn about the settings in the slicer you choose to use.

If you think a single extruder printer is difficult, a dual head will be even more of a frustration for you, because that adds in a whole new set of issues.

Sorry if you are not hearing what you want to hear about all this, but it is honest, and it is factual.
There is NO miracle printer that will do everything you want to do straight out of the box.
EVERY printer is going to have its weak points that will require some effort on your part.
This is fact. This is the way it is. If you are expecting otherwise you are in for a very rude awakening.

If YOU are not willing to put in the time & effort to learn how to overcome the weak points, then this is probably not the hobby for you.

download this test box https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4636 and slice it then use it for calibration tests in your SD2 settings. search this group for instructions on calibration of extruder like http://www.soliforum.com/post/133633/#p133633 . then post pics and results including measurements using a Digital Micrometer (which you must own for 3D printing). b4 proceeding further. btw where do you live? what state if USA?