Cura 2.3 - Not using full print area

[mmichalka 0]

I added a "custom FDM printer" set it's print area to 120mm^3, but, it won't let me print anything larger than ~101mm in the x or y direction. Cura is for some reason blocking out the edges, you can see the dark gray area in the picture below. The print head can reach all of the 120mm^2 area, there's no reason Cura should be blocking me, and I can't find the setting that let's me remove it.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

It's indeed an error in Cura 2.3

It's not only for custom printers, I tried the 2+ and the 3, you can also not use the full bed for these.

I reported the issue already (I'm in the "3" beta test group) so I'm pretty sure it's being addressed.

[ahoeben 1,948]

It is not an error, it is a feature ;-)

You probably have a brim or raft selected. This prints around the object, so if you would place the object at the edge of the buildplate, it would print the brim/raft partially outside the buildplate.

To get the fullest buildvolume, you need:

- adhesion type = brim

- brim line count = 0

- travel avoid distance = 0

- horizontal expansion = 0

- support horizontal expansion = 0 (if support is enabled)

- draft shield disabled

- ooze shield disabled

- infill wipe distance = 0

Note that in most cases brim with brim line count=0 will get you most of the way there

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Think that indeed accounts for most, but I can still only get to 196 mm in X on the UM3.

I guess we need an option to tell it we only want to use the left / right extruder to be able to use the full plate with a single extrusion print.

[ahoeben 1,948]

I guess we need an option to tell it we only want to use the left / right extruder to be able to use the full plate with a single extrusion print.

 

Your guess is correct.

[mmichalka 0]

Yup, that was it.  It looks like it is a feature, but it's not at all apparent unless you already know what settings affect this margin.  The specific fix for me to get the entire build plate area is dependent on which build plate adhesion is selected.

Brim:

 

• 
  Set brim width to zero
   
  

 

Skirt:

 

• 
  Set skirt line count to zero
  
• 
  Set skirt distance to zero
   
  

 

Raft:

 

• 
  Set raft extra margin to zero
   
  

 

Notes

1. These settings may need to be made visible in order to change them.
   
2. If you are using skirt or brim, zeroing their respective values means no skirt or brim will be printed.
   

 

Edited October 21, 2016 by Guest

[Stardust70 0]

The max build volume I'm getting after these instructions, is only 190*190*??? Not the full bed. I'm trying to print a 200*200*55

[gr5 2,167]

Try removing all brim and support and see if that helps. Make sure Cura understands that this is a single nozzle print - you lose about 20mm (distance between the nozzles) on dual nozzle prints.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Is there a single extrusion profile/method for um3 already? I have not seen it?

[tomnagel 126]

Is there a single extrusion profile/method for um3 already? I have not seen it?

 

In Cura 2.4 (currently in Beta), I just sliced an object of 210mm. 215 should be possible also, but I have not tried it myself. I did not use a special profile for this, Cura recognises that only one extruder is used.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

just checked it in 2.4, works like a charm!

I got to 207mm in X, by only turning of brim/skirt, did not try the long list of other related settings higher up in this thread.

[gr5 2,167]

I assume Cura won't recognize that only one extruder is used if you tell cura you want pva support with the second extruder even if no support is needed. @mmichalka - did you try disabling PVA support yet? What happened? Did you make sure brim was turned off?

[Stardust70 0]

Tried al settings of losing brim/raft/skirt in cura 2.3 didn't succeed to print larger then 19*19.

Tried cura 2.4 set build plate adhesion to none, no problem in printing 20*20 thnx.

[nallath 1,120]

I assume Cura won't recognize that only one extruder is used if you tell cura you want pva support with the second extruder even if no support is needed. @mmichalka - did you try disabling PVA support yet?  What happened?  Did you make sure brim was turned off?

 

The front end doesn't know if you need support, it knows if you want support. So it only checks if you have the "enable support" checked or not.

Note that there are some other things that also influence the size of the disallowed areas. Certain travel moves can also cause the head to go outside the build area.

[hedefalk 0]

Can someone explain this enormous margin? Cura 2.5. Custom Prusa i3

[DidierKlein 729]

Probably the head of your printer?

[nallath 1,120]

Printing one a at a time perhaps?

[mikebaier 0]

Try removing all brim and support and see if that helps.  Make sure Cura understands that this is a single nozzle print - you lose about 20mm (distance between the nozzles) on dual nozzle prints.

How do we tell Cura it's a single nozzle print?

[durovalde 2]

Devs!

You should check this out, I registered on the forum just to point at this. I understand why this feature is there, but there is a serious logic error. Let me explain;

Slicer expects all of the part (bounding box) to be within the build volume, and that is correct, nozzle can travel only within this volume.

But, shrinking the build volume by the amount of raft/brim etc. is wrong. Parts can be slanted, and base of the part might lay more inwards. Let me show with pictures;

My part is using 15mm raft, so Cura decreases my usable XY plane by that amount, this is the most leftward I can position my part in Cura

But my part is slanted and my base is 10mm inwards, so my raft protrudes the bounding box only by 5mm. I have effectively lost 10 mm of usable space because of the margin.

Hope someone can fix this serious error very soon...

Regards,

[haleyp 0]

Z-hop is missing from these lists. but must also be set to 0 for full build volume. Unlike in slic3r there's no setting to disable z-hop for the last mm of build height.