[4.1.0] Adaptive Layer & Support Z Distance

[silycr]

Using adaptive layer height[experimental] along with a Support Z distance results in incorrect z distance.
Example
Layer height standard at 0.2mm
Adaptive layer height causes layers to reduce from standard 0.2mm to 0.1mm at support interface.
Support interface set to 0.2mm which correlates to 1 layer at 0.2mm. With adaptive layer height at 0.1mm at this point of the print, it only recognises 1 layer required and generated z support gap of 0.1mm.
Increasing support z distance to 0.4mm, correlates to 2 layers at 0.2mm. Adaptive layers only results in 2 layers at 0.1mm.

Assumption
Doesn't appear to calculate support z distance by layer height, rather by layer numbers. When adaptive layer height is activated, reducing layer height at the support interface, it calculates the layer numbers required rather than the specified distance required.

Last layer of support interface @ L139

First bridged layer of model @ L141

Platform
Cura 4.1.0
Windows 10

Printer
TronXY X5S-2e

[Ghostkeeper]

Indeed, CuraEngine makes these calculations by dividing the desired distance by the layer height. The Adaptive Layer Height was implemented naively and the most difficult part of it to get this to work was never tackled, which is why it's still in Experimental.

We have a pull request that tries to address this for the top/bottom thickness here: https://github.com/Ultimaker/CuraEngine/pull/1094/files I have yet to take a look at that PR at all, but there is an inherent conflict in the front-end settings of thickness vs. number of layers. For support Z distance this can be fixed but for other things I don't think there is a good solution.

[silycr]

Thanks for the confirmation. I'm not too familiar with the CuraEngine calculations.
It's a bit unfortunate as I enjoy using adaptive layers. Quite useful to be able to print angled walls fast at a fine setting and use the overhead melt flow to print thicker layers on vertical walls.

Currently just tweaking z offset provides a workaround, generally assuming reduced layer height at interfaces.