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I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints


LePaul

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Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

Well not much improvement, here's tonight's piece....and a picture of one of the other pieces i printed this week. Same obvious defect. Would it be the model?

IMG_9775.thumb.JPG.c7f05edf2f13ef3bebd3d9ec60f0dfc6.JPG

IMG_9776.thumb.JPG.efd9846f3a1788929bd4966d74fedd3d.JPG

IMG_9775.thumb.JPG.c7f05edf2f13ef3bebd3d9ec60f0dfc6.JPG

IMG_9776.thumb.JPG.efd9846f3a1788929bd4966d74fedd3d.JPG

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    I am no expert, but I have a UMO and here is what I would do:

    - change the 3d files to include one top layer without holes. That way your printer will create a smooth top layer. Pop open the holes manually. (Read this somewhere here on the forum, works great.)

    - To fine tune the top surface quality, play with flow (on your test piece.) Reduce flow, and the lines seperate; increase flow, they first touch and then overlap. Find the sweet spot. Varies from one filament to another. I currently print at 108% flow.

    - For the edges, check your fill overlap in expert settings. 30% is a good start. Also take a real close look in layer view; sometimes it helps to rotate the object to get a better infill/shell transition.

    Hope this helps.

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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    IMG_9776.thumb.JPG.efd9846f3a1788929bd4966d74fedd3d.JPG

     

    The dripped pattern during travel moves looks conspicuous...

    Are the retractions really working? The bowden must not move during retractions (check both mounted sides).

    What about the retraction details? Can you report the Cura settings? Perhaps you can increase the retraction amount or change the retraction speed (or both...)?

    And the horizontal skins are still non-uniform... Have you tried to tighten the belts (even more)?

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    I have the bottom/top thickness at 1.2 and when I load that file in Cura, you can still see the zig zags in the layer view. I'm thinking this is the part from hell!

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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    change the 3d files to include one top layer without holes. That way your printer will create a smooth top layer. Pop open the holes manually. (Read this somewhere here on the forum, works great.)

     

    I remember this as well. From what I recall of the original topic, it worked like a charm!

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    How do I do that tho?

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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    How do I do that tho?

    If you designed those pieces in a CAD program you can - on the orange piece with the two breaks and five holes - close the breaks and holes with a minimal thickness layer. That way the printer has a uniform surface to print.

    If you downloaded those pieces then I don't know if you can edit those files.

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    I guess I am extremely interested to know if others can print the part (linked earlier) and not have the same results ?

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    dont worry mate, my 0.2mm layer pieces look just as bad as yours, and if you want to close the top layer, then its easy if its flat, you can just place a flat bit of geometry on top of your object making sure it doesnt intersect too much (or it will treat it as an intersect boolean) but just enough for the extra layer.

    Nothing i tried helped. i too use colorfabb, maybe a different filament could help,

    ......but on the subject of improving print quality, i was interested in removing the patterning from the surface completely. is it possible? its there even present at slower speeds i see as i was going through my models. and lets face it printing at 10mm/s is not going to be an option.

    IMG_8727.thumb.JPG.205498139dc9e75b62ce868fc7aef4aa.JPG

    IMG_8727.thumb.JPG.205498139dc9e75b62ce868fc7aef4aa.JPG

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    If you look at the layer view of this model (in Cura), you can see the offending zig zags.

    However, as I have done to correct pillowing in the past, I would think that the 1.2mm top/bottom shell would cure it. It seems persistent.

    On a side note, I have printed a lot of stuff with no issues. It's just these three models that seem to have it. Could it be how they were drawn? Or how Cura slices it?

    The Simplify3D piece was a bit of a mess, I have a lot of tweaking to do with the program to get some good results. And I had read from others that this would be the case with an UMO. For some reason, S3D works very well with Ultimaker 2's, based on how many I see printing robot pieces on my Facebook feed :)

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    To use s3d and to use it at a point where you can get something better than cura, you need to dig in and learn every single option box, and to understand how it affects the print. But the main thing about s3d, you need to understand how the processes work. How to cut one at a point and continue on other, etc. Once you control that, you can make very flat top surfaces in seconds.

    The special important part when you understand how s3d works, it's that when you make the files, you stop using bolean stls, and you start to leave the parts divided (even if the hit one to other), then you launch all the little stls, and print it. After printing it, if you have the object split on different parts (for example bottom, top, detail, low res detail, high res detail), then you can assign 2-3 process to print each part. This way, you can make a perfect top layers, without zig-zags, or change the speed of a part to make it look better while the other parts prints at lower resolution layers or at much faster speeds.

    One of the advantages of all this, it's that when you create the object you are going to print, you can think like the program and use that to your advantage and not just molding and processing a single stl.

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    Just check how the slicers 'think' about how to fill the layers.

    Gcode generated with s3d 3.0.2

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/fnkgw4usuknrnhq/test-s3d.gcode?dl=0

    Gcode generated with Cura 15.04

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ntk8o1t7if717if/test-curaold.gcode?dl=0

    DONT try to print it. I use 1.75 filament, and even so my start/finish sequences might not work with your stuff.

    Just open it on an gcode path viewer and check how the head moves.

    Cura try to fill the areas as fast as it can

    Simplify3d makes a hierarchy that seems to prioritize on being able to fill the largest area posible with the less amount of movements. Less head movements, less scratches, better looking prints.

    S3d profile had the 'combing' off, but retracts always while moving from a point to another. No need for plugings, just a click. And on s3d the 'combing' that it's called 'Avoid crossing outlines' you can tell it how much distance relative to the distance done it will use to move the head around the printed stuff. Etc etc etc...

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    The print result I got from s3d, with default Ultimaker Original settings, was a very brittle print (you could hear is crunching in on itself while i was prying it off the blue tape). Very odd. I had set 24% infill as I had Cura. If you bent the piece slightly (since it has those two deep grooves for a belt to pass through), it would stay bent. The Cura piece was very strong and would not budge. Same materials!

    Simplifiy3D has quite a few videos on their site, so there's certainly a lot more to learn.

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    The print result I got from s3d, with default Ultimaker Original settings, was a very brittle print (you could hear is crunching in on itself while i was prying it off the blue tape).  Very odd.  I had set 24% infill as I had Cura.  If you bent the piece slightly (since it has those two deep grooves for a belt to pass through), it would stay bent.  The Cura piece was very strong and would not budge.  Same materials!

    Simplifiy3D has quite a few videos on their site, so there's certainly a lot more to learn.

     

    Make shoots of your settings tabs and I'll try to point you the stuff that needs tunning to get a basic print ok.

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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    Got the basic um1 profile and changed the stuff I use to set. More or less a starting point.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/841qgl4atfekw9w/umo.fff?dl=0

    Disable 'Avoid crossing outlines' on Advanced, if you want combing off (I always have this disabled because sometimes if the filament drips this might cause underextrusion when it resumes, unless you Change the 'Extra restart distance' on 'Extruder' Tab to something positive.

    If you want it to retract when moving from one point to another (if it can't do combing) disable 'Only retract when crossing open spaces' so it will always retract. I prefer to have this disabled so it always retract.

    Note that for Coast at End I use 0,10mm and Wipe distance 0,15. But on the file attached it's different. Mine head drips gazillions less than 2.85mm so you might need to play with this to make it perfect or just disable it.

    Edit: Btw s3d by default sets the filament size to 3.00, so change it :) (on the profile attached it's changed to 2.85)

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    Thanks for sharing that, I'll download that profile when I get home and put that onto my laptop.

    I also tried the beta cura but so many things are missing from the display settings, i found it annoying to add them back in.  (I liked the settings being on the left side.  The blue on white is very hard on the eyes.)

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted (edited) · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    I toyed again with the beta 1.99 and was a bad experience.

    I really really think that ultimaker should hire an interface architect to arrange the options, avoid the scrolling system and arrange all the options. It's imposible for the brain to keep in mind what to adjust with scrolls up/downs all the time. Also the 'click each one' on options to be able to adjust advanced settings, it's so freaking annoying. Old cura I love it, simple, easy to understand.

    Edited by Guest
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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    I agree with you.

    I like 'old Cura' and wish they would stick to a known-good format. After playing with the beta and being involved in that process some...i made the decision to purchase Simplify 3D. I don't want to fight with new Cura and since a majority of my Ultimaker printing friends are using S3D, I've opted to go where I can get help :)

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    That looks like intermittent feed-friction issues - the random skinny lines. Have you measured the filament diameter? (UM2 needs 2.85mm, not 3.00mm)

    Have you checked that the filament feed path is low-drag? That would include free movement through the Bowden tube and the feeder, and having the filament feed from low on the left side of the machine rather than the back, so that the curl of the filament is in the same direction as the curve of the tube.

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    Posted · I can't figure what setting to tweak to improve some prints

    @eldrick all of those variables are fine.

    That's why I gave the link to the model, curious if others had troubles with it too.

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