Feature request: Group support blockers/enforcers & export as a group

[mdaneman]

It would be very helpful to have the following features:

When you create multiple support enforcers or support blockers for a model, it would great if they can be group together so that a) they can be moved together to another (similar) model and b) they could be exported as a unit to an STL file, so you can load them later.

[Jebtrix]

There is a several workarounds to do this but being natively supported would be cool. Using STL to export them is not a complete solution though. The objects would lose their identities and would require specifying which object was what manually on import. I have been thinking about a Feature Request for a while that would take this use case into account also. I find it very tedious to create a Modifier and select the same bunch of value overrides over and over, project thru project. I really want to reduce duplication of effort. Here is my thoughts for the devs.

Exportable elements

• Object setting overrides without modifier/part object itself (just a value list)
• Modifiers/Parts/Height Ranges with object setting overrides

Phase 1 Implementation

• You add your Blockers/Enforcers/Modifiers/Height Ranges with any custom value overrides
• Right-Click on:
  • Parent object > Export Modifiers
  • Part/Modifier/Height Range > Export Modifier
  • Part/Modifier/Height Range > Export Setting Overrides
• This will be saved in special purpose 3MF (project like) file format (unique exts maybe?)
  • Modifier(s) = ie \<filename>.PSM
  • Setting Overrides = ie \<filename>.PSO
  • 3MF file will not contain any profile(s) values in 3MF\Metadata\Slic3r_PE.config
  • Only modifier entities and override values are saved in 3MF\Metadata\Slic3r_PE_model.config
  • Parent object should just be an empty placeholder

To use this we would:

• Right-Click on:
  • Object > Import Modifiers
  • Part/Modifer/Height Range > Import Setting Overrides
• Modifiers/Setting Overrides would be appended to existing
• X/Y Alignment would be boundary box median point of Modifier/Modifier Group objects snapped to the same of parent object (to be generic ignore parent object's actual origin point)
• Z Alignment would be lowest boundary box point of Modifier/Modifier Group snapped to the same of parent object
• Height Range Modifiers are imported as-is
• To keep it simple the imported Modifiers are not tracked as a special entity inside a project. Once it's imported it there is no difference than having done it manually.

Phase 2 Implementation

This is where my initial thinking of not doing to the same modifier techniques over and over comes into play.

• Modifier files can have their own profile subfolder ie \Modifiers
• Any Modifier files in that folder will be enumerated just as PS enumerates other profiles
• Filenames in the \Modifiers folder will act as menu entry names in the popup submenu list
• When a user Right-Clicks an additional menu item is listed:
  • On Object > Import Modifiers > Show all .PSM filenames
  • On Part/Modifier/Height Range > Import Setting Overrides -> Show all .PSO filenames

Phase 3 Implementation

This one I don't have completely fleshed out in my head but maybe eventually add a Modifer Settings tab.

• Be able to create Setting Override "profiles" viewing all available overrides on a single screen at once
• Manage Modifiers and Setting Overrides just like other profiles, creating new from existing ones etc.
• Allow compatible condition rules to filter listed modifiers/setting overrides appropriately
• Some room for fancier functions. Like in 3D editor where you select face to snap to bed. Maybe you could select a face of a modifier to be a magnet face. Then when you Import Modifier it asks you to select a face of the object in the editor to snap to this magnet face.