Menu command reference

Use this command to switch manually to using left-click to select supports, anchors, or clusters. Use the dropdown to switch how the selection of supports behaves:

• Single supports: If the support element is connected to another, such as a bar branching off in a bouquet, clicking the bar selects only that bar.
• Connected supports: Selects all connected elements, such as the entire bouquet regardless of branching level

Deletes selected support elements and anchors. Default shortcut key: Delete

Accesses the generation parameters, similar to the Edit tab in the context view, for selected supports. Modify them by either editing the property values directly or by applying a set of stored defaults.

If multiple support entities are selected that have different parameters each, they show with "--" as the value, and changing them overrides and sets the new value for all selected entities.

Shift the selected support entities along X and Y

Shows a 2D projection of the area with the selected supports. Here you add, extend, or trim volume and polyline support by drawing shapes. (However, while bar supports do work as the "selector" for the area in question, they are not affected by this function.)

If the selected entity is an open-ended polyline, this function duplicates it with a small offset on both sides of the original.

Useful for strengthening single polyline supports along edges.

Does not work with certain polylines, such as the cluster-following, enveloping polyline of volume support.

Splits a bar into segments of independent bars at any anchors attached to it. Useful for working with bar bouquets, enabling a more granular adjustment of the individual sections between branches.

Deletes anchors that are not connected to any support entities. Useful for cleaning up during manual support projection of bars, for example, or manual selection and deletion of only some of all support entities present.

Does exactly that. Requires no selection. Use with caution as you are not asked for confirmation.

Opens a snapin dialog in the context view for regenerating the selected bar supports to target a specified or detected upskin of the same part

The first click sets the first anchor. Only when the second anchor is placed, the bar is generated. Anchors can be placed in any order and constellation on the same part, on different parts, or the platform.

Each subsequent click on the part extends the polyline support from the most recently placed anchor. To start a new polyline, click the button again.

Left-click to place anchors at corner points along the circumference of the desired volume support.

Note: Zig-zagging when you setting anchors unless should be avoided unless certain of Netfabb's behavior. Otherwise, this may lead to unexpected support contours as Netfabb connects anchors in the order of their placement and then fills only the enclosed area:

Left: a 5-point volume support, its contour defined by placing only nearest neighbors of anchors. Right: The same five points, but defined in a different order.

Switches to placing new anchors on part or platform surface with each click

Switches to deleting anchors

Removes any anchor that has no supports attached

Frees the selected anchors from the default snapping to surfaces so that they can be moved in all directions

Exports XYZ positions of currently present anchors to a semicolon-separated-list file

Imports XYZ positions from a semicolon-separated-list file and creates anchors in those positions

Adds a new bar on the selected anchor

Uses the values stored in the set currently selected in context view > Edit > Manual defaults

Only active when Create new bar is active in the main menu.

Adds a new anchor directly below the current one on the next available surface, part or platform alike

Only creates the anchor; bar must be added separately.

Adds a new anchor directly above the current one on the next available surface

Adds a new anchor below the current one on the platform

Removes any anchor that has no supports attached

Frees the selected anchors from the default snapping to surfaces so that they can be moved in all directions

Only for anchors not already freed

Disables free movement and attaches anchor to the nearest point on the part surface

Only for freed anchors

Disables free movement and attaches anchor to the nearest point on the build platform surface

Only for freed anchors

Switches to selecting the definition of supportable clusters from the automatic detection using the Cluster detection options in the Analysis tab in the context view to a manual method.

Select from the dropdown to change the manual selection mode.

• Mark by brush: Marks all triangles within an adjustable diameter and within an adjustable maximum normal deviation
• Mark by surface: Flood-fills the marking across all connected triangles
• Pick cluster normal: Enables to set a new angle as "down" for cluster analysis. Useful for parts that are largely flat but are oriented mostly vertical.
• Clear manual clusters: Clears any manual marking

For both the brush marking as well as the surface marking, as well as the critical and the noncritical angle, the Edge threshold parameter in the context view applies.

Provides a list of available support scripts that contain actions which you can then run on a cluster. Also, the scripts are listed with their cluster-applicable actions only, and any actions not applicable to a cluster are omitted.

Uses the chosen support action with the settings stored in the script, or all applicable actions of a script, depending on selection.

• Requires a manually selected cluster (by default: pink highlight instead of regular red)
• Uses the cluster detection settings currently defined on the Analysis tab, ignores the cluster detection settings defined for the actions in the script

Fills the cluster area with bar supports

• Requires a manually selected cluster (by default: pink highlight instead of regular red)
• Uses the values stored in the set currently selected in context view > Edit > Manual defaults

Fills the cluster area with polyline supports

Fills the cluster area with volume supports

Switches context view to upskin projection controls to redirect where any supports present on the selected cluster should contact part surface or platform surface at their bottom end

Provides an additional bottom-up view of the part in a 2D editor for placing and manipulating supports

Extrudes the selected cluster area into a mesh of specified thickness

Adjust spherical locations within the space occupied by the part and its support

Affects a cylindrical volume and adjusts in height as it intersects with the supported surface and the bottom end of the support, be that the platform or another part surface.

Use brush controls to freely specify areas on the part surface that, projected towards the platform, determine where the density map should be changed. For this, the context view provides input controls to specify the size of the brush, the factor to be applied, and the behavior for applying factors multiple times.

Centers and magnifies view on the part

Centers and magnifies view on the current selection of supports

Requests to drag a rectangular frame, then centers and magnifies view on the framed area

Attach the generated supports to the part and return to the main platform view.

If compatible, the support generated on one part is applied to all of its clones.

Aborts support editing and closes the support editor, unloading it from the project tree

Holds seven default perspectives to move and orient the camera in the 3D view

Zoom to and focus on the part, a selection (like a selected cluster or support element), or an area.

Equivalent to Zoom to

Highlights the individual triangles by their edges

Highlights supportable edges with a red line

Enables or disables rendering the part, leaving any supports still visible for inspection

Renders the part mesh transparent, leaving supports still visible without completely hiding the part mesh

Enables or disables rendering support elements

Renders supports transparent

Enables or disables the blue anchor spheres

Enables or disables the green platform area

Supports that are not selected are hidden. Select supports by clicking on entries in the List tab of the context view.

Any supports not in contact with the buildroom bottom surface are forcibly set to invisible.

Enables or disables automatic zoom and focus on a new selection

Enables or disables an automatic repositioning of the Z clipping plane whenever an entry in the List tab (not the 3D view) is clicked