Setting for nicer (more contiguous) top layer?

General Software
1

I am running Cura 19.12 on an original Lulzbot Taz mini.

I have not experimented with other slicers as I have always been pretty happy with Cura.

One thing that annoys me probably more than it should is how oddly it will fill in top layers sometimes.

Let me try to explain what I am saying. Think of a simple square, when filling in the layer interior (for a bottom or a top, not infill) it does the fill diagonally at 90 degrees. For the best looking surface/bottom, the outer border would end so that the fill starts in one corner and goes all the way to the other side in one constant back and forth pattern. 50% of the time, even with a simple square, it will draw the border so that it will start the diagonal filling in the middle of that square, fill half, then come back and fill the other half. This line between the two fills is always quite visible.

In more complex prints, it sometimes seemingly randomly jumps around and starts and stops the consistent fill pattern.

I know many shapes cannot be filled in with one continguous pattern, but is there a slicer out there with a setting that will do it’s best to minimize the jumping around on the top/bottom layer?

2

I have noted the same thing. It happens in all layers. It seems to partially fill an area, then jump to another area, then come back to the previous area and fill it more, possibly not completely again before jumping somewhere else.

At the very least it seems inefficient use of printing time. It takes a little while to move the head back and forth.

I wondered if it is an issue with local plastic temperature. My thought, not based on ANY actual information, is that it may not want to spend too much time laying down hot plastic in one area because it may get too hot on the lower layers, so it leaves to let it cool, then comes back later. ???

3

I’ve noticed that behavior across multiple versions of Cura. I have no idea how to stop or minimize it, but have you tried playing with your retraction and z-hop settings?