Cura 2.4 beta is here!

[neotko 1,417]

Can I just add my request to the list to sort out the implementation process so that different versions of Cura can co-exist on the same laptop. I would love to get my teeth into 2.4 beta but I am too busy at the moment to risk screwing the machine and not being able to get 2.3.1 back quickly and correctly. Right now a loss of a days production would be disastrous and will remain so for some considerable time.

I guess I could spend 500eu on another laptop but that sort of defeats the object of Cura being free. Mind you I wold be happy to pay for Cura if this sort of thing was working.

 

If is mision critical you could just buy a very cheap/small hd and make a new boot. Or partition the hd to do the same. On osx I just create a new user with admin priv and install there the new cura, to avoid losing stuff, and is easy to remove without affecting my main user. But I haven't do that since 2.3 was final, I suppose it should work. Also just a new boot hd or even better a vmware machine to have all contained to test?

Edited January 31, 2017 by Guest

[yellowshark 153]

Nice idea @neotko although lol I am getting too old to muck around with that sort of stuff. Mind you it would be a good way to get Windows 7.1 back, so just maybe 8)...

[DaHai8 74]

Can I just add my request to the list to sort out the implementation process so that different versions of Cura can co-exist on the same laptop. I would love to get my teeth into 2.4 beta but I am too busy at the moment to risk screwing the machine and not being able to get 2.3.1 back quickly and correctly. Right now a loss of a days production would be disastrous and will remain so for some considerable time.

I guess I could spend 500eu on another laptop but that sort of defeats the object of Cura being free. Mind you I wold be happy to pay for Cura if this sort of thing was working.

 

I agree. Having two versions of Cura on the same machine would be great.

I have just realized a possible workaround for this under Windows 7 - 10:

Create a New User Account on Windows

Cura already installs the code in its on versioned folders:

 

c:\Program Files\Cura 2.3c:\Program Files\Cura 2.3.1

 

So the problem lies in the Profiles folder, which in this case is conveniently stored under the User's Profile folder:

 

c:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\cura

 

So if you create a new User account in Windows, you'll be able to install a different version of Cura under that account and it will but the Profile data for that version under that User account:

 

c:\Users\DaHai\AppData\Local\curac:\Users\ThorBeast\AppData\Local\cura

 

Then you can just switch users to switch Cura versions.

Not an elegant solution, but perhaps a patch until multiple versions are supported under the same User account.

Edited January 31, 2017 by Guest

[nallath 1,120]

Can I just add my request to the list to sort out the implementation process so that different versions of Cura can co-exist on the same laptop.

 

You're not the first. This is something we're looking into. Our current focus is improving the speed & improving automated testing.

[fma 2]

Under linux, I think it can be done with a custom startup script, managing a few symbolic links. Will try to write something, as I'm about to test 2.4-beta2...

[fma 2]

Funny thing: a switch for versions is already done for cache!

 

.cache/cura/      └── definitions           ├── 2.3.1           └── 2.4.0-BETA

 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Guest

[fma 2]

Here is my proposition (you need to first create the target dirs cura-xxx, and remove the standard dirs):

#/bin/sh
   function run_cura
   {
       if [ ! -d  ~/.config/cura-$1 ]; then
           echo "Missing dir ~/.config/cura-$1"
           exit 1
       fi
       if [ ! -d  ~/.local/share/cura-$1 ]; then
           echo "Missing dir /.local/share/cura-$1"
           exit 1
       fi
       rm ~/.config/cura
       rm ~/.local/share/cura
       ln -s ~/.config/cura-$1 ./.config/cura
       ln -s ~/.local/share/cura-$1 ./.local/share/cura
       ls -ld ~/.config/cura* ~/.local/share/cura*
   }
   case "$1" in
       2.3.1)
           run_cura $1
           /usr/local/bin/cura-2.3.1.sh
           ;;
       2.4.0-beta2)
           run_cura $1
           /opt/Cura-2.4.0-BETA2.AppImage
           ;;
       *)
           echo "Usage: cura.sh {2.3.1|2.4.0-beta2}"
           exit 1
       ;;
   esac
   exit 0

[tinkergnome 927]

Here is my proposition (you need to first create the target dirs cura-xxx, and remove the standard dirs):

Nice!

...but what happens if you accidentally start 2.4.0 while 2.3.1 is already running...(and vice versa)?

[krys 206]

I just saw this. @fma: I like your script idea!

Much better than my setup. I have 15.x in an chroot jail, 2.3.1 on my main install, and 2.4 is setup in my Windows dual-boot. It is a total mess.

I've done symlink manipulations for Minecraft before, I do not know why I did not think of it for Cura.

So, thanks very much!

[krys 206]

Nice!

...but what happens if you accidentally start 2.4.0 while 2.3.1 is already running...(and vice versa)?

One nice thing about chrooted environments is that this is not an issue. But they are not exactly trivial to set up right.

One could put in a check in the script to see if a Cura process is already running and if so, abort with a message saying so. Then 2 instances would not be able to run simultaneously.

[fma 2]

Yes, my script is not smart enough to deal with multiple launch...

[yellowshark 153]

 

Can I just add my request to the list to sort out the implementation process so that different versions of Cura can co-exist on the same laptop.

 

You're not the first. This is something we're looking into. Our current focus is improving the speed & improving automated testing.

 

Thanks @nallath, I am sure that if it is being looked at it will arrive sometime. Look forward to it

[yellowshark 153]

Nice one DaHai8 . I have just installed 2.4 Beta2 under Win10 and as you say it seems to be separated perfectly. I can switch between users and load the relevant version of Cura. Strangely I had some issue with finding the Appdata folder for the new user account but resolved now and it has its own custom printer and settings files created by myself and my original ones remain in Appdata under my main user account. So everything looks great!

Sure not 100% perfect, I have a large number of files and folders I would need to move to Public data so the new account can see them (or maybe if I make them shareable that would work too) and make it seamless. But for looking at 2.4 in earnest and testing it that will not be a hassle.

Another hour and I think I will be confident to go to the 3D printing laptop and load 2.4 on there!

Again, many thanks for the idea

[jaiboot 0]

Has anyone noticed support interfaces behaving oddly? Specifically, support interfaces on the top of support structures seem to be giving me one layer less of interface material than specified, and give me a skipped layer instead.

Thanks!

[yellowshark 153]

Hi @nallath well I have been running 2.4Beta 2 for the past week and very pleased with it - although at least once and I think twice, it has lost my custom printer definition.

Now, I normally just set the laptop to Sleep when I have finished so 2.4 has not really been loaded since it was installed - maybe once but not sure. Anyway I needed a reboot so I had to close 2.4. Now it will not load. I uninstalled and reinstalled but it will still not reload.

So I have gone back to 2.3.1 and will try again when the 2.4 release proper is made - hopefully it will load then!!

Standard Windows 10 HP i5 laptop

[selmo 0]

Hi @nallath well I have been running 2.4Beta 2 for the past week and very pleased with it - although at least once and I think twice, it has lost my custom printer definition.

 

Cura 2.4 seems to be quite...uh...clumsy when it comes to prefs. It stomped on 2.3 prefs when installing. And it seems to nuke it's preferences & custom printer definition every time it freezes...which is very frequently. :( I've resorted to creating a zip of my cura prefs folder, and I've got a batch file to kill cura and restore settings. from the zip.

I have to use the batch file a LOT some days.

[nallath 1,120]

 

Hi @nallath well I have been running 2.4Beta 2 for the past week and very pleased with it - although at least once and I think twice, it has lost my custom printer definition.

 

Cura 2.4 seems to be quite...uh...clumsy when it comes to prefs. It stomped on 2.3 prefs when installing.  And it seems to nuke it's preferences & custom printer definition every time it freezes...which is very frequently.  :(  I've resorted to creating a zip of my cura prefs folder, and I've got a batch file to kill cura and restore settings. from the zip.

I have to use the batch file a LOT some days.

 

Uh. That definately should not happen. Could you post the log files?

[yellowshark 153]

Hi @nallath, sorry no can do. As I said in a few posts above 2.4b2 died on me and during the process of reinstalling then deleting and installing 2.3 I lost the log files.

As it happens on Sunday Windows 10 died on me and after 10 hours or so I gave up and today had to spend eu500 on a new laptop :angry: So I now have 2.4 installed and running again. If the problem with the customised printer defn. happens again I WILL send the log file.

[yellowshark 153]

Damn and blast, 2.4 release is out!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another backup and install to do

[yellowshark 153]

Hi @nallath I have just lost my customised printer definition from 2.4Bete 2 again. Above you requested log files. What/which exactly do you need and where will I fine it/them. Using Win10

[nallath 1,120]

Hi @nallath I have just lost my customised printer definition from 2.4Bete 2 again. Above you requested log files. What/which exactly do you need and where will I fine it/them. Using Win10

 

In the help file there is a show local folder option. At the very least i need the cura.log file there. The entire folder is better, as i can see better what's going on.