Anyone who prints organic shapes knows the dilemma: thick layers come off the bed quickly but leave banding on every curve, while fine layers look good and cost a whole afternoon. The maker tackled that trade head on with the variable adaptive layer height option in PrusaSlicer, aiming for a better looking part without a dramatic jump in print time. The demonstration ran on an Original Prusa i3 MK3S using red AmazonBasics PLA, with the 'Wooden Cat' model from Thingiverse as the subject. In the slicer, the maker picked the Adaptive option to have the software generate custom layer heights, then ran the Smooth function to make the transitions between them gentler. The heights ended up ranging roughly from 0.15 mm to 0.26 mm. One point worth underlining is that applying the feature automatically is more powerful than dialing it in by hand, according to the maker. The timing comparison makes the case. The 0.30 mm draft profile finished in one hour and fifty-five minutes, the 0.10 mm detail profile took five hours and forty-one, and the adaptive estimate came in at two hours and twenty-nine. The adaptive print showed fine layer resolution on feature-dense surfaces while keeping coarser layers on the flatter vertical stretches, and the 0.10 mm reference print produced smooth curves with hardly any visible layer lines. As for limits, the maker flagged that the feature might not suit vase-like prints, while noting that parts with an upward-facing fillet benefit from it. That seems a fair trade for the time saved, in my view.
Project by Andrew Sink. Watch it on their YouTube channel: