Does actual polygon count affect printing time for any of the machines? Or are envelope and volume the only important factors? Just curious. I saw a web video somewhere that suggested "model complexity", rather than scale or density alone, was a factor in print time.
I'm not sure if polys effect processing time, but the print speed should only be effected by the amount the print head needs to move.
Thanks. That's what I was thinking, but that video (don't remember the link, sorry) made me ask. Your explanation sounds much more logical. Thanks. That was a fast reply by the way.
Hi, Logical ? Not sure. Because you are forgetting the thickness of the printed layer. It is possible to adjust the laser beam power to print thicker of thinner layers. With a low resolution, your layers could be thicker. I don't know how Shapeways work but there is a big gain in printing time made possible by adjusting layer thickness. Arnaud
Polygon count alone doesn't affect print speed in the machines we use here at Shapeways. In the Strong and Flexible family of materials; a part with greater surface area will take longer to print by a small amount as the laser scans a bit slower around the outside perimeter than is does when sintering the material in the interior. This effect is very small though and affects the print speed much less than added volume. In all of the other materials, the surface area and polygon count are almost irrelevant to print speed.