Problems with Cura-BCN3D-0.1.5-beta (selecting Extruders)

[printify 3]

I've been using a beta version of Cura designed specifically for the BCN Sigma machine and, just in normal Cura, for some reason there is no click box that specifies you just want to use the second extruder. My first extruder is having issues so I wanted to print with the second.

I'm new to this stuff, but I took a look at my G-Code and saw that there was no T0 or T1 anywhere. I found that really confusing but figured that T0 was the default setting, somewhere, anyway. I tried just popping in T1 in the M109 S215 line but that didn't work - T0 still came out to print...  It seems that after the G92 command (all listed above in previous posts) the Sigma reverts to using T0 anyway. The result was that T1 was hot and extruding in preparation for printing, but then T0 was going out and trying to print cold anyway.

My solution was just to rewrite T1 underneath the M117 Printing message. That fixed it and I'm now printing happily using the second non-faulty extruder. BCN have massive firmware issues at the moment so USB printing is out of action and I'm using an SD card - viewing the G-Code in Notepad and editing it there. Is that best? Usually I print using a USB IoT device and slice using Formide, which does have the option to select which extruder you want to use. Why doesn't Cura have this? It seems they removed it before February 2015, judging from other forums on similar issues (not Sigma-beta).

So, in summary for others with issues, just write T1 at the end of the Start G-Code if you want to print using the other extruder. Otherwise the printer reverts to the default T0. Perhaps this applies to normal non-BCN-beta slicing too.

Anybody know why this is?

Edited July 27, 2016 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

Sorry to say tthis but BCN modified the old Cura to make it work with their machines, so they should give you support for it. (I really don't intend to sound rude it's just the truth).

[printify 3]

Sorry to say tthis but BCN modified the old Cura to make it work with their machines, so they should give you support for it. (I really don't intend to sound rude it's just the truth).

Fair point! The bed is set up with correct dimensions and the pre-sets are all modified to suit the Sigma, so you can just print, same as Cura can be set up for UM machines. But there's just no click box for extruder preference!

[nallath 1,104]

Sounds like they removed that feature on purpose. Old cura does have the ability to print dual extrusion prints.

Edited July 27, 2016 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

Have you tried to download the old cura (not the bcn moded) and use his dual extrusion? There's also a lulzbot modded cura that if I remember well it has dual and it even lets you edit the size of the prime box. Ofc you would need to edit the gcode headers and all that I suppose?

[printify 3]

Have you tried to download the old cura (not the bcn moded) and use his dual extrusion? There's also a lulzbot modded cura that if I remember well it has dual and it even lets you edit the size of the prime box. Ofc you would need to edit the gcode headers and all that I suppose?

 

I have got a print running now with the second extruder, so we'll see how that goes. Then I'll try out some of the older Curas and see if they are more helpful. Seeing as I appear to have solved it, it's probably more hassle to recalibrate a different Cura to my printer, but I will experiment. Thanks!