GregValiant

@PlasticFantastic You wouldn't happen to have "Remove all holes" enabled would ya'?

There was a problem with early Creality 4.2.x boards where the firmware for the mainboard didn't talk to the display correctly. In those cases any Gcode command that sent a message to the LCD Screen (M0, M117, M600, etc.) was simply ignored. You can try this WORKAROUND. There is also a workaround using the G4 Dwell command in the "Gcode before Pause" box. G4 S300 would "dwell" the printer for exactly 300 seconds (5 minutes) and then the printer automatically resumes. That is the problem with using G4. It can't be adjusted on the fly and the printer will always pause for "S" seconds with no way to make it shorter, or to extend it if needed.

I don't believe you can. It appears that Cura always puts that base down under the support structure. It is affected by the line directions and density but it doesn't appear you can turn it off. Does it matter? It's going to be discarded anyway.

Hello @Newtron. You will notice that the Bridge Settings are in the Experimental section, and yes, they are still being tweaked. There are certain rules to using the bridge settings. A couple of them are: If you are printing over support then bridge settings are generally not required. If your feature is a "balcony" cantilevered off the model then you can't use bridging as there is no far-side buttress to adhere to. If the feature has a radius/curve along one edge then you likely cannot use bridging. The bridge settings come in handy when you need them, But they aren't something that is always required or advisable.

Hello @Electricfuse. Load the model and set Cura up to slice. Then use the "File /Save Project" command and post the 3mf file here. With top/bottom layers set to 2 and infill density at 10 % you should get what you want. Sometimes the part geometry gets in the way.

Maybe. It depends on the geometry of the part around where you want to change speeds. One of the settings for a support blocker is Print Speed. You can put a support blocker over the threads, set the Per Model setting to "Modify Overlaps", set it to a "Cutting Mesh" and select Print Speed. Set the speed to what you want for the threads. If you have different speeds for Walls, Top/Bottom, whatever, then you might have to add additional settings. There will be a difference if the hole is vertical or horizontal. Lines that start outside the support blocker will start with the standard print speed. Lines that start within the support blocker will be at whatever you set it to. Cura will not split a line at the support blocker interface. For myself I'd let it print fast and run a tap through it. If I had several holes to do I'd get these BRASS INSERTS. They go in with a soldering iron and are the ritz for small threads in plastic parts. For this particular model I spliced two files together. The gold body was a 0.2 layer height and the 15mm male threads were at .1 layer height. The brass inserts here are 10-24 (M4 for most folks). Another option (if you have room) is to design a hex pocket and then pause the print and drop in a nut. You have to leave room for the extra length of the screw to pass through.

I can explain a bit and maybe you will get a better idea of what to look at. When you pause directly on the printer the firmware handles everything. It is similar to running a macro in Excel or Word in that the button click calls an internal script. When using the "Filament Change" plugin in Cura, Cura writes a line like: M600 E30.00 U300.00 X0.00 Y0.00 Z5.00 ; Generated by FilamentChange plugin There is no other code added so in that case the printer handles the command including the restart Z height. When you pause using Cura's Pause at Height plugin the "script" is written by the plugin so in that case everything is in the gcode. Here is an example: ;current layer: 25 M83 ; switch to relative E values for any needed retraction G1 F300 Z6.2 ; move up a millimeter to get out of the way G1 F9000 X10 Y10 G1 F300 Z15 ; too close to bed--move to at least 15mm M104 S210 ; standby temperature M18 S14400 ; Set the disarm timeout M300 M0 ; Do the actual pause M109 S210 ; resume temperature G1 F300 Z5.2 G1 F9000 X126.5 Y103.5 G1 F300 Z5.2 ; move back down to resume height G1 F3111.3 ; restore extrusion feedrate M82 ; switch back to absolute E values G92 E552.26167 So if there is an error when you Pause using the LCD then it's a firmware issue. If there is an error when using the Filament Change plugin it is probably either your settings or the firmware that is at fault. If there is an error using Pause At Height it might be the result of a known glitch that occurs when using it "By Height" and there are Z-Hops in the file (or sometimes when using Adaptive Layers). When using "By Layer" I have never had a problem on my older Ender 3 Pro and I use Pause at Height a lot. Speaking just about Pause at Height - what do you use for the actual pause command?

@darkdvd you get the "Longest Link Ever" award. 🖖

That's how the model is made. You need to shorten the model so the angled top doesn't print. If the bottom is flat and if you can print the part upside down then: Flip the model over. Select "Preferences / Configure Cura" and deselect the "Automatically drop models to the build plate" option. Set the Z location of the model to negative 1.0 or whatever is required so that the first layer is that low area in the middle of the model. The rest of the model will be below the build plate and will be ignored. If the bottom isn't flat or if you can't print it upside down then it's a bit more work. Bring in a support blocker. Scale it in the X and Y so it is bigger than the model and then move it so the entire model is within the support blocker. Scale the Z to about 3mm In Cura set your Initial Layer Height and your Layer Height to 0.1mm. Slice the model. In the Cura preview, find out what layer coincides with that lowest point in the middle of the part. Multiply the layer number by the layer height of 0.1. Set the Z of your support blocker to that calculated number and then set your layer heights back to what you want for actual printing. Click on the support blocker and select the Per Model tool that is right above the support blocker tool. Select "Modify Settings for Overlaps" and then select "Cutting Mesh". The Per Model settings and values will be: Wall Count = 0, Top Layers = 0, Bottom Layers = 0, Infill Density = 0%. Slice the model again. Those raised areas should be ignored because of the support blocker which is now a "Modifier Mesh".

Cura calculates the E numbers of the gcode by knowing the Filament Diameter and the Line Width*Layer Height*ExtrusionLength of any particular extrusion. When the ratio of "Volume of Filament In = Volume of Extrusion Out" then your Flow is 100%. But the first layer is often something other than "Layer Height" tall because the leveling process is involved. How are you leveling the bed? Kicking up the flow should cause the lines to get welded together as you would expect. I run my "Initial Layer Flow" at 105% because that works well with the way I level with my piece of parchment paper. I could add a Z offset, but it just doesn't matter. One or the other will work. Depending on the printer (which would be good to know) it could be a question of calibrating the E-Steps as well. Back to tuning the flow for just the first layer...While printing that first layer you can "Tune" the flow from the LCD. Let about 12mm print and then move the flow up 5%. Keep doing that until you get a nice flat finish of the extrusions. If you end up at 120 or 130% you will really need to look at other factors like a Z offset or the E-steps.

You will have to set it up as a "Custom FFF" printer in Cura. After you have installed it you can make any changes you need by going to "Manage Printers" and then "Machine Settings". Deepending on how old it is it might be an "Origin at Center" machine. Nowadays that is mostly used for Delta printers. The rest of the settings (build plate size, print head dimensions) you can measure off the machine. The main thing is to get the "Gcode Flavor" correct. I came across THIS PAGE that appears to be bad news. I'll let you decide. There is also THIS PDF that is the user manual.

This is with all print speeds at 75 except the outer-wall speed which was 50 (for finish look) on my cheesy printer. Bouncing the speeds (and/or line widths) up and down causes the flow rate to constantly change. As @gr5 says, that is never a good thing. What appear to be some swirlies in this image are actually lighting effects from the lamp I had too close. You can see the marks at the triangles that @MariMakes was talking about. I didn't try to do anything about those. The print is with some moist PLA that I keep around for these sorts of tests.

What printer is that? The ""machine_max_feedrate_e" is often called out in the printer definition file. If you attempt to put in a retraction speed higher than the defined max E speed then (as you have found out) Cura won't slice. In the MarketPlace is a plugin called "Printer Settings". Install it and many of those "other" settings will become available to you. You can increase the "Max E" within the Printer Settings and Cura will allow higher numbers in the retraction speed settings. But that doesn't mean the printer will react to them. Within the printer the Max Feedrates are stored in M203 and the Max Acceleration settings are stored in M201. Cura doesn't know what those Maxes are and so depends on the values in the printer definition file to tell it when a user has entered an invalid value. You could configure Cura to allow for a Max E Speed of 200 but when the printer sees that it will limit the speed to whatever the value is in M203. For a reference I have a regular bowden setup on my Ender 3 Pro. I run the retract and prime speeds at 35mm/sec for PLA. I sent an M203 E50 to my printer so it would actually hit my 35mm/sec setting in the gcodes. There was a poster here who had their retract distance set to 7mm and a retract/prime speed of 1mm/sec. Every retraction was a 14 second hit to his print time. Let us know what printer that is because occasionally there will be an error in the definition file (which are submitted by members of the Cura Community, or by the printer manufacturers).

If the models are positioned exactly wall-to-wall, and if your machine is calibrated correctly, then the parts should remain separate. Both outside surfaces end exactly at a plane and there should be no cross-over from one side of that plane to the other. Maybe you could try using "Outer Wall Inset" (set to a negative number) or "Horizontal Expansion" (as a positive number). It is likely that the end size of the model would be effected. If there is some overlap between the models then there will be "double extrusion" in the overlap volume as both nozzle will want to extrude within the overlap volume. Looking at the preview it appears that you have some Per Model settings that are different from one block to the other. If the two blocks were to fit together (small mortise joints or something) then they would have a better chance of adhering.

In the Experimental section see if you have "Wipe Nozzle Between Layers" enabled. Another setting that can give that behavior is in the Cooling section called "Lift Head".

I can't suggest any videos that might help. One of the problems is that all models require something slightly different. Here are a couple of thoughts. The maximum overhang that can print at .2 layer height and .4 line width is 62°. That means if you set the "Support Overhang Angle" at 55° to 60° you should be OK for most situations. Not all models are suitable to be supported with "Normal" supports. Not all models are suitable to be supported with "Tree" supports. It isn't always obvious where the support blocker should go. Generally it should cover the "red" that indicates an overhang, but a support can grow and look like it isn't supporting anything. There will be something up there though. If you use Lines, Grid or ZigZag as the support infill then you can enable the "Connect Support Lines" option. That can make for a lot less retractions within the support. In the Material settings - if you set the Support Flow and the Support Interface Flow to 85 to 90% the supports will be weaker. You will need to experiment to find what percentage works best for you. Weak supports can be easier to remove. In most cases you will want to insure that the Support Interface goes down with the Layer Cooling blower on 100%. If you are printing a material that is prone to warping then you should consider going in and hand coding some M106 S255 lines into the gcode. You can turn the blower up high for the interfaces and then dial it back down when the nozzle moves to another feature. The effect will be that the "roof" going on top of the interface won't stick so well. A set of "pics", needle nose pliers, a hobby knife, and micro-files come in handy for removing supports. I keep band-aids handy as well. The knives are sharp and can slip. There are about 73 settings in the support section. Add in those two Flow settings and you have a nice even 75 settings. It takes a bit to figure out how to configure those settings to work together to do what you need. Just keep making changes and slicing to see how it looks. I almost always block supports from horizontal holes that are under about 20mm. They always close up fine without needing help. That's the sort of thing you pick up after a bit.

@SandervG Good luck on your next endeavor. @MariMakes - a belated welcome. This is just a suggestion, but I think that you should lose the photo-shopped beard and print yourself a decent one. It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, an irate poster shows up here. A thick skin, and a sense of humor can be invaluable. When all else fails you may need a good disguise.

I print on the Creality glass surface and use the textured side. I clean it often with soapy water and then IPA. For PETG I always use hair spray (Aquanet Super Hold) but I don't recall having an issue with the initial layer adhesion using the GITD filament. I always run my first layer at 105% flow but that isn't much over normal. Maybe you need to revisit your E-step calibration for the GITD filaments? Going to 220° is kind of extreme for PLA. Drop that back down to your normal print temperature. Making a lot of changes at once isn't good. If you have problems with layer adhesion on the upper layers then you might consider raising the printing temperature but for the initial layer - 50 to 60 on the bed and your normal print temp for the hot end should be fine. I think it's going to be either a "just don't want to stick" thing that will require some adhesion promoter, or the under-extrusion you mentioned is coming into play. In that case and kicking up the flow by tuning it during a print may give you a better handle on what's going on. Skins are good flow indicators. If you bring in a calibration cube and scale it to near MaxX and MaxY and 1mm thick and then tune the flow every 12mm or so of skin you may find a sweet spot.

What problems are you having? I don't print a lot with it but my regular PLA settings seem to work fine. (I use a 0.4 nozzle.)

Depending on how you or Meshmixer left the edges they could be open. If they are then your model is not watertight and won't slice or print correctly. You can use the Mesh Tools plugin from the Marketplace to check your models.

It's a setting under General.

Hello to both of you. The "Remove All Holes" setting will not affect the outside of a model. On the other hand, "Make Overhangs Printable" will definitely affect the outside of a model. So enable "Remove All Holes" and make sure "Make Overhangs Printable" is disabled. Your model has some errors and some of those errors could also be what is affecting the outside of the model. This is from https://formware.co/OnlineStlRepair --> 1 Non-manifold edges (?) --> 2 Inverted faces (?) --> 18 Degenerate faces (?) -> Vertex count changed from 10819 to 9852 (-967) -> Triangle count changed from 21628 to 19700 (-1928)

This is for Windows. I would suppose other versions would be similar. The Creality machines have nozzles that are "variants". The nozzle files are in: C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 5.1.0\share\cura\resources\variants Open the "creality_ender3_0.8.inst.cfg" file in a text editor. Do a SaveAs using the same naming format but with your nozzle size. This example is for a 0.15 nozzle. You will put the new file into: "...\Users\..........\AppData\Roaming\cura\5.10\variants" SaveAs: creality_ender3_0.15.inst.cfg Then change the "bold" info below to your real numbers: [general] name = 0.15mm Nozzle version = 4 definition = creality_ender3 [metadata] setting_version = 19 type = variant hardware_type = nozzle [values] machine_nozzle_size = 0.15 Save the file and then start (or restart) Cura. I don't know if that is the approved method but it should work and the new nozzle should appear in the drop down list.

There are a lot of settings. It takes time to really learn the software and how the settings can affect one another and about all the customization possibilities. I'm not sure how much time it takes...I just know I'm not there yet.

You can't print over air. Portions of a model that are less than about 30° from horizontal need support to print on. Usually, that support is the same material as the print and so it can become welded to the print and requires later post-processing to get rid of the support and to finish the surface of the model where the support was attached. If you have a dual extruder printer then you can load a different material into one of the extruder/hot ends. That "support material" won't stick nearly as well and is much easier to remove. If you were to use PVA - it is water soluble and a good soak will get it off but as @gr5 points out it is fussy to keep in printable condition. If you you print a model with say PETG and the support material is also PETG then you will need to invest in a hobby knife (Exacto knife), a set of pics, and a good pair of needle nose pliers, to poke and prod and pull at the support to divorce it from the model. A set of micro-files will help you to clean up the model. Here you can see the support is cyan colored. On the right the Support Interface is a darker blue. The center support is there for the roof of a blind hole and is tough to get out. Here is my tool set. Not shown are the band-aids for use when the knife slips. Also not shown is the extensive list of dual-purpose swear words for when either the knife slips or I accidentally cut off part of the model instead of the support.