jweaver

Problem is, i dont grt the feeling this would be easy to fix as it appears to be a problem with the logic that Curas slicer uses. Since the devs are focussed on more urgent issues i cant see this being looked at, espcially if they do not agree there is even a problem..

Got to say, I am convinced! This is exactly the problem I see.. And CW will certainly help due to the way that it draws out its first layer. I just hope they bring out their Vector based version soon, and I will give it a go. I just hope that it prints directly to Printrbots!

Lets not get hung up on speed.. I have EXACTLY the same problem as shown here.. And the "speed" doesn't change anything.. The root of the problem is the way that CURA lays down its perimeters, combined with "dry" extruder laying down air for a few mms.. This leads to gaps an blobs which gets snagged. It seems that Craftware does it differently and adds more perimeters to each shape before moving on..

Thats pretty much exactly what I see. So can I try to understnad something.. Is the blobbing and incomplete shapes caused by Retraction? If so, what would happen if Retraction is turned off? The main difference I see is that CW is laying down all the perimeters first for each 'shape'. Which is exactly what I said the problem was above. It seems that CURA does the first outline, then moves off leaving some "open" (due to the extruder not being primed) and them comes back later ripping them off.. But CW seems to be laying several perimeters, "sealing" them closed and helping them stick. Is that the behavior you have been trying to describe?. If so, I absolutely see how CW handles this better.. Its the very fact that CURA does each perimeter separately which causes this..

Video would be really helpful as i would love to see how CURA is working for you and compare it to my problem.. But i was thinking about an STL file.. If you do a vid, perhaps i could try the same STL as you to compare... With CW. Can you print directly to the printer? Does it support most printer types (for me a Printrbot), or will i just use it to slice and then use something else to print the GCODE

Have you got a good example to prove your point with? I am going to have a crack with Craftware tomorrow.

I still think I have a bigger problem not caused by CURA.. My hot end seems to become "unprimed" after a retraction and lays 'air' for a few mms.. So currently, this causes shapes to be incomplete... If CURAs logic changed so that it retract at different points, then surely the problem would move to the next shape it creates AFTER retracting where the initial bit of PLA wouldn't come out. What I really need to happen is that the printer does 2 passes for every shape, to be sure that its complete. This is of course assuming that I understand what I am talking about and retraction is even my problem. As I said, my problem seems to be that I extrude a bit of "air" after a retraction and this would happen irrespective of where the retraction occurred. I am thinking that the better option would be the lay the entire first layer down. With no retraction.. And the clean it up after the print. As I assuming that my problem is all based around retraction. Tonight I am going to do some tests by turning retraction off and seeing what effect this has on the first layer.. Perhaps then I will actually understand what the issue is. Jon

I have no doubt that I need to try different software, but I just don't want to learn another application all over again as I have my CURA settings how I want them. And the problem in this case is that its a very simple model.. WHIhc i would want printed in CURA.. But the bottom has some openings which are triggering some small 'parts' in the first layer. My question here is more about understanding the problem.. Is the fact that I am getting incomplete parts on the first layer down to "retraction"? If so, could I simply turn retraction off? And if so, this is why I asked whether there is a plugin to allow the ONLY first layer to be printed without retraction.

This is starting to do my head in now... I was printing a large print yesterday and due to its design, had 6 co-incidental 'tiny' parts on the bottom layer.. And they just kept snagging. Sometimes they wouldn't print at all. Other times, they would only part print, leaving a "blob" which caused the head to snag it on the next pass. I don't even fully understand whats causing this. .Is it the 'retraction'? Would it make sense not to retract on the first layer, after all, any 'strings' which are created would be easy to remove? If so, is there a plugin which will allow no retraction on the first layer? Or am I completely confusing the use of retraction? Jon

Thanks for that.. Works nicely!! It this now a permanent feature? Will it be included (or still work) with future versions?

I have to ask.. I know that you don't like talking dates.. But whats your vision before your first "public" release of PU? Months? Years?? What is your current roadmap and plan??

That would be AWESOME!.. Exactly what I want.

I have a question.. Is Pink Unicorn the name for the "project" or when its released, will it actually be called "PU"? Or will it be "CURA 2" or something like that? Just curious to see what we will be using and talking about in a year from now (a year? is that too optimistic?)

No expectations on any times.. I realise the PU will address this, and the version I played with the other day already had it.. But on the off chance that this is an easy fix and someone has a few cycles to do it, I just live in hope that it will be added to CURA. One thing which bothers me about PU, is that even when its ready, its going to take months, if not years before its fully stable.. So I can see people using it, but having the old CURA in the background to fall back on... Its just a shame that CURA Is lacking some really obvious features, which could be useful before, during and after PU (such as the layer view, Pause button, etc)

I followed that thread with interest, but didn't like the idea of running "unsupported" features.. And since it was written for 14.07 and I am using 14.12, I wasn't sure it can be used.. And in truth, now that I have moved over to my more powerful PC, this isn't as big a problem as it was when I was using my under-spec'd laptop.. And in truth, I can't even remember what the problem was, or why I felt that "suspending" slicing would help. But the layer view would be REALLY helpful.. I don't know about anyone else, but the CURA layer view has its uses and I like the fact that the layers fade away as you move up/down the model.. But for scrutinizing an individual layer its useless. I doesn't seem impossible to me (what do I know?) to simply add a feature to see a single range of (or single) layer. So fingers crossed you could do something... Jon

I did another test last night.. I drew a 'washer' in Sketchup and printed it with different shell thicknesses.. The output was SLIGHTLY different between prints but all within acceptable tolerances.. I do think that the "thin wall" of the Nut Cap I was testing with might not have helped.. But I wonder if in normal operation, just sticking with the same shell size, will be fine. To be honest, I am not seeing any benifit of going with 0.8/1.2 over 1.0.. So I might go back to 1.0, just because its what I am used too...

Yep... A Printrbot.. When i got it, i did some calibration which was to feed a set amount using the GUI amd thrn make adjustments in the firmware. Since then i have been able to print stuff with remarkable accuracy.. For example a 110mm calibration "L" came out at 110.1 each way. I have started to get more confident with Sketchup and have been drawing basic shapes (washers, spacers, etc) and everything prints at approx +-1% accuracy.. Bit now i have trsted with exact multiples of my nozzle size its all gone wrong... Can you clarify your calibration steps? Say i print 100mm, where do i measure.. Going into tge extruder or coming out? And are you suggesting i tweek the "flow rate" in CURA rather than setting thing in the Printers firmware.

This was discussed under another topic, so I created a new post.. Hope thats OK. I have been printing with CURA for a month or so and have found settings that I like.. I am typically using 1.0mm shell but yesturday learned (remembered) that this should be a multiple of my nozzle size. At the time I was printing these: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:394364 And at 1mm, and used "scale" to get a perfect size.. But when I changed to 0.8/1.2mm shell it all went wrong.. All of the dimensions changed and they didn't fit. So today I did a few test and am not even sure what I the issue is... I have printed a few layers of this model, just so that I have a hexagon.. After doing this with various shell thicknesses, the difference is clear. The picture should show the differences between them. When I measured them afterwards, I found the following 0.8mm - Wall: 1.65mm Outer Width: 16.25 Inner Width: 13.0mm 1.0mm - Wall: 1.5mm Outer Width: 16.15 Inner Width: 13.2mm 1.2mm - Wall: 1.75mm Outer Width: 16.4 Inner Width: 12.8mm I then loaded the STL in Sketchup and measured the 'real' dimensions, at it was Wall: 1.3mm Outer Width: 16.00mm Inner Width: 13.00 So my prints with a 1.0mm wall are the closest.. Why are 0.8/1.2mm so far out? Whats going on here?? Does anyone have any ideas? I never imagined that changing wall thickness would have such an effect.. I wonder if this is purely down to the fact that the STL in question has quite a thin wall... Perhaps I need to do a test on something a little larger? I look forwards to any thoughts you have. Jon

Understood.. I am actually using Repetier for this.. When i want to do a 2 colour print, i use a plugin and then "export" the GCODE and print from Repetier which i have to say has a lovely print engine (nice controls. Animated progress and pause). But its a pain to do it this way and it seems such a shame that you cant do this inside CURA.

From the Printing GUi i want a way to pause a print.. Just like you can with other apps, such as Repetier. daid has already stated tht there are some problems with the USB drivers, but this is a shame since it s a really obvious ommision Why do i want this? Well: 1. changing filament colour 2. Changing filament in the event of a jam or it runs out 3. Something on the bed you want to remove 4. You want to put something "inside" a print Imhave played with pause on Repetier and its flawless.. I can pause.. Move the head out from the way and then hit resume with no ill effects... I just wish you could do this in CURA. I did ask whether we could get the old Pronterface UI back, even if it were unsupported but apparantly this isnt going to happen.

With Pink Unicorn on the way, I wonder if there is scope to get any features/changes added to CURA.. My gut feel is that PU is still a long way off, and even when its released, some people might stick with CURA until PU has had change to become "stable" after multiple bug fixes, so I would personally love to see CURA evolve further. So I just wondered if there was scope to have any small features/changes added to CURA and wanted to start a 'wish list'. Thats all it is.. A "wish list".. If it can't be done then fine.. But if Daid has some free time, perhaps he might have it in him to think about adding some of these, just to make CURA better than it is... So let me start:. 1. Disable Auto Slicing (Joke) - Although it is still a 'wish' for many users, including myself. 2. Pause Button - I know we have talked about this and there are some problems, but its still something I REALLY want. 3. Individual Layer View - Just a way to see one layer, rather than the whole thig. I hope that this doesn't offend anyone (Daid).. I am just suggesting things that I would LIKE to see, IF possible. Jon

Well.. Changing my wall thickness has taken me a step back. I generally print 1mm for everything and my prints have been fine.. When I use a "brim" it snaps right off. But based on this discussion I did a test with 1.2mm and the results surprised me.. The brim was impossible to remove.. But the bigger shock was that my dimensions changed. I was printing some M8 (8mm) Bolt Caps. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:394364 . And with 1mm wall I had the opening size spot on so that it fitted the head.... But when I changed to 1.2mm, the opening was MUCH smaller.. I measured the 'wall' of the CAP, and it was 0.5mm thicker than when I print at 1mm.. So then I tried at 0.8mm and had the same results.. 1.2mm and 0.8mm give me a MUCH thicker wall than 1.0mm. And this is the bit I don't understand.. I thought the EXTERNAL dimensions of a model are defined in the STL file.. So in this case, even though there is a 'wall' its got an inside and outside. And I would have assumed that changing the wall thickness in CURA would not have affected the finished model. I can't really work out or understand what I am seeing to be honest.. And have taken a step back... Does what I said make sense? Can it be explained? Jon

Cheers.. Its good to know.. I remember reading at the start that the setting should by multiplesf the nozzl ize and completely forgot/overlooked this.. I will maoe changes to ky default config.. Cheets.

How important is this? My nozzle is 0.4mm and i have been printing walls at 1.0mm with no apparant problems... Should i stick with 0.8 and 1.2mm?

Sorry Daid.. 2 steps forwards.. 1 back.. Now tye "Double Click" loading is broken again. You can open CURA and load the FIRST model with a double click... But you cant open a 2nd.. So its now worse than 14.09 as you could open 2 files in that version.