Part Tilting

Tilt Single Model

Tilting objects optimizes cross-sectional area for printing, and enables finer part-surface quality and uniformity on surfaces. A tilted orientation is especially recommended for parts with large flat sections. This section describes how to best tilt objects for inverted-SLA printers.

Click on your part model to select it.
Click the Transform Tool and then the  button. This will create anchors on the 3D model, which you can click and drag to resize your model. Resize the model until it is small enough to fit on the print platform, and until it is at your desired dimensions.
Click the Auto Place Tool and click the  button.
Click the Orient Tool and select the Support Area radio button. Keep the default setting of 30 deg and click the Orient button. The other recommended setting you may use is 15 deg.

Combined Parts

Combined parts will be oriented together and will be placed in undesirable positions.
Click the Combine/Separate Tool and click the  button. Click the combined part to select it and click the  button. Both parts may not fit in the print area as they are. They might need to be scaled and/or moved to fit. There are two ways to tell if a part does not fit in the print area: The item is marked with a red exclamation point in a circle in the Parts List menu. The model is outlined in red in the printable area.
To scale the parts down, click and drag a box around the parts to select them as a group. Use the Transform Tool, as in Step 2 of the above section Tilt Single Model. With the parts still selected, click the Auto Place Tool, and then click the Set button.

Advanced Placing Techniques

You may wish to alter the models beyond simply auto-placing them.

Use the Move and Rotate functions within the Transform dialog window to reorient your part(s) so that any flat parts are in a vertical orientation.
To print a part with as few supports as possible, ensure that the sections of your part(s) that have a continuously connected surface are facing the print platform as much as possible. In the example at the right, the arrows point to sections with a continuous surface. Consider the following examples:   In this example, the side of the part with fine details faces the print platform. The supports must connect at many places to support the structure, causing a lot of supports to be created.
In this example, the same part is oriented such that the parts with the least amount of details are facing the print platform. Less supports are needed, making for a more-ideal print job.
Ensure that there are enough supports along the sections of your part that have the most changes in geometry. Pay particular attention to the areas closest to the print platform, as these will be the first parts that attach to the supports- the highest density of supports should be concentrated on these areas. The image at the right shows an example of a high density of nodes near the platform. You may need to reinforce areas such as these with more supports, depending on the size and geometry of the part.
Toggle between Flat and Tilted settings in the PRESET dropdown menu, and then click UPDATE SUPPORTS, to see if either preset distributes the nodes more evenly and at a better density.
If there are still gaps in the parts, use the Add/Erase buttons under the Modify tab to manually add/edit your supports. Ensure you are using POINT mode. Click the ADD or ERASE buttons to go into that mode. Click on the green diodes you wish to erase, or click on areas where you wish to add a diode. Click the UPDATE SUPPORTS button.

4. Parts that don't have large flat areas, and less than 2mm wall thickness, may be printed in either Flat or Tilted preset modes, provided that you still inspect the supports for proper placement, continuity, and density near the platform. Consider the following examples:

	The way this part is oriented, there are many changes in elevation facing the print platform, and there are many floating parts that must be supported. This causes many supports to be necessary, and at staggering heights.
	If the same part is oriented with the longest, flattest portion facing down and slanted, most of the supports are so evenly spaced and consistent that a line can be drawn through them. There are just a couple of extra support sets sticking up to support floating geometry. This is ideal.