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GregValiant

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  1. GregValiant's post in Progressively reduced speed for thin and tall print was marked as the answer   
    Go to "Extensions / Post Processing / Modify Gcode" and then "Add a Script".
  2. GregValiant's post in WORKAROUNDS was marked as the answer   
    Yes there are several.  On Jan 23 @CasperLamboo responded HERE  on Github in response to one of the bug reports.  It would appear that the problem with "initial_extruder_nr" might have been addressed for 5.7.
  3. GregValiant's post in How to start supports not from build plate was marked as the answer   
    You need two models.
     
    Leave a cavity in your model where you want the "filter" to be.
    Design a cylinder to exactly fit in the cavity.  This will be the filter element.
    Bring both models into Cura and move the "filter element" model so it is exactly in position.
    With the Filter Element active, in the "Per Model" settings choose Wall Count = 0, Top Layers = 0, Bottom layers = 0, Infill Pattern = gyroid, Infill Density = 15% (or whatever you like).

     
  4. GregValiant's post in More skirt than needed? was marked as the answer   
    You will need to switch to "Custom" settings and unhide all the settings.
    "Skirt Height" is under the "Bed Adhesion" settings.  Set it to "1".
    I find it annoying that when the feature was added the default was made "3".
  5. GregValiant's post in Extruder motor stops after first layer was marked as the answer   
    If "Ironing" is turned on and the settings are for something like a 0.1 line width at 10% flow then it will look as if the extruder has stopped because it is turning so slowly.  That would pretty much effect Top Skins only. If the Hot End Temperature falls below some number (usually around 170° to 175°) the extruder will stop turning to avoid cold extrusions.  At the end of "LAYER:0" in the gcode there might be an M104 line that is supposed to change the printer from "Initial Layer Print Temperature" to "Print Temperature".  If that line is wrong or is mis-understood by the printer, then the hot end could shut down and extrusion would stop. Other than those two situations:  if there is an E parameter in a movement line (G1, 2, 3) in the gcode, the extruder should move to push or pull that much material.
     
  6. GregValiant's post in How to get the generated g-code file while designing plugin was marked as the answer   
    "Display Info on LCD" will be included in the next release of Cura.  Adding the M118 line as:
    ;LAYER:0
    M106 S0
    M117 1/37 | ET 2h 6m
    M118 1/37 | ET 2h 6m
    Is one of the things it will do.
     
    Unzip the file and place the "DisplayInfoOnLCD.py" file into your Configuration Folder and the "scripts" sub-folder.  It will be available with the other post processors.
     
    DisplayInfoOnLCD.zip
  7. GregValiant's post in Failed Print at known specific layer. was marked as the answer   
    As Slashee points out, continuing an interrupted print isn't easy.  It can be done, but it requires some practice and you don't have time to practice.
    Because of inaccuracies in the End Stop switches, if you have to home any axis it likely won't "0" in the exact same position.  That isn't too bad for the Z as you might get one layer that is too thick or too thin (under or over-extruded).  When re-homing the X-Y you can get layer shifts and they can be up to 0.5mm.
    IF THE BED HAS COOLED and some pieces have broken loose you have to start over.
     
    This file will print on top of what you already have down.  Open it in Notepad and take a look at the "Transition" code.  It moves the Z to 2.4 and syncs the extruder location to where it needs to be to resume.  Start with the color of the letters as there is no pause in this.
    You need to make a decision whether to try to save the print, or cut your losses.
    GV_Puzzle with removed bottom..gcode
     
     
  8. GregValiant's post in How to calibrate the E-steps on a replicator 2 ? was marked as the answer   
    Functionally there is no difference between changing the E-steps and adjusting the Flow %.  The end result is the same in both methods.
    100% of 140 steps = 1mm of filament
    144% of 97 steps = 1mm of filament
    I understand your desire to "do it right".
     
    As far as workarounds go, adjusting the flow isn't too bad at all.  Getting good prints is what it's all about and if a flow adjustment allows you to do that, then it's all good.
  9. GregValiant's post in Cura 5.6.0 sliccing a 50 kB model into 20 MB, printing garbled garbage on CR-10s was marked as the answer   
    Your printer settings are for a 0.2 nozzle at 0.2 line width and 0.12 layer height.  That will make it a 16 hour print and a 19mb gcode file 613,000 lines long.
    If you are printing that with a 0.4 nozzle installed in the printer then it will be severely under-extruded.
    With a regular 0.4 nozzle, 0.4 line width, and 0.2 layer height it's a 5hr print time and an 11mb file of 352,000 lines.  Big difference there.
     
    It's a simple model.  I'd go with a 0.6 nozzle at 0.3 layer height and 75mm/sec.  That knocks the print time down to 3 hours.  You can push a 0.4 nozzle to .6 line width but it would be better to have a .6 nozzle installed in the printer.
     
     
  10. GregValiant's post in Understanding flow settings was marked as the answer   
    The "Flow Rate" is what is entered into the setting boxes of the material section in Cura.  It is not cumulative but rather an over-ride.  If you have the default flow of a material set to 98% and you enter 100% into the Material Settings flow boxes, the flow will be 100%.
    If you right click on a setting box in the material settings you can select "Use value from Material".  You have to look closely.  If a setting has been over-ridden then the font of the setting changes to "regular".  If the setting is still linked to (in this case) the material then the font of the setting will be "italic" and the "circle arrow" should be there.
    If you install AHoeben's "Material Settings" plugin from the Marketplace you can add additional settings in "Manage Material / Print Settings".

     
    "...no special setting for shrinkage of annealed parts..."
    So, how are you annealing the prints?  I ask because this has come up before and I've written a post-processor to do a timed cool-down of the bed and/or build volume.  It will even move the print head out of the way so you can put a cover over the print (deluxe!).  I haven't posted it so it's just sitting here.  If you think it is something you could use I'll post it.
     
     
  11. GregValiant's post in Materials not showing for Creality Ender 3 V2 was marked as the answer   
    Within your base printer definition file is a section called "exclude materials".  You can open it in a text editor and delete the lines of the materials you don't want excluded.  You might have to open and save the file in Administrator Mode.
    Go to "C:\Program Files\UltiMaker Cura 5.6.0\share\cura\resources\definitions" and open "Creality_base.def.json".  The lines look like this:
    "exclude materials":
    .....
    "generic_pva",
    "generic_tough_pla",
    "imade3d_petg_green",
    Be careful with the punctuation.  Each line must end with a comma.  The last line in a section must be without a comma.
  12. GregValiant's post in new setting idea was marked as the answer   
    It's a post-processor so you'd have to add it from the list.  That's what it does though.
    If you stick this into the "scripts" folder in your "Configuration Folder" it will be available with the other post-processing scripts.
    (and yes, it will be in 5.7)
    LimitXYAccelJerk.zip
    If you have any problems or suggestions regarding it, now would be a good time to let me know.
  13. GregValiant's post in How exactly do you print a TempTower? was marked as the answer   
    In regards to cooling I'd say that if you typically print the material with cooling then the temp tower should be with cooling.  The fans (and you have serious fans) are going to effect the hot end temperature.
    It's hard to tell in those images but it appears there may be some under-extrusion going on.
  14. GregValiant's post in 3D Printed Robot Help was marked as the answer   
    PLA is easy to print, very brittle, and doesn't hold up to hot environments very well (or at all).
    PETG, ABS, or a couple of more exotic choices up to carbon-fiber filled nylon are possibilities.  Some are very difficult to print without a heated build chamber and a filament drier.
     
    Let the physical size of the parts determine nozzle size and layer height.  The small parts should be fine with a 0.4 nozzle while the larger ones will print faster with a 0.6 or even a 0.8.  The grain of the print will be coarser.
     
    You might want to print some parts in PLA just to see how it goes.  It's the cheapest and you can check how parts fit together before committing to print them with anything more exotic.
     
    You can get "heat set" push in inserts from Amazon or McMaster-Carr.  They are handy-dandy little gizmos.  I have a small electronics Weller soldering iron.  I've made a couple of custom tips for it for pushing the inserts in.  McMaster has drawings of the holes that each insert would require.  Some are tapered holes.  If the holes are too small the insert can push molten plastic in front of it during installation.  That requires some cleanup.  If the holes are too big then the inserts don't grip as well.  They aren't really fussy, but you have to pay attention.
  15. GregValiant's post in Support layers missing when interface is enabled was marked as the answer   
    Sorry Slashee.  I don't think anything will help make this less confusing.
     
    Cura won't build support on a support interface so yes, the "Interface" Horizontal Expansion needs to be less than the regular Support Horizontal Expansion.
    How much less depends on the Support Wall Line Count (coupled with the XY distance).
    With the Support Wall Line Count at "1" the Interface Horizontal Expansion can be 1 line width less than the Support HE.  If you happen to have Support Wall Line Count at "0" then the Interface HE needs to be 3 line widths less.
     
    In that project, the Support HE is 2.0 and the Support Wall Count is 0 so the Interface HE needs to be 0.8mm ("3 * Line Width" less than the Support HE).  That will provide supports for the supports.
     

     
  16. GregValiant's post in How do modify start up gcode was marked as the answer   
    Cura adds the temperature prepend lines before the startup gcode if there are no "cura keywords" in the startup for the bed and/or hot end.  It's a safety to guard against cold extrusions.
     
    Go to Settings, Printers, Manage Printers, and then Machine Settings.  The startup gcode is in the left text box.
    Add the lines I've added in bold type:
     
    M221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate
    M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0}
    M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0}
    M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0}
    M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0}
    G28 ;Home
     
    That will heat both units simultaneously.
     
    Putting in a "dwell" to slow down the faster heating device can be done but it's not very useful.  When I print PLA with the bed at 50, the hot end and bed finish heating at about the same time.  When I print PETG with the bed at 83 the bed heats a lot slower when it gets over 55 so the bed takes about twice as long to get to the set temperature.  I suppose I could stick a logic line in there.  Something like:
    {"G4 S180" if "PETG" in material_type else ""}
    I just don't see a point to it.  The extra 3 or 4 minutes isn't going to hurt anything.
     
     
  17. GregValiant's post in Weird Z seam phenomenon was marked as the answer   
    Use the "File | Save Project" command and post the 3mf project file and someone will take a look.
    Off the top of my head (which I don't like to do) it appears you might have "Wipe nozzle between layers" enabled (???).
  18. GregValiant's post in Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro no USB connection from Cura 5.6 was marked as the answer   
    There isn't a lot you can do if they won't talk to each other.  USB Printing is a legacy piece of Cura.  It isn't really supported anymore and is rarely updated.  If it works, it works and if it doesn't, then it doesn't.  You may have run into one of the reasons why.  There are thousands of different:  computer, USB port, driver, and firmware combinations.  Trying to get USB printing to work with all of them isn't possible, so no one wants to put the effort into even attempting it.  If Elegoo changed suppliers for the USB port on the mainboard, then it might require different drivers on the computer.
     
    Check the properties of the computer USB ports and see if a port driver has any configured as a Serial Port.  You will probably need the printer connected to check.
    Sometimes an operating system will make the driver installation for a specific port rather than allowing just any port on the computer to work with the printer.  Try plugging the printer in to different USB ports.  You might find one that works.  Cura can take a while for Cura to locate a port and connect to it.
     
    In the Cura Marketplace are two versions of "USB Printing".  By default the original version is enabled.
    Go to the Marketplace and click on the "Gear" icon.  Scroll down and disable "USB Printing".  Then go to the regular "Plugins" tab and scroll down to "USB Printing NG" and install that one.  Quit and restart Cura.
    Sometimes it takes a several minutes for Cura to poll all the possible ports while it looks for the printer port.  Sometimes it just fails.
     
  19. GregValiant's post in Need to disable skirt and adhesion was marked as the answer   
    Turn on the "Custom" settings.  Under "Build Plate Adhesion" will be "Build Plate Adhesion Type".  The options are Skirt, Brim, Raft and None.  When set to "None" you shouldn't get a skirt.
    You can also set the number of laps of a skirt.  The default is 3 laps but you can set that to 1.
  20. GregValiant's post in Longer LK5 hotend and bed turn off at start of print was marked as the answer   
    This is the "UltiMaker" forum and that Gcode was not created with UltiMaker Cura.
    That being said, there are no commands in the gcode that would shut off the hot end or bed prior to the gcode ending and that gcode should print just fine.
    The printer should do nothing without being told.  At the beginning of the Gcode it is told to heat the hot end and bed (the M109 and M190 lines do that).  Then at the very end of the gcode it is told to turn off the hot end and bed (M104 S0 and M140 S0).  There are no commands in between that affect the temperatures.
    Sorry, but this seems to be a problem with the printer.  You haven't used it in a while so open up the mainboard housing and check all the connections.
     
    An UlitMaker Cura file starts like this:
     
    ;FLAVOR:Marlin
    ;TIME:26477
    ;Filament used: 51.777m
    ;Layer height: 0.2
    ;MINX:1.32
    ;MINY:1.422
    ;MINZ:0.2
    ;MAXX:227.279
    ;MAXY:228.578
    ;MAXZ:7.6
    ;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 5.5.0
     
  21. GregValiant's post in 0.06mm layer height with 0.4mm nozzle, 0.1 with 0.25mm was marked as the answer   
    The "minimum_value" might be called out in your definition file.  The "fdmprinter.def.json" file calls out the "minimum_value":
     
    "layer_height":
                        "minimum_value": "0.001",
                        "minimum_value_warning": "0.04",
                        "maximum_value_warning": "0.8 * min(extruderValues('machine_nozzle_size'))",
     
    So if there are no changes called out in your definition file "overrides" then you should be able to do as slashee says and simply make a change to the layer height.  You probably need to be in "Custom" to do that.
    (At 1000 layers / mm it will take a few minutes to slice a Mandalorian helmet.)
     
  22. GregValiant's post in How to deal with Post-processing script "Retract Continue" was marked as the answer   
    This is another of my re-writes that is waiting in line for approval.
    The Retract Continue included with Cura doesn't work if you are using Z-hops.  This one does.  (That was the only change I made.)
    RetractContinue.zip
    If you intend to use Z-hops you should use the new version.  In Cura use the "Help | Show configuration folder" command.  Within the config folder will be a "scripts" folder.
    Unzip the file and copy RetractContinue.py into that "scripts" folder.
    Next...
    Go to the Cura installation folder and navigate to "C:\Program Files\UltiMaker Cura 5.5.0\share\cura\plugins\PostProcessingPlugin\scripts" and rename the stock RetractContinue.py file to RetractContinue.OBS" so Cura will ignore it.  When you restart Cura the new version will be available.
     
    This snippet is a combing move around a circle and is an example of what you will see from the script.  For this example retraction distance was set to 5mm.  The "mm of filament/mm of distance" was 0.05.  That seems to be too much for this particular print

    G1 X182.69 Y190.89 E1736.58285 >>>>last extrusion
    G0 F7200 X182.595 Y190.86 >>>>>wipe
    G1 F2700 E1731.58285 >>>>> retract 5mm (per the retraction setting)
    G1 F7200 X182.503 Y191.143 Z7.80 E1731.56797
    G1 X184.368 Y191.880 Z7.80 E1731.46770
    .....47 more moves all with a bit more retraction
    G1 X116.694 Y191.902 Z7.80 E1720.22590
    G1 X116.788 Y192.186 Z7.80 E1720.21095 >>> the Retract Continue script adds an additional retraction of 11.37mm
    G1 F2700 E1736.58285
     
    For that example a setting of .05mm of filament / 1mm of distance is too much.  That would draw molten filament up into the heat break of my printer.  Not good.  Setting it to .025 results in a total retraction of about 10.7mm which might be doable.  I'd probably go with 0.015 which results in a total retraction of 8.5mm.  Definitely much better for my printer.
    I print a lot of PETG and I've settled on 235° which seems to be a decent balance between the stringing problem and good layer adhesion.
  23. GregValiant's post in Ultimaker 3 print head pauses after core switch was marked as the answer   
    "I thought that the temperature was adjusted to the correct level while the opposite core was finishing its layer"
     
    It does work that way but it's dependent on "Heat Up Speed" and "Cool Down Speed" which are not exactly consistent (they are affected by a lot of things including flow-rate of material through the nozzle).  There is also the question of how long the layer takes to print.  For quick layers there may not be enough time for the temp to adjust before the next tool change.  The M109 is a safety to insure that the printing temperature is reached.
     
    As a side note - A change I made in the PauseAtHeight plugin was to add an option to use either M109 or M104 when the print resumes.  If the "Standby" temperature is the same as the "Printing Temperature" then M104 is fine and the print immediately continues after the pause.  If the temperatures are different, then the use of M109 is indicated so the printer waits for the new temperature to be achieved before printing resumes.
     
    One thing I have noticed is that if the current nozzle temperature is the same as the resume temperature then M109 may or may not cause a 10 second dwell in the print.  It appears to be a function of when the M109 appeared in the Printer/Planner queue as to whether a dwell occurs or not.  It might have something to do with the clock cycle of the Printer/Planner or whether the reported temperature is slightly above or slightly below the set point temperature.  It certainly isn't consistent.
  24. GregValiant's post in Possible bug with support blocker/cutting mesh? was marked as the answer   
    A side effect is that without the walls there is nowhere for Cura to stop and change settings.  If an extrusion starts at the exterior wall outside the block and travels into the block that will be at the starting speed.  The next extrusion might start inside the block and that would be at the adjusted speed.
    The way you had it didn't look bad.  0.3 off the build surface allows the bottom skin to go down without those extra walls.
     
    You could design a custom block.  It would have protrusions that drop into the holes and are 3 wall thicknesses bigger than the holes.  It's another workaround, but that often happens in these custom situations.  If you have to make a lot of them it would probably be worth the time.
  25. GregValiant's post in Support brim not showing up even if option checked was marked as the answer   
    Hello,
    Yes, it's annoying and it's the topic of three or four bug reports on Github.  I think it will be fixed in the next release but for now you must have some sort of "Bed Adhesion" set in order to get the support brim to work.
    You can set Bed Adhesion to "Skirt" and set the "Skirt Line Count" to 0.  That will keep any skirt from showing up but will fool the bug and allow the Support Brims to form.
    The main problem is that without the support brim, the supports themselves still don't start until the second layer so they don't stick well and are subject to failure.
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