mastory

Am I missing something or do I need to look further? Where are the Ulticontroller manual controls for the Z axis and extruder. I looked thru the menus thoroughly and I cannot find them. Are they there? If not, I am sorely disappointed. A manual control should include all functions if possible. My process for starting a print includes moving the platform down a bit, manually priming then start. I can live w/o the extruder function, but really need the Z function. Is there a way for users to add macros to the UC? Any chance of getting these control functions added in?

Some other hot end. Clogs have been reduced with V2, but still has too many of reported clogs. UBIS looks very exciting. Still running the geohagen extruder. It doesnt get much press anymore, but i have never had a stripped filament since i installed it 2yrs ago. It never needs to be adjusted. 3 point leveling for the printbed.

Mark, The process in SW2012 is something like this: Starting from within an existing part file Insert; Part; Select part file to insert. (make sure to check "Locate Part with move copy feature" at the bottom which allows a crude mating process to locate the inserted part to the other. With out this selected, there is little to no control over positioning.) Next, Insert; Features: Combine; (select add or subtract as necessary) Select "main body" (if subtracting, the one to subtract from) Select "Bodies to combine" (bodies to subtract if subtracting) Search Solidworks Combine Subtract on youtube. There should be a few videos to step you through it. . The video shows adding, subtracting and intersecting bodies of the same part. I would suggest doing it by inserting one part into the other like above. Then you have 2 fully parametrized models that you can edit independently. Depending on your process the multi-body part may also have advantages.Matt

Many dont know that SW can also boolean solid adds and subtracts. Also there are features in the plastics molding modules that may help. I would model the object you want to 'fit', modle the object to encompass the other and do a boolean subtract. I have done it a few tkmes, but not enough to explain it w/ o looking at the program. When i get back to the office, ill look into it and make a post.

Thanks Illuminarti. Without your mentioning it, I would have never know. Sounds like that should also be added to the UC wiki. No one needs to burn anything up. Maybe I can add that after I mod mine. Never edited the wiki as of yet.

Success! The Firmware uploaded fine, and more significantly, my new Ulticontroller works as it should. I am disappointed that I can't move the Z axis with it. Now I need to get an SD card writer.

I guess that's because I don't really know what I'm doing. I built a custom Marlin version awhile back and that's what I'm running. That was after Daids builder and before Ginges. I was trying to load Ginges output with the Arduino software. As I found out, that doesn't work. I was in just now in the process of building another from the source, But I'll go back to Ginges builder and use Cura to upload it. I forgot that I could use cura for that. Thanks

I am getting an error when I try to open the firmware I just created with Ginges Builder. When I try to open Configuration H, I get the following: "Processing can only open its own sketches and other files ending in .ino or .pde" I can however open an old firmware version w/o any problem. I have updated to the latest Arduino software and have the same problem. Anyone experience this or know what might be wrong? Thanks

No, the bastard shorter 275mm flat ribbon cable (that I just received with the new kit I just bought) is too short. It does not allow the Ulticontroller to reach the front of the UM for mounting. It will reach to the side, but only because I have jumpered the power switch and that hole is open. The cable can reach the header on the board only if passing thru the spare hole I happen to have because the power switch long ago went south. 275mm is too short for the Ulticontroller cable. The longer 335mm cable is just long enough to reach the front panel. Not inspiring

Fair enough. If I can get any reasonable results, I will try to do a small test this week. As an aside, I see that Slic3r has separate speed and accel settings for bridging. Never used it so only a casual note. Maybe I'll give it a try too.

If there is a pronounced difference, shouldn't the slicer adjust the accel before and after a bridge layer automatically. As well, bridging temp and cooling preferences. May not be possible with the temp due to the lag time for a temp change.

Also running UM1 here and desire to improve my bridging performance. It seems to be somewhat of a black art. Is there definitive "guide to bridging" or some such thread or reference that could explain the in's and outs of the prevalent theory? I have read lately that controlling acceleration (slower) on the bridge layer can make a big improvement. Is this be controlled separately than acceleration used on infill, loops or perimeter? Settings in Marlin I'm guessing Is it possible to control cooling differently while bridging? Thanks again. Drayson, There is a big difference in the print properties of one filament to another and from manufacturer to another. In my experience (may be anecdotal) some colors work better than others. For me, I am getting better prints from the lighter pigments. Grays and blacks are my least liked. I have to admit, I can't support this opinion with imperical evidence. I just haven't done enough printing. Matt

I just bought an Ulticontroller and its time to update Cura. Which version of Marlin is installed by Cura? (currently 14.01) I would imagine this might lag some from the latest Marlin on Github but don't know. How does it compare to the version built by Ginge's builder (Marlin dated 8-7-13)? For reference: I am running a custom hotend (with std heater & thermocouple) and home built heated bed with Sercos thermistor. Recommendations from the experts? Many thanks! Matt

Found the polarity answer in the wiki reading it closer. Still hope there's no issue with length. Will find out

One cable is about 275mm the other 335mm

Regarding the http://wiki.ultimaker.com/UltiController_v1 Step 3 mentions replacing the fan duct with the one included. Nothing in the parts bag for this, and not shown in the pictures above???? My flat ribbon cables have slightly different lengths. Is it better to plug them in one way or the other? Does it matter? Are the cables polarized at either end? I posted the same questions on the wiki. I don't figure there's much traffic there so I posted here too. Thanks

I can take some encouragement form this statement. My homemade nozzle has a hot zone about 1/3-1/2 that of the UM1 standard nozzle and I think really good performance from a GeoHagen extruder. I'm thinking another factor working in favor of the UM2 is the dual cooling fans. I'm experimenting with compressed air for that and its working pretty well. Its early to tell. Come on Ian, how did you get those teeth to print? I see now how the model was split turning the face vertical. The picture with the manually added supports suggests that it was all printed as one piece. Nice glue joint anyhow. How does it look straight on to the splice? Don't get me wrong, its really nice work

I haven't looked at this thread in a while, I have to say the prints I'm seeing here are blowing away nearly everything I see on Thingiverse. Ian, Did you you use 'support all over' on the beasty? I can't see how you got the upper fangs to print? Ian, Illuminarti, Do you think the prints your getting now on your UM2 are achievable on a dialed in and/or modified UM1. I suppose the key would be improved cooling. Until now I hadn't seen print examples to prove the UM2 was producing much better product than the UM1. Obviously, I'd like to be printing at this level of quality. I think (thought) I have the machine mechanically tuned pretty well. Honestly, I need a better understanding of bridging and optimizing overhangs. Illuminarti, Awesome dragon print as well as video production. Am I to understand that your UM2 is successfully printing overhangs down to ~20degs? I inspired by what I see here lately. Yes, these prints ought to be put up on Thingiverse only to show the UM's is competing if not superior to the Replicator. I think the later, but my opinion is biased. Put enough up there and see if they censor some of it...

As well as priming and wiping the nozzle manually, and using the skirt of 2-3 lines, I have my start gcode slightly modified (on my UM1). It now looks like this - added part in red: G21 ;metric values G90 ;absolute positioning M107 ;start with the fan off G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops G1 Z15.0 F{travel_speed} ;move the platform down 15mm G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length G1 F200 E2 ;extrude 2mm of feed stock G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again G1 X10 Y10 Z-15 F{travel_speed} :move head to 10,10 and bed back up to 0 G1 F{travel_speed} M117 Printing... It makes the primed nozzle drag across the bed in transit to the skirt while not extruding. The boogers from priming are mostly wiped off. The skirt starts to print nearly perfectly and I have enough time to adjust Z manually if needed.

No difference with latest Printrun.....

I can report that the Pause at Z doesn't work right running from Printrun. At least not the version that I have installed - which is rather old. I will update to the latest and report how that goes. All the functions are correct except that Printrun doesn't pause when it gets to the parked position. It just goes back about printing as soon as it gets to park. If the latest version of Printrun doesn't help, (doubt that it will) I'll just pause manually from the console when the head moves to park.

Been waiting. I'm in Michigan. I need to combine an UC with some other misc parts I'd like to have on hand to spread out the cost.

Well, I haven't got an Ulticontroller yet. Those damn shipping charges have me procrastinating. Ya, the button part is what I was wondering about. I guess I'll just slice some small test item and see what happens. I'm not looking at Printrun at the moment, but I think the print button changes to resume when a print is paused manually. May be the same function when the pause is triggered by the Gcode... I'll give it a try and report how it goes.

Looking at the Gcode, it appears that the pause happens before the Specified layer is printed. If I'm seeing it right, it seems sort of counter intuitive... Still wondering how it works with Printrun.

Does Pause at Z work with Printrun? If so, please provide a brief instruction. I've seen it mentioned before, but I wasn't interested at the time and can't find the posting... When I specify a height to pause at, what behavior is to be expected? Lets say I am printing .2mm layers. I want to pause at 1mm so I can insert masking on some support. I would assume that the UM would pause after the layer that completes 1mm of height. Counting layer 0, this would be after layer 4? DO I understand correctly? It would be cool if along with "layer number" in the Gcode view, it also displayed a Z distance value along side of the slider. It would seem that a depth might be more useful than a layer number. Thanks Matt