Print-in-place joints raise the stakes on clearance
A moving joint assembled after printing only needs enough clearance to insert the parts and allow the intended motion. A print-in-place joint, printed already assembled, with the printer building both halves and the gap between them in the same job, adds a harder constraint: too little clearance and the two surfaces can fuse together as they print, turning a moving joint into a solid block. This planner treats these two cases differently rather than giving one clearance answer for both.
How the plan works
A motion-relationship-specific exploratory clearance range is offered as a starting point, tightest for a sliding fit, a bit looser for a rotating fit, loosest for a free fit with no real contact. If the joint is print-in-place, the guidance explicitly leans toward the looser end of that range, since avoiding fusion during printing matters more than a snug feel. A measured clearance value from your own printer, once you have one, overrides the general range.
Worked example
A 10 mm sliding, print-in-place joint with no measured clearance: the tool suggests roughly 0.28 mm clearance (midpoint of the sliding-fit range) and explicitly notes that since this is print-in-place, leaning toward the looser end of that range is safer than the tighter end, since fusion during printing is the bigger risk here.
A common mistake
A frequent error is reusing a clearance value that worked well for a small joint on a much larger one, assuming the same gap scales proportionally. Larger surfaces amplify small variances in extrusion width and warping across more contact area, so a clearance that felt perfect on a small test piece can bind or rattle on a bigger version of the same joint design.
Limitations
This is a planning gap for your CAD model, not a guaranteed manufacturing tolerance. Confirm on a printed test joint before committing a design that depends on reliable motion, especially for a print-in-place joint where too little clearance can fuse the part solid.