Output print settings to text file?

[brianskyze 3]

Hello, 

 

I'm wondering if there is any way to output print settings from Cura to a text file of any kind?

 

As I am experimenting with printing TPU and ABS I would like to print out on paper my settings for every 3d print, so I could establish a hardcopy "Printing log" that I could reference for further 3d prints. 

 

I am aware that I could just do a print screen, but it would be super helpful if I could output settings from Cura to txt file so I could manipulate the data easier.

 

 

Thanks for your help,

Regards, Brian

[yellowshark 153]

Hi @SandervG this is a really good idea from @brianskyze ; I have to write down notes for every print I do (and even then there are certain lesser settings do not get noted) - hitting a print key would be so much easier

[kmanstudios 1,120]

+1

[Brulti 177]

A very excellent idea. I'll add that it would also be useful if we could have an option to print only parts of the settings, else it'd be quite long, and maybe have another option that prints only what we changed compared to the base settings as well.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I am thinking full data dump that can be sifted through a spreadsheet or database.

[Brulti 177]

The ability to export into different formats then, so it can be made into a spreadsheet directly. I've personally no idea how to make a database...

[kmanstudios 1,120]

actually, a spreadsheet is a type of database.

[Nalith 0]

Agreed, this would be great to be able to do t a spreadsheet or db of sort. 

[yellowshark 153]

I been thinking about this, personally I would prefer the creation of a .pdf file rather than a direct print from Cura. This has the added advantage that you could print a single page or whatever when required. Personally I would probably never print it but just view the document. My need is to be able to refer back to a production, or test, run and see what settings I used so that I can duplicate the run a second or more times. I can see the advantage of a database that provides analysis capability but for me it is about historical recording for future referencing. 

[brianskyze 3]

1 hour ago, yellowshark said:

I been thinking about this, personally I would prefer the creation of a .pdf file rather than a direct print from Cura. This has the added advantage that you could print a single page or whatever when required. Personally I would probably never print it but just view the document. My need is to be able to refer back to a production, or test, run and see what settings I used so that I can duplicate the run a second or more times. I can see the advantage of a database that provides analysis capability but for me it is about historical recording for future referencing. 

 

.pdf output would be perfect. Yet for building a virtual database, .txt or .csv would be even better, because they could be easily manipulated

I was hoping this option already exists, I'm just unable to find it. Well, we might see it in a newer version of cura.

 

Regard, Brian

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

2 hours ago, yellowshark said:

I been thinking about this, personally I would prefer the creation of a .pdf file rather than a direct print from Cura. This has the added advantage that you could print a single page or whatever when required. Personally I would probably never print it but just view the document. My need is to be able to refer back to a production, or test, run and see what settings I used so that I can duplicate the run a second or more times. I can see the advantage of a database that provides analysis capability but for me it is about historical recording for future referencing. 

That is true, but when it comes to finding a job from two years ago from a client or department and you just need a few things, being able to search and find the specs would cut down on a lot of hunting. I think the multiple output is good (speaking as someone who does not program and would not be contributing...i.e. throwing it onto someone else to do).

[Brulti 177]

Multiple outputs would be the way to go in order to fit the needs of the many. Some would only need pdf for references, some would like a database to study and make comparisons, etc.

[ctbeke 133]

I can't imagine that Cura would add a PDF generator just for this. IF this feature happens, expect a simple text (cfg/ini, csv) output.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

44 minutes ago, ctbeke said:

I can't imagine that Cura would add a PDF generator just for this. IF this feature happens, expect a simple text (cfg/ini, csv) output.

I am good with that. Refinement can come at a later date if requested enough. The CSV feature would really be good for the bean counters if it includes time estimates and material estimates as well. So, for the first time I can actually think of:

 

Bean counters and creatives/producers needs actually converge. It is almost geekgasmic, if'n ya knows whut I mean.....

Edited March 20, 2018 by kmanstudios

[neotko 1,417]

This could be nice but there’s an issue. Cura profile system isn’t a ‘full’ editable (inside cura) the profiles depend on the nozzle size, material type. So even if you export the settings you never get a full profile for the current print. 

 

For example when you export a profile you only export the settings you changed on a zip format that contains json (or some structure alike) with the profiles and settings changed. But never a full profile like I get on s3d gcode header. 

 

So, while is doable, is quite difficult to do. Also, and more important, it could be really hard to import them back. 

 

Cura profile system works nice, but is very hard near impossible to build a real profile within Cura and is always necessary to go outside cura and edit the json files for nozzle, material, etcetc. 

 

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Would that not be limited to reading the gcode file? The info cannot come from the settings panel?

[neotko 1,417]

8 minutes ago, kmanstudios said:

Would that not be limited to reading the gcode file? The info cannot come from the settings panel?

 

Profile info is linked to material and nozzle. So when you make a gcode only the changes are exported, just like when you export a profile, only changes are exported. The link is part of how Cura is build around materials not settings. It allows nice portability but assumes that the base profile is perfect. Edit well not perfect but allows cura to add settings without erasing your settings.. basically they can add new stuff and since they only export what you change you can keep upgrading (in theory). So, no full profiles are available nowhere but split on material, hotendtype (nozzle size for example) or type of Core for example

Edited March 20, 2018 by neotko

[kmanstudios 1,120]

On 3/20/2018 at 1:12 PM, neotko said:

 

Profile info is linked to material and nozzle. So when you make a gcode only the changes are exported, just like when you export a profile, only changes are exported. The link is part of how Cura is build around materials not settings. It allows nice portability but assumes that the base profile is perfect. Edit well not perfect but allows cura to add settings without erasing your settings.. basically they can add new stuff and since they only export what you change you can keep upgrading (in theory). So, no full profiles are available nowhere but split on material, hotendtype (nozzle size for example) or type of Core for example

I am suggesting that it be pulled from the live setup with the project loaded. At the very least, maybe cull it from the .3mf project file as it keeps all the settings and such?

[neotko 1,417]

3mf saves all related jsons (nozzles, materials, and adjusted settings).  But now that I see the structure of the 3mf it could be the best way to have a ‘export’. But not without additional software to read this. 

 

It saves one file with your changes. Then the original jsons used for it. 

 

Go open one you will see.

 

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 hour ago, neotko said:

3mf saves all related jsons (nozzles, materials, and adjusted settings).  But now that I see the structure of the 3mf it could be the best way to have a ‘export’. But not without additional software to read this. 

 

It saves one file with your changes. Then the original jsons used for it. 

 

Go open one you will see.

 

 

No I won't...LOL...my coding is massively sucky.

 

But I do think that it can be done. This is one reason I will be going to school. I am tired of things sitting in my head with no way of getting out.

[neotko 1,417]

5 hours ago, kmanstudios said:

No I won't...LOL...my coding is massively sucky.

 

No need to code. I open it with textwrangler program. It shows like if the 3mf where some kind of zip file with the json txt files and the stl and info about where it is

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I am approaching this more philosophically:

 

1. If the 3mf project files can write all the information out on the settings, should there not be a way to write just the settings out?

2. Since the whole interface of settings is a set of 'print screen' type of instructions, can that not be pulled out? It would seem so since it is already 'pulled out' for the screen display.

 

Thos are the two ways I am looking at it. This is from when I was coding games and pulled this information out, and did what I wanted with it, even writing text files out with only that information since I gathered it from the scores and time outpurs.

[neotko 1,417]

Yea philosophically sure

 

Practically if you pull the 3mf files and check the structure, see how they link the parameters to the main profiles selected (nozzle, material, quality selected) then you have another file with the changed options to that profile (overrides). You can, right now, do that, manually. But either way you need a programmer to do the script to pull a clean list of settings used (with overrides check) to get it. And with that in hand, you could by hand one by one insert them back on cura (to a point since the json profiles have in some cases formulas that can't be edited within cura but only outside changing the respective json files.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

17 minutes ago, neotko said:

But either way you need a programmer to do the script to pull a clean list of settings used (with overrides check) to get it.

Well, yeah....LOL....I was:

1. Running the philosophy to see how it could work in theory
2. When I get into school and start doing real coding (Not sure what semester that would be though), if this is not done by then, this would probably be my first project.....I do have a few
3. Not studying coding right now as I am about to embark on getting my maths up to speed. I have literally not done real math in almost 40 years. Which is weird, I can write algorithms once I know an underlying math construct. But maths are first on that list.

And if you go back  somewhere, I have poked fun at myself as the guy who would not be doing programming right now, but is asking for things.....

[neotko 1,417]

Sure I was tackling the issue and proposing how to do it. Isn’t copy paste atm and require a bit of scripting. 

 

The core issue is that even if the main idea is doable, it isn’t since depends directly on how cura is made now. And specially the formulas that link speeds or temperatures or options linked by formulas on the machine profile. So, is doable but not straightforward.

Edited March 22, 2018 by neotko