¶ Introduction
The "Spiral Vase" is a special printing mode that prints the outer wall through only one perimeter and gradually increases the Z height by spiraling upward. In this way, apart from the bottom shell layers, there is no starting point and end point in the perimeter of each layer, and there is no "scar" like seams on the surface of the model (please refer to Seam | Bambu Lab Wiki), which can greatly improve the quality of the model surface.
The following two images are a comparison of the normal mode and the spiral vase mode. You can see that the surface of the model in the "Spiral Vase" mode has no seams.
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¶ Use and precautions
1. "Spiral Vase" mode can be enabled in Bambu Studio, under the Others tab → Special mode
2. When you confirm that you want to enable the spiral vase mode, it will automatically adjust the Settings to set the outer wall layer to 1, the top shell layer to 0, and the sparse infill density to 0% :
3. However, it should be noted that the model printed in the spiral vase mode only has one loop wall, without infill and top shell. Therefore, it is only applicable to some models with relatively simple structures. If a model with a complex structure is printed in this mode, it may have suspended parts because it cannot be completed through a single perimeter, as shown in the figure below:
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4. If you wish to print multiple objects simultaneously using the "Spiral vase" mode in one plate, please choose the "By object" Print sequence.
5. The "Smooth Spiral" option was introduced in Bambu Studio1.9.0. The surface of some models is not smooth and round enough, resulting in the connection between the beginning and end of the upper and lower layers after enabling the "Spiral vase" is not smooth enough, and the surface will appear like a "seam". When the "Smooth Spiral" option is enabled, an arc-fitting connection will be made to eliminate seams on the model surface.
Maximum XY smoothing threshold: Since this option fits the path of the end and the start points of the upper and lower layers, the original path is fitted into an arc. This threshold represents the maximum XY plane travel distance, the maximum distance between the fitted arc and the original path in the XY plane. When in %, the threshold is calculated based on the nozzle diameter (e.g., 0.4mm nozzle, 200% means the threshold is 0.8mm).
The effect of enabling the “Smooth Spiral” is shown below:
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Fig.3-1 Smooth Spiral mode is disabled |
Fig.3-2 Smooth Spiral mode is enbled |
Note: As we can see from the above pictures, there may be some side effects after enabling the "Smooth Spiral", although the seams will be eliminated, some "bumps" may appear on the model's surface. Therefore, it may not be suitable for vases with obvious edges and is more suitable for vases with smooth surface transitions.