Ultimaker 3 + Cura 2.4 & Print One at a Time

[Drako77 0]

I'm using a Ultimaker 3 + Cura 2.4 and i can't find how to make the printer make a "Print One at a Time" session...

I'm printing small stuff, wich i used to print 16x in one single pass, and now i've to make une print at a time, wich is kind of frustrating, considering that i just upgraded to Ultimalker 3 to work better, not to waste more time...

I'm using a single filament, so no bothering with dual extrusion and so on, but i can't find how to make the printer enable "One at a time" options.

Any help please? I'm hitting my head on the ground every 3 min starting now....

[ahoeben 1,948]

If you load all 16 objects as a single file, Cura sees all 16 objects as a single model. You would have to load a single instance of the model, and use Cura to make 15 duplicates. Cura 2.4 will have a more convenient dialog to create multiple copies in one go.

The old Cura had an option to "break apart" separate models if they were loaded as a single file. This function still has to make it across to Cura 2. It is not a trivial thing to add.

[Drako77 0]

Thx for the reply. Of course i'm loading a single model and then i multiply in CURA, but the saiud options is still hidded.

Any one else have same issue?

[ahoeben 1,948]

I am sorry, I somehow missed the UM3 in the mix. One at a Time printing has been disabled (for now) for the UM3.

I think the reason was that there is a high risk of the printhead colliding with a previously printed part during a move of the printhead to the switchbay. This has to be prevented somehow in the CuraEngine. Until it is, it is just too dangerous to enable One at a Time printing.

[yellowshark 153]

 

@ahoeben Why for the UM3 but not other printers?. Not sure I can see why it works with other printers (which I have) but not the UM3 which I am considering. When printing multiples I nearly always use 'Print one at a time'

[DidierKlein 729]

Isn't there a bug in 2.4 with print one at time ? With the Z height for the second object being to high?

[nallath 1,120]

Print one at a time is already something that is difficult with a single extrusion machine. Adding a second extruder makes this a lot more complex. As a result, it's not possible to use one at a time for dual extrusion machines.

[yellowshark 153]

Print one at a time is already something that is difficult with a single extrusion machine. Adding a second extruder makes this a lot more complex. As a result, it's not possible to use one at a time for dual extrusion machines.

 

err my machine is dual extruder. Sure it is not a UM but what difference does that make? Surely it is all about excluding the print heads from an already printed model and the Add customised printer dialogue has the relevant measurements for the software to do this and it does. Or maybe to be accurate 15.n did, I have not had a need to print one at time under 2.n yet

Edited February 20, 2017 by Guest

[ahoeben 1,948]

When switching extruders, a bit of gcode is executed (not too dissimilar from how start- and end-gcode are executed when starting/ending a print). This extruder-switch-gcode could do all sorts of things that could cause horrible collissions. The UM3 for example has to move from the current print to the extruder switching bay and back. If there is a print "in the way", the best outcome is that the head will forcefully break the print from the buildplate. That makes it dangerous to enable one-at-a-time for multi-extrusion printers.

[yellowshark 153]

Thanks - but first to avoid any confusion. The original post and mine too was referring to the scenario where a printer with dual extruders is doing single extrusion printing -there is no need to run extruder switch code in this scenario.

So is it possible to allow us to do one at a time printing if dual extrusion is not being used?

Also, importantly, if you were to provide functionality where we could identify the sequence of the models to printed, we could layout the models on the print bed to ensure there was no collision - e.g. laying 5 models in a diagonal line from top left to bottom right and numbering them 1 to 5 starting at top left.

[nallath 1,120]

So is it possible to allow us to do one at a time printing if dual extrusion is not being used?

 

Technically? Yes. Likely? Probably not. It's a matter of "triage" here. What things are seen as more important. Right now we think that speed (faster startup, saving of projects & slicing) is more important. We have more things to do than resources (Eg; The default issue of any SW project) so some things just end up at the bottom of the list.

 

Also, importantly, if you were to provide functionality where we could identify the sequence of the models to printed, we could layout the models on the print bed to ensure there was no collision - e.g. laying 5 models in a diagonal line from top left to bottom right and numbering them 1 to 5 starting at top left.

 

Under the hood Cura does this automagically. There is quite a bit of difficult logic going on here (making a colission grid with posibilities and finding a "path" through that grid)

[Drako77 0]

Sorry, i don't get it. I DON'T use the second extruder, and i can't disable it, so there is no way to print stuff like the UM2? I have to print every single small thing manually? After buying a 3.6K printer? Shouldn't they make a BIG sign saying that the printer is half ready and not 100% working? Right now i'm really pissed. And there is no way to open an official ticket, or i can't find how to file a complain.

[nallath 1,120]

Sorry, i don't get it. I DON'T use the second extruder, and i can't disable it, so there is no way to print stuff like the UM2? I have to print every single small thing manually? After buying a 3.6K printer? Shouldn't they make a BIG sign saying that the printer is half ready and not 100% working? Right now i'm really pissed. And there is no way to open an official ticket, or i can't find how to file a complain.

 

You can always print multiple objects on a single plate. Printing one at a time is extremely limited. Less objects fit on your build plate and if it has small details (such as the um3 robot), it will actually have a better quality.

[yellowshark 153]

Hi @nallath I am now a bit confused and not sure if I have read your posts correctly. In your post at 9:17 you are I think saying that with our dual extruders right now we cannot print One at a Time, even if we are using single extrusion for the print.

In your last post at 10:52 you seem to be saying that we can print multiple objects.

Yes "One at a time" does have limitations but for me, especially running a business, "One at a time" is vital. Let us say I am printing 8 pieces with a total print time of 16 hours and I have a failure 80% of the way through the print. With "print all at once" I have 8 models to throw in the trash can. With "One at time" I have 6 models to sell to my customer - not a difficult decision to make on which way to print 8)

[yellowshark 153]

Let me throw something else into this. I currently have a dual extruder printer which is not UM so maybe Cura does not understand that it is a dual extruder and is happy to let me print "One at a time"???

But I am sure that under 15.04 there was a extruder offset parameter in the printer definition which would mean Cura 15.04 knew it was dual extruder - I may be wrong but I just have this memory. Maybe I should reinstall 15,04 and check

[nallath 1,120]

Hi @nallath I am now a bit confused  and not sure if I have read your posts correctly. In your post at 9:17 you are I think saying that with our dual extruders right now we cannot print One at a Time, even if we are using single extrusion for the print.

In your last post at 10:52 you seem to be saying that we can print multiple objects.

Yes "One at a time" does have limitations but for me, especially running a business, "One at a time" is vital. Let us say I am printing 8 pieces with a total print time of 16 hours and I have a failure 80% of the way through the print. With "print all at once" I  have 8 models to throw in the trash can. With "One at time" I have 6 models to sell to my customer - not a difficult decision to make on which way to print 8)

 

It's not enabled as the setting system doesn't know how many extruders are used, it (unfortunately) only knows how many extruders there are. This is why we added a bit of code to the defintion files that hide the print sequence setting if you're using multiple extrusion (as it introduces the risk of breaking your printer, which is far bigger of a problem than having the feature).

If you really really want the feature, by all means enable it again. You can do this by changing the .json file and set the "enabled" property of the print sequence to True. If you would have bothered to look on the forum, this is not the first time this has come up.

[Drako77 0]

Instead of beeing so rude, could you just not say "edit here" and that is? use it at your own risk or something?

[Drako77 0]

For who is still in the dark, i modified file fdmprinter.def, in C:\Program Files\Cura 2.4\resources\definitions.

Row 3967 just changed the 1 with a 2, and now the magic option is there. Will make some test now.

[ahoeben 1,948]

Row 3967 just changed the 1 with a 2, and now the magic option is there. Will make some test now.

 

It is unfortunate that this was chosen as best answer, as it disables the setting for other (single extrusion) printers. If you really want to go the "I don't care if it can break my printer, I want my One at a Time back!" route, make that line say

 

"enabled": true,

 

A potentially better and certainly safer, but untested solution (because I don't have a UM3) is to add a UM3 definition to Cura that forces it to regard the UM3 as a single extrusion printer. You won't have dual extrusion, but you will have One at a Time printing. Here is such a definition:

https://gist.github.com/fieldOfView/bde7189087721451784865a28f3fc2c1

Place it inside the "definitions" folder either in your Cura application folder or in the "definitions" folder inside your configuration folder.

PS: no need to call devs rude when they are trying to help while at the same time trying to make sure that people don't break their printers.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Guest

[XYZDesignPro 70]

I sure wish I had stumbled on to this topic before I ordered my second UM3Ext! It will be delivered today. I only discovered this missing feature when last night I attempted to print two small parts individuality only to discover that not only can you not do so, but the help tool tip leads you down an impossible path, indicating that the feature called "Print Sequence" can be enabled by changing the "Number of Extruders" setting, which of course does not exist:angry:

I'm beginning to regret parting with both of my UM2Ext machines, thinking I should have kept one.:(

[ahoeben 1,948]

Have you seen my alternative definition? It does essentially what you suggest: set the number of extruders to 1