Volume and bar supports for FFF printing

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers can generally print parts with overhang angles of less than 45 degrees without needing support structures. If you want to print a part using an FFF printer, one of the first things to do is to try and find an orientation that will allow you to print that part with no support structures.

However, certain models cannot be printed without supports. This is because no matter which orientation you choose, certain parts will end up with down-skin surfaces with overhangs larger than 45 degrees that span distances larger than you can bridge with your 3D printer. In such cases, you will need to generate support structures using your CAD tool or your slicer. As Fusion 360 is both a CAD software and a slicer, you can generate support structures parametrically within the MANUFACTURE workspace for any additive setup.

In this section, we will talk about how to generate volume and bar supports for an additive...