IRobertI

Is this a solid model or is it a thin shell? I'm guessing that latter and that the shell is thin enough in some spots that Cura can't quite fit a full line width in there. It's also a good idea to look at the model in x-ray mode and look for any red spots that indicates issues with the model.

Have you tried letting it keep printing? How the first layer looks doesn't really matter in 99% of cases since it immediately gets hidden by the rest of the print. To me it looks like the first layer is slightly too close which causes some plastic to squeeze out on the side of the nozzle. I would try going back to defaults and letting a whole print complete (you can print something smaller obviously to not waste too much plastic) just to check if the other print issues stay or go away with the defaults.

PLA can usually by printed on a clean (squeaky clean) glass plate. Personally I tend to use glue as it can be a bit more forgiving because I'm lazy.

Unless I missed it you didn't mention what material you were using? Are you using a material that is sensitive to temperature and using a high fan speed on the second layer perhaps? Just a random thought.

Disagree all you want, the problem is that some companies NEED this functionality, it is just that simple. It's a question that has been popping up regularly since the UM3 was introduced.

Just make more accounts, easy. In the mean time I'll help by adding another one ("like" that is ).

Could it be that you've installed the UM2+ Extended firmware on your printer by mistake?

You might also need to force windows to use your dedicated GPU for Cura. You can do that in the Nvidia control panel (right click desktop -> Nvidia control panel):

Another purpose of the tower is to make sure the nozzle is fully primed which may, or may not, make a difference depending on what and how you're trying to print.

I think the closest setting that would be helpful in this sort of situation is "Hollow out object" which will make the object hollow so you can use support on the inside. For this particular model I don't think it would do much good though. But I thought I'd mention it anyways.

What type of scale are we talking about here?

To make sure you're truly back to "zero" with the install, go to Help -> Show Configuration Folder. The folder containing all your personal settings for Cura will open. Close Cura and then remove everything in that folder, once that's done you can restart Cura again. This should have you back to factory defaults so to speak. This usually fixes weird issues.

My bad. I tried something that appears to work, but not 100% sure it's reliable. I added a machine I didn't have, a Prusa in this case, I then edited the start gcode for that printer and added a word to it. I loaded a model and then saved as project. I then removed the Prusa-printer and restarted Cura. I loaded the project file, the Prusa machine was added and the unique word was present in the start gcode. So maybe a workaround?

Does the button actually mechanically click? I see that you're missing the "cup" around the dial, what's up with that?

During the years I've learnt to never assume things like that. It has bitten me in the arse before You could also set up a camera to record what happens to maybe get some clues. You could skip loading any filament and lower the print temp once the print is started (so as to not cook the material left in the nozzle) so you don't have to waste any material.

Did you also tighten the set screws on the pulleys attached directly to the motors?

Could you post a few pictures of what it looks like?

It's still possible via the Manage Profiles window. Provided you're talking about slicing settings/profiles?

No, you don't, but you need to do maintenance like you need to do with any tool. I bet your car was more expensive and I'm pretty sure you still have to change oil and maintain it, right? Cleaning the outside and inside of the nozzle (as well as cleaning the rest of the machine and make sure it's lubricated) is basic maintenance which will prevent this problem.

Yeah, sounds like your OS install is a bit borked. What you could do which might, might, give you a clue as to what's going on is opening Event Viewer and taking a look in the Windows Logs -> Applications folder to see if there are any errors popping up. Clicking a line with a level of "Error" can sometimes give useful clues. Sounds like most of the programs have to do with graphics as well. So doing a clean install of your graphics card drivers could be a good idea.

This link might make what Bollicine mentioned clearer: http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/30-getting-better-prints#better-top-surfaces

I just uploaded this little tool which makes it easier to set the proper distance: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/um3-buildplate-distance-tool Not my design, I got it from UM in a service update a long time ago.

The knob looks like a levelling screw form the bed. Move the bed up by grabbing it in the back and pulling it straight up, it will be obvious where it goes once you take a look at the bottom. Try to screw it in to the same depth as the other two screws and then run a manual bed level.

You probably chose to open a project file as just a model file and checked the box to remember that setting. Go into settings and you'll find the setting "Default behaviour when opening a project file", select "always ask" or "Always open as project" in the drop down.

STL-files are sort of an "end of the line" file format, they're difficult to edit in a meaningful way. They're like soup, they have all the ingredients to make them tasty, but you wont be able to remove all the pieces of onions cleanly Do try to make an effort to move away from Sketchup, it's just not a good tool for this application. It may be easy to get started but as you've noticed it creates headaches down the line. With a program like Fusion (or any other proper CAD software) you'll be spending some time to get over the hump in the learning curve but you'll be happy you did later.