Cura 15.10 Open Beta

[Murphy 1]

Thanks nallath and Labern for the constructive comments.

I'm all for automatic settings but since we don't have a "strengthen the weak sections" option I'm searching for alternatives. Especially ones that could use free (as in beer) software. And arguments against S3D "unique features".

I found that Slic3r can do even better with modifiers in this article:

http://slic3r.org/blog/modifier-meshes

Edit: to my surprise I discovered that Slic3r already uses more infill on weak sections!

Edited February 4, 2016 by Guest

[nallath 1,120]

I found that Slic3r can do even better with modifiers in this article:

http://slic3r.org/blog/modifier-meshes

 

I've been toying with that exact idea for some time now. I'm happy to see that they already implemented it so we can see how well it works.

[berndjm 16]

Is there no new Beta-Version since last November? Or did I miss something?

[nallath 1,120]

We will have a closed beta soon (~2 weeks)

[gareee 39]

Sign me up for the beta test for a + printer!

It was suggested that I try the beta for the new slice engine, so I just installed it today. A few initial observations by a fairly new user:

Probably great mouse support, but poor touchscreen support. (On the Surface Pro 4, pinch zoom in or out does not work, but two fingered forward and back on the touchpad does. That does work on the standard release.) It also looks like there are a lot of manipulation options on the mouse that are not available for touchpads or touchscreens.. how about a little love there??

No way to import 2+ printer profiles at all. You could at least release the profiles for your new customers.

I like the tab approach, but there is to much screen space given to the headers.. maybe add an option to adjust those based on font size, or add a smaller/larger option?

Maybe add left/right layout positioning for legacy users used to the older screen layout?

Add hotkey support.. that could be a stopgap for touchscreen laptop owners. (Zoom in/out with < and  >, pan left/right/up/down (Arrow keys?)

Delete key no longer works for deleting selected object, multiply option no longer supports multiply by x number of iterations. Duplicated objects no longer adopt the parent object translations. (rotation)

Display rulers in the 3d view. Both metric and standard. Also add standard conversion automatically to the right of the metric size on the scale option panel. (I'm having to keep a calculator app open all the time when using cura when creating for real world parts.)

Part of why we paid the extra for an Ultimaker printer was to support Cura development, and its good to see progress on the beta!

Edited February 11, 2016 by Guest

[nallath 1,120]

Probably great mouse support, but poor touchscreen support.

 

We looked into it a bit. Shouldn't be that hard to implement, but it's not very high on our to-do list, sorry.

 

No way to import 2+ printer profiles at all. You could at least release the profiles for your new customers.

 

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/blob/2.1/resources/machines/ultimaker2plus.json

 

I like the tab approach, but there is to much screen space given to the headers.. maybe add an option to adjust those based on font size, or add a smaller/larger option?

 

It's there, but you need to manualy modifiy the theme file.

 

Add hotkey support.. that could be a stopgap for touchscreen laptop owners. (Zoom in/out with < and  >, pan left/right/up/down (Arrow keys?)

 

Already implemented. Try shift + arrows and + & - for zoom.

 

Delete key no longer works for deleting selected object

 

Yes it does. But you are on a mac. They put the wrong label on their backspace button (they say its a delete button, but it isn't.) Use fn + delete.

 

multiply option no longer supports multiply by x number of iterations. Duplicated objects no longer adopt the parent object translations. (rotation)

 

This works on the nightly.

 

Display rulers in the 3d view.

 

There are rulers; the squares on the buildplate are 1cm. The scale tool also gives dimensions.

 

Both metric and standard.

 

Standard? Metric is the standard I did make a barbarian to standard conversion plugin. you can find it on https://github.com/nallath/BarbarianPlugin.

 

Part of why we paid the extra for an Ultimaker printer was to support Cura development, and its good to see progress on the beta!

 

Thanks!

[drayson 75]

 

Both metric and standard.

 

Standard? Metric is the standard ;)I did make a barbarian to standard conversion plugin. you can find it on https://github.com/nallath/BarbarianPlugin.

 

Hahaaaa.. great... I love such conversations :-)

Looking hardly forward to see a beta as I would need the dual nozzle support for several projects for PVA...

I assume that the beta will be published in the usual "closed beta" area - isnt?? nevertheless, count me in...

[gareee 39]

Thanks for the info! Good to see that a lot of what I'm looking for is already there in some fashion. (I'm on the Microsoft Surface 4 pro, a windows 10 based system.. not a mac though.)

BTW, how do you get the .json files to be recognised by the app? (I'm using the public released version from last summer.)

I also see there are several different Ultimaker 2+ extended printer profiles..It looks like they correspond to the different nozzle sizes. Once I know how to get the beta to accept the json files, I'll select the one for my current nozzle selection.

[nallath 1,120]

The publicly released version won't work with the new um2+ profiles. We added a bunch of new features that were required for the um2+ stuff to work.

[drayson 75]

@ nallath, could you just confirm that the beta will be published in the usual "closed beta" area?

[nallath 1,120]

@ nallath, could you just confirm that the beta will be published in the usual "closed beta" area?

 

I don't know how we will release it yet. Once I know, I will inform you guys

[mastory 44]

Is it too late to be involved with the closed Beta?

Do you guys have any timeline goals to get toward the next official release?

Thanks for the hard work. Looking forward to trying it out.

[Quiss42 0]

The publicly released version won't work with the new um2+ profiles. We added a bunch of new features that were required for the um2+ stuff to work.

 

Tried installing the profiles. The 2+ appears as an addable machine, but after that changes to nozzle size etc. are ignored. Figured that adding the profiles just wasn't enough.

Is there a way for me to participate in closed beta?

[nallath 1,120]

The closed beta is planned to be +- 2 weeks. I'm happy to see so many people want to get in on the closed beta stuff

Same statement as before holds; once we have something, I will let you know!

[mrSEADEMON 0]

15.09.91 No russian lang, don't work diamer, print tempriche, bead temptiche

[nallath 1,120]

15.09.91 No russian lang, don't work diamer, print tempriche, bead temptiche

 

The 15.09 is a few months old. I expect a number of things to not work there.

[Konky 0]

I can see improvements on Cura beta but I can not get it to work properly on my UM2+.

Identical settings as on Cura 15.04 on ABS causes my raft to be completely ruined (second layer does not bond and wraps like spaghetti between the first layer strokes.

On PLA it worked ok but I also had more issues, on ABS I can't even start to print.

Also the performance is much too slow in comparison to the stable version, that's not a killer but large objects need like 5-10 minutes on my (fast) computer each time to modify some setting.

The most important feature I would like to see is different layer height support.

That would be such a huge improvement on print speed and quality.

I like that you added profiles per object (important thing) but the layer height feature would be something that makes cura special.

I don't understand why that's not already implemented, it seems so obivous to me ?

Update:

I had an older beta of cura installed, with 15.10 the problems became less (except for the missing settings of temperatures)

Edited February 19, 2016 by Guest

[3dcase 37]

The most important feature I would like to see is different layer height support.

That would be such a huge improvement on print speed and quality.

I like that you added profiles per object (important thing) but the layer height feature would be something that makes cura special.

I don't understand why that's not already implemented, it seems so obivous to me ?

My vote would be a big YES, for different layer heights, but the latest official Ultimaker answer was a big NO... . something with licenses and patents, Guess that''s why you have to buy a program like Simplify3D.

Some of my other wishes (not found in the closed beta yet) would be.

(Perhaps someone notices them..)

1 A random infill option.. Like in 2012 versions.... To get a infill not visible in the outer shell and to use with transparent materials.

2 The possibility to extract profiles from earlier prints. A LOT easier than keeping track of saved profiles.

3 For the dual extruders, the use of different nozzle diameters and flowsettings .

[Labern 774]

something with licenses and patents, Guess that''s why you have to buy a program like Simplify3D.

I wonder how many people who are strong on open source buy programs like Simplify3D. Having to buy something to get these features because of Licences and patents seems a bit against the open source system.

I'm sure someone in the community who is capable to make a workaround to get this to work could provide some sort of solution.

[Konky 0]

 

something with licenses and patents, Guess that''s why you have to buy a program like Simplify3D.

 

I wonder how many people who are strong on open source buy programs like Simplify3D. Having to buy something to get these features because of Licences and patents seems a bit against the open source system.

I'm sure someone in the community who is capable to make a workaround to get this to work could provide some sort of solution.

 

Well I didn't know it supports different layer heights.

It's a bit cheap to say that's protected by licenses because that's bullshit.

If any amateur can come to that solution it's not patentworthy, so such a patent would be invalid in a court case.

It's also not that challenging.

For manual setting it should be damn simple and automated would not be that difficult either:

1) set range of minimal and maximal layer width

2) detect fine structures within N layers of current layer

3) if true, reduce layer width by X, if false increase layer width by Y

Such a simple mechanism would reduce the layer width more and more the closer and increase it as it moves away.

Don't tell me that is patented, it's a few days of work and testing for a programmer of a slicer. Or where is the difficulty in it?

Does Simplyfy 3D support that ?

I will always prefer open source if quality is on level of closed source, just like Labern said.

However I am not modifying the slicer so the difference is minimal.

I want a working product mainly which fulfills my requirements.

So if simpliyfy 3d supports that I'll buy it.

From the screenshots it looked more like a hobby programmers tool, the interface looked aged to me..

[neotko 1,417]

It's curious, when I bought s3d a year and a half ago I got it because the supports (I didn't knew a think back then) but now that's the feature I almost never use, but the rest of the program itself it's worth the money expend. I know we all love free stuff, but mathematics don't use to work on algorithms just to make an open source world, but to keep getting money working on what they love. I know everyone love opensource, but I would preffer open knowledge (and I'm not talking about s3d at this point).

[neotko 1,417]

The layer heights, it a mess to control on s3d. It's totally doable, but the interface for that it's quite bad. You need to make a process for the object from 0 to Amm with some settings, then another from Amm to Bmm and so and so. Ofc, it works. But it's just faster if, when you make the object, you prepare each stl for the settings it need. So you drop the stls, ctrl + g to group them (so they stay on the x/y/z together as you designed it) and then you assign each process to each stl. That's the great part of s3d. And a lot of other settings. Ofc it has it's problems and weak points, but not many.

Also, there's an old cura pluging that allows you to mix different gcodes to use different layer heights...

Edited February 19, 2016 by Guest

[drayson 75]

1  A random infill option.. Like in 2012 versions....  To get a infill not visible in the outer shell and to use with transparent materials.

2 The possibility to extract profiles from earlier prints. A LOT easier than keeping track of saved profiles.

3 For the dual extruders, the use of different nozzle diameters and flowsettings .

 

I heavily support all 3 of them - but especially for the 3rd one... :-)

Hopefully somebody at UM (nallath??) could give us a hint if something like those ar on the short/long/backlog/whatever-list..??

[nallath 1,120]

Also the performance is much too slow in comparison to the stable version, that's not a killer but large objects need like 5-10 minutes on my (fast) computer each time to modify some setting.

 

This is fixed in the upcoming release.

 

I like that you added profiles per object (important thing) but the layer height feature would be something that makes cura special.

I don't understand why that's not already implemented, it seems so obivous to me ?

 

It's actually very complicated. We would need to change a lot of logic to get this to work properly

[nallath 1,120]

1  A random infill option.. Like in 2012 versions....  To get a infill not visible in the outer shell and to use with transparent materials.

 

Not planned

 

2 The possibility to extract profiles from earlier prints. A LOT easier than keeping track of saved profiles.

 

New version has a import from old cura function and the used profile / settings is appended to the g-code.

 

3 For the dual extruders, the use of different nozzle diameters and flowsettings .

 

This should work in the next release (Yay for per object settings)