Can you print without ulticontroller?

[Reflexx 0]

hi Ultimakers,

I'm a newbie, and just bought a probably 3-4 years old Ultimaker Original. It has a custom made heatbed in a hexagonal shape, and no Ulticontroller.

It is connected by USB to my Mac, and Cura seem to work fine, the motors are ok, the calibration wizard also works, but my custom made buildplate doesn't seem to match the head positioning: it always uns to the front left corner and waits for me to level my buildplate, which is several cm away. Of couse it's because the normal build plate is square and bigger than mine. I do not know how to configure the shape of my custom buildplate.. that's one question.

The second question is: can I print without Ulticontroller? I've read a lot of posts about that, and it seems possible, but could have stability issues regarding communication with the computer.

I lauched Cura with pronterface UI, and the head is heating fine, and the filament is beginning to melt, but nothing else happens. No print.

Does anybody have an idea what I should do?

[gr5 2,240]

You can print fine without the utlicontroller. but don't use cura for the calibration step - just skip that wizard. You can cancel it and continue with cura.

Calibrate it by homing Z only and push the head around and use paper and turn the screws.

I recommend pronterface over cura for controlling your printer. The feedback and control is fantastic and much simpler than cura. It's a free download here:

Get pronterface here. It's free:

http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/

But use cura for creating the gcode files.

[gr5 2,240]

>but could have stability issues regarding communication with the computer.

Well, yeah. If your prints stop suddenly for no reason - try a different computer with hopefully better usb. Or try a usb buffer or a different usb cable. Or try coiling the cable? But for many people it's very reliable. Somewhere in cura (and printrun?) there is a log file that tells you how many transmitted lines of gcode failed! This can be 90% If you have that then it's a problem waiting to happen. If it's 0.1% then don't worry.

[Reflexx 0]

Thanks a lot gr5. I 'll try as you say and give you a feedback.

Have a good day!

[Reflexx 0]

You can print fine without the utlicontroller.  but don't use cura for the calibration step - just skip that wizard.  You can cancel it and continue with cura.

Calibrate it by homing Z only and push the head around and use paper and turn the screws.

I recommend pronterface over cura for controlling your printer.  The feedback and control is fantastic and much simpler than cura.  It's a free download here:

Get pronterface here. It's free:

http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/

But use cura for creating the gcode files.

 

Hi gr5,

I've tried several times to print, both with Cura, and also with Printrun.

But after having loaded a gcode file, Cura doesn't react at all to my printing command. Printrun seem to react with an error code in the console. It says:

Print started at: 22:02:50

[ERROR] Failed to set power settings:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.pronsole", line 1173, in startcb

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power", line 130, in powerset_print_start

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 72, in inhibit_sleep_osx

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 49, in AssertionCreateWithName

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 40, in StringToCFString

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'kCFStringEncodingASCII'

I found some refernece to the same problem on:

https://github.com/kliment/Printrun/issues/619

but they didn't seem to have resolved the problem.

Would it be better to buy an Ulticontroller?

Regards,

Reflexx

[gr5 2,240]

Wait - so you can move all the axes with printrun? And you can set the temperature and it heats up? And when you tell it to home it homes? But it won't print? Is that what you are saying?

I mean - sure - the ulticontroller is worth the price I think.

[Reflexx 0]

Yes gr5, Printrun moves all the axes as I I command it to do.It also homes all of them at front left z=0. The temperature seems fine too. It comes up to 185°c within some minutes.

Then I load a gcode on the platform( I changed the coordinates ( -55mm in x and y)of the head in order to center the object to print in the center of the platform, and a 3d model appears.then I click on "print" and the error message shows up and nothing more happens:

Loading file: /Users/Myname/Desktop/tellit spejl plast.gcode

Loaded /Users/Myname/Desktop/tellit spejl plast.gcode, 3151 lines

23.52mm of filament used in this print

The print goes:

- from -55.00 mm to 8.71 mm in X and is 63.71 mm wide

- from -55.00 mm to 8.70 mm in Y and is 63.70 mm deep

- from 0.00 mm to 15.00 mm in Z and is 15.00 mm high

Estimated duration: 26 layers, 0:01:26

Print started at: 08:05:58

[ERROR] Failed to set power settings:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.pronsole", line 1173, in startcb

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power", line 130, in powerset_print_start

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 72, in inhibit_sleep_osx

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 49, in AssertionCreateWithName

File "/Users/craigvanvliet/Desktop/PyInstaller-2.1/pronterface/build/pronterface/out00-PYZ.pyz/printrun.power.osx", line 40, in StringToCFString

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'kCFStringEncodingASCII'

 

Wait - so you can move all the axes with printrun?  And you can set the temperature and it heats up?  And when you tell it to home it homes?  But it won't print?  Is that what you are saying?

I mean - sure - the ulticontroller is worth the price I think.

 

[xeno 108]

You could try one of the older versions of Cura, that still has the old print dialogue screen,

I always print my G-Code with the older Cura, while the later versions with pronterface UI, gave major problems.

[Reflexx 0]

You could try one of the older versions of Cura, that still has the old print dialogue screen,

I always print my G-Code with the older Cura, while the later versions with pronterface UI, gave major problems.

 

Thanks Xeno, I'll try that. Have a good day.

Regards,

[gr5 2,240]

Make sure you slice in "reprap" mode in cura when you create the gcode (not "volumetric" nor "ultigcode" modes). It's in the machine settings.