oh, that is a little strange. If I understand you correctly basically the first 2 layers are missing in the slicer preview? Or the body is there but the tabs are not? Can you email me a screen shot at logicalplanet3d gmail.com and I can help you work through this. Sounds like a good learning opportunity.

Hi Hank, You are welcome. I am glad it is helpful for you.

Paul.

Hi, very interesting… I just tried looking at the preview in Cura with it set at 0.1 and 0.12 layer heights and I still see a gap. You definitely should still see a gap. I had to zoom in to see it but it is there. It sounds like there is an issue with your Cura profile. I don’t think it is a model issue.

The only reasons I can think of at the moment that would cause this is over extruding or the line width. Your 0.42mm line width would be one factor. But I set mine to 0.45mm just now (I usually use 0.40mm) and it closed up the first gap. So this type of thing would do it. Also, flow rate will have the same effect. For example if I set my flow from 100% to 110% it closes up the gaps.

In the end you have found a new way to use the tool… thank you. I never thought to use it in preview but it is great to see that it works this way. For sure if your preview shows no gaps and too much squish you are going to get too much squish. So nice work!! But back to your specific issue… perhaps go back to a default profile and start clean to see if the preview looks good. If you give me your email address I can send you my profile – even though it is for a Voron you can still see the settings I use, check the preview and compare them to yours.

I hope that was useful for you!

I have tried changing the Initial Layer Height and Line Width in Cura but the preview stays the same so I don’t think I will be getting accurate results to gauge my adjustments.

Any ideas as to why my preview is like this?

-Thank you.

Yes. I think we are in agreement. 🙂

I understand what you’re saying. It depends on the direction your specific machine is set up. +/- is simply a direction relative to your machine. AND – since +/- is simply direction, -0.250 is not a smaller number, it is a bigger number in the negative direction. That’s why it moves the printhead away from the bed.

Haha, now even I am confused.

I think our confusion starts with the basic idea that (on a Voron at least) a smaller z-offset (i.e. more negative number) moves the toolhead away from the bed. A larger z-offset (more positive number) moves the toolhead closer to the bed. So if whatever printer you are using is not like that then it needs to be reversed (as I think you have described).

From my perspective the beginning statement that “raising your z-offset by 0.05mm” meant increasing the z height (raising the tool head). Raising the tool head (at least on a Voron) means a smaller number (more negative). For example a -0.200 would change to -0.250. Doing this means less first layer squish.

Does that help?

If I am understanding what you are trying to do, the equation should read

[initial z-offset] – [required change]

This should work because if you get a negative value for the required change, that would end up adding it to the initial negative value and lifting the nozzle away from the bed.