Wisar

I am not sure how to do this on Windows but on OSX you can go into the application and move the USB Printing plugin out of the plugins directory. I will probably script things so that I can start Cura with it or without it but have not gotten around to it yet. Open applications in Finder. Explore the Cura package, the drill into Contents, Resources, Plugins, Plugins. BTW, this did get me a couple of times and if I am not mistaken you can write a bit of code to see if a resource like a USB port has been allocated to another process before you grab it yourself!

That makes sense. I know that I am dreaming here but a relative or absolute path option would be a REALLY nice thing for those of us that do not have the need to share a project. I suspect that we are a sizeable part of the community. Does the 3MF format retain the name of the source file as documentation or is there a user extensible attribute that could be used for said file name/pointer? Could you then not offer a refresh option that would be very useful during a models development process and for us tiny little garage or man cave manufactories?

Hmmmm...not sure why I have not done this before? Good idea. As long as the glass is clean only a minimum of spray stuff is needed :-o

my suspicion is that there's a value threshold that has something do with customs collection and they just don't want to be dealing with the complexity??? Whatever the case customer service should be able to provide some kind of answer! Or an escalation to global shipping program that is responded to quickly (still not heard from them)

The reload is going to be tricky with the workspace saving. There are certain model formats (like 3mf) that can save multiple models and transformations. This makes reloading tricky, as Cura might have changed the orientation. Linking a model to a specific model inside a 3mf is also a bit tricky. I must be missing something but then I only work with STL's. If I am working on one of my models, and the printer is idle, when I come back to the printer with some updated STL's I hit reload and presto ready to print again. Wouldn't the same work for a project? Open the project and it restores the printers state and the list of files that were on the build platform. It then goes to the source of those files and reloads current state. Obviously the user has to inspect things as geometry may have changed but this would be really helpful the way that I work. Without a reload capability a project, or factory in S3D, seems like a bit of a waste of time as the only use that I can see for it is repetitive manufacturing (not the strength of a 3D Printer) or just documentation of settings (helpful but overkill). I must be missing something!

I ended up pulling the listing and resubmitting it to run next week for the UK only. I did not have anything to do with the list of countries...which is indeed an interesting list! I tried getting help from eBay but all they could tell me is that this was the way the system worked...that my item could only be sold to those countries and that I needed to check with customs of the country to which I was trying to sell. To which I replied...really? I can not see a 3D Printer from the UK to countries in the EU? Seriously? Or to the US? So I escalated to a supervisor and got basically the same answer. So I asked for an escalation to the Global Shipping program folks. They have a minimum turn around of two days and I still have not heard from them. So, sorry, but I canceled the listing!

Right now the sales items are setup to use the eBay international shipping option so the answer is yes. If the shipment costs seem too high then let me know and I will see if I can improve on them and I will ship direct.Will

There is not room in the man cave for three printers so I have listed one of my Ultimaker 2+ printers for sale on eBay in the UK. I also have two Olsson Blocks for sale and the enclosure that I used with the above Ultimaker 2+. Enclosure for Ultimaker 2 or 2+ Olsson Block - Plus Heater and Thermistor Olsson Block - Entire Assembly Ultimaker 2+ 3D Printer

A project concept would be awesome...as long as you can reload the models to current state! As I said in the closing...I really like the new Cura. Will have to be hurting S3D revenues.

Deleting the USB plugin keeps me out of trouble...right up to the point were I reinstall Cura or decide I want to do something across the USB cable :-o. Being able to remove supports would indeed help. Has to be a bit of a challenge to have built in all the control that S3D gives. It is the best part of their app given that factories, for me anyway, are brain dead without a reload function.

I just posted some more thoughts on Cura 2.3.1 under the software topic.

I am the happy owner of a new Ultimaker 3 that is now sitting beside my Ultimaker 2+. I think that I may have been the first person in the UK to get a UM3 and because I was so early I needed to use Cura instead of Simplify 3D which I have been using for a couple of years. I have been happy enough with Cura, and frustrated enough with a couple of S3D idiosyncrasies, that I have shelved S3D and been using Cura exclusively for the past month. Here are some observations relative to that experience. Two Things that I miss about Simplify3D The first thing that I really miss is the ability to manually set where support is to be created. This can be a truly useful feature. The second thing is the ability to create a "factory" that remembers the models and print settings that went into doing a particular job. Ironically one of the things that I hate about Simplify3D is the lack of a refresh or reload function for the models that comprise a factory (or models that are on the build platform regardless of being in or out of a factory)! It would be nice if Cura remembered everything about a job, from what files, to what settings, but I would be happy if it just remembered the list of files. I do a lot of iterating when doing a design and since I design kits of multiple parts Cura can be cumbersome. More on the multiple parts issue below. Things that I Really Like about Cura 2.3.1 I have not used Cura for a couple of years so the changes from what I remember to now are enormous and I am not at all sure what features are new versus been around for a while. One of the things that I like has been alluded to above already and that is the update model facility. The other, and bigger, feature is the quality of the profiles that come with Cura now. For the range of nozzle sizes and material types these profiles can not be beaten for getting a leg up on quality. Finally, I like the cost of Cura! Things that I would Change about Cura 2.3.1 As I mentioned above, I would like to see a "factory" like concept added. Initially this could just be to remember the models loaded but remembering the rest of the settings for a job would be great, as would the ability to manually control support placement. As the latter is probably a lot more of a challenge I would recommend that the first be attacked soon! My other major gripe about Cura relates to the USB driver. Why does it do a destructive poll of printers when it starts??? I have deleted the USB driver from the Cura directory structure to prevent this behavior but I do not think that I should have to do so! The last thing that would make my life easier is to have a little bit larger of a bounding box around the models that are on the build platform. This might be peculiar to the way that I work but it can be hard to grab small parts to move them around! Possible Bug in Cura 2.3.1 There seems to be a circumstance where the slicer looses the ability to reset model positions on the build platform. I have not been able to isolate when this happens but when it does the only solution is to quit and restart. There are some other things about using profiles that I think may be issues but I have not been able to isolate an issue to be able to describe said issue! Conclusion I really like the new Cura! I have not printed anything using S3D on either of my two printers since I took delivery of the UM3.

[CORRECTION] I thought that the appropriate line could be found by looking for the following: "resolve": "'raft' if 'raft' in extruderValues('adhesion_type') But when I updated this line to the following it made no difference: "resolve": "'raft' if 'raft' in extruderValues('adhesion_type') else ('skirt' if ‘skirt’ in extruderValues('adhesion_type') else ‘brim’)”, Thanks to @tomnagel for the file name pointer but has anyone made this stick?!

I am not sure what you mean by plotting? Here is how I use my selection of nozzles: .25mm - Smallish models where I often have details smaller than the extrusion width of the standard .4mm nozzle. I do models in 1:100 and 1:160 scale and the nozzle makes a big difference .6mm - Larger pieces, or things without a lot of detail, will have this nozzle on the printer. Pieces where there are a lot of vertical walls or where I do not care about layering look. I also use it for draft prints to check general fit .8mm - Usually just for draft prints where speed is everything. Here are a couple of articles on the topic: Resolution Impact Impact of Nozzle Size

I am very impressed with the default profiles. They really do seem to be well done. With the exception of brim of course!

I just wrote a reasonably long and at least somewhat coherent response to the above questions and then lost it when I tried to post with a dark and foreboding error message! In any case, here are the shorter answers. RFID just doesn't buy me any advantage though it might for someone with a more production orientation, more than one printer, and a standard for use of Ultimaker Filament. Adoption by other suppliers would help with the latter but my RFID reader is in the drawer for now. I also like side feeding so there is a logistical reason as well. On Cura...I bought S3D a couple of years ago and had not looked at Cura again until i got the UM3. I am now using Cura and S3D is in the drawer. I like access to all the setting, the profile manager, the ability to reload models on the build platform, and most of all the quality of the profiles that ship with Cura for the Ultimakers. I am still hoping that evolution of the UM2 firmware will allow temperature setting like for the UM3 without needing to use the plugin to override the machine setting. The only feature that I would go back to S3D for is the ability to manually place support. The feature that could be killer with S3D is their factory concept if it were not brain dead when it comes to the ability to reload models. I iterate designs a couple of times and having to reload everything is a real pain. My pet peeve with Cura at the moment is the default setting of brim for platform adhesion. I assume the protected profiles are out there somewhere and could be modified? I guess I could clone each of the protect profiles turning that feature off ... then I would just have to remember to use the clone :-o

Some more impressions on the UM3. First, a negative. Not sure at all about the RFID stuff. It seems like it should be an add-on that folks that would need it could buy as opposed to a standard fitting. I know the logistics of this are impractical but it seems like something that would only apply to a large production environment...that only uses Ultimaker filament ... unless or until other suppliers adopt the idea? Second, a positive but about the new Cura. Really big improvements there. Still some rough edges but I have shelved my copy of S3D for now in favour of Cura. Finally, as time allows I have been doing some test prints with different materials on the UM3 and then also on one of my older UM2+ (UM2 with the upgrade).[print=7397][/print] This is a picture of a 20 quid per Kg PLA printed on the UM3. It is pretty close to perfect. I also have done Ultimaker PLA, CPE, and Colorfabb NGEN all with good results though not as perfect as either of the PLAs in the latter cases. All with the default profiles from Cura. I am not looking for the UM3 to be better than the UM2+ but it is brand new and the UM2+ can probably use a tuneup. The above picture is from the Image Gallery here but the bulk of the pictures are on my blog here.

I have never liked glue sticks. My sticking agent of choice has been hair spray (Loreal Elnett Satin as they are not all created equally) or more recently 3DLAC which is basically the same thing but you know it will work. I have an extra glass that I keep ready as spraying inside the printer leads to a bit of a buildup (though it does cleanup well). It also works for most materials though not always with ABS where the only thing that works 100% for me is Klapton tape. But sticking is a whole 'nuther topic!

Well then...thanks for the pointer. Don't I feel stupid! Have no excuse for not finding it there myself. Just moved the USB plugin out of that directory and no more issue. Can easily move it back when I am done tinkering (unlikely) or need to update firmware (even more unlikely as I run a slightly modified version of Tinker and load it from the Arduino IDE)! I have a UM2 and a UM3. The UM2 hosts a laser from JTechPhotonics and very soon the plan is for it to also become a CNC Drill Press for putting holes in the circuit boards the laser etches. It also does 3D Printing of course!

The printer in question doubles as a laser embosser / cutter and needs to be online for significant periods of time...I am actually more willing to disable the USB functionality on the Cura side but have not found the location of the plugins on OSX. Nor do I know if I can simply whack that particular plugin!

Can Cura be asked to NOT poll printers on the USB bus when it is started? It looks like this could be done by deleting the USB Plugin but then I would not be able to upgrade the firmware on the printer. It is very irritating to have a print that is running from an SD card interrupted just because I have the audacity to launch Cura! Thanks, Will

Love, love, love Tinker! Highly recommend it and can't believe that I had not installed it until recently. Preheat and move on the front panel are worth the time to upgrade on their own. My only complaint, and this is really a question not a complaint, is that while I can find the firmware for Tinker, and have downloaded it, I have not been able to find the configuration files that are specific to a UM2+. I have hacked a printer to host a laser and want to stop the fan boost and have had to roll back to the stock firmware to do so! :-( WIsar

I was looking for this as well and may NEVER have found it. Thanks for sharing.