Preform 1.6 Questions, Issues, Observations

Support & Troubleshooting
1

Hi - starting a catch-all thread here to hopefully collect insights on 1.6, as needed.

NOTE: form files written with 1.6 are not backward compatible - just means that if you have a project you are working on and you write it back out in 1.6 and IF there are issues, you cannot go back to 1.5.2 with that file. I’ve kept 1.5.2 around just in case and I am naming my .form files written with V1.6 explicitly with “1.6” just until I get familiar with it - so I do not mix up my files.

ISSUE: SELECTION PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE STLs
I am having an issue right off the bat with opening multiple stls in a single .form file. The issue seems to be related to selection of the objects after loading. Everything loads file, but then I can no longer select the individual stl objects. If I close and open the file, I still cannot select anything. The only way I can clear the problem seems to be to quick preform 1.6, and restart and then reopen my .form file. Then I can select objects normally. This does not seem to be an issue with single stl imports. And it does not seems to happen always, but it is reproducible. Just create a new form file, multi-select > 3 stl files, and load. You will see one stl selected as current, but when you try to select something else, everything gets unselected and you are stuck until you restart Preform.

LOST FEATURE: no keyboard control for layer up down with arrow change
I used to use the arrow up/down keys to single step quickly through layers to see where potential failures were going to occur. I like the new ability to incrementally rotate the view with arrow keys, but there seems to no longer be a way to single step through layers. Could we perhaps have that on some other keys - maybe control or shift up/down arrows?

2

What OS are you using? I wasn’t able to reproduce the multiple STL selection issue on my OS X machine, but we’ll take a look. There are often differences between systems. I’ll pass on your request for a new slicing tool shortcut and see what options make sense.

And yes, typically as of so far, .FORM files have not been backwards compatible. The model will be retained, but any support generation and configuration that you’e done will be lost. In certain cases, if necessary, our support team (support@formlabs.com), can make archived versions available to you.

3

Thanks Sam

Using

This is from a Macbook Air.

Certainly seems like a selection/modality issue. Not sure what the repro path is, but it has happened several times since. I’ll keep chipping away at it until I have 100% certain repro steps. Always need to restart preform to clear up the selection issue. Certainly tolerable at this point. Will let you know. thn.x

Jeff

4

Ah HA!!!

I finally found how/where to get back a feature that was seemingly lost in version 1.6 of Preform!!!

previously the up down arrows on the keyboard would allow you to single-step through layers.

In Preform 1.6, that feature was changed to moving rotation in the viewport.

I’ve recently discovered that FUNCTION_KEY+UP/DOWN ARROWS will single step through layer slices!!!

So happy.

!!! I wish this had been documented somewhere !!!

PS - I’m on a mac, so not sure if this translates exactly to windows.

Jeff