XY Printbed Size : #define X_MAX_POS 405 ?

[xavier 0]

Hi all,

I have built an enlarged version of the Ultimaker (44x44x44cm), that need hardware improvement but at least is roughly working. My main problem being : how can I tell it not to print only in the 20x20cm left corner...? I am quite bad at programming and better for hardware things, so apologies for my dumbness but here is what I did so far to try to sort this out :

- I have Downloaded the regular version of Marlin for Ultimaker on Github

- Opened "Configuration.h" in text edit (as I couldn't find the way how to use Console, Control panel or Arduino)

- Changed this :

// Travel limits after homing

#define X_MAX_POS 405

#define X_MIN_POS 0

#define Y_MAX_POS 405

#define Y_MIN_POS 0

#define Z_MAX_POS 400

#define Z_MIN_POS 0

 

- and also this as I am using 2mm steps GT2 belt

(advised from a previous post on GT2 Belts)

#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {80,80,200*8/3,760*1.1}

Then...

-Is it enough ?

- Now how can I compile this to get an .hex file to load in the Ultimaker ?

I'm sorry but I don't get it when I read this posts :

http://www.extrudable.me/2013/05/03/building-marlin-from-scratch/

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Marlin

And...

- What about Cura now ?

Last time I tried to extended the printing platform in the preferences, it crashes severely...

 

 

 

[gr5 2,173]

Last time I tried to extended the printing platform in the preferences, it crashes severely...

 

Don't know. YOu have to try it. Dimensions are under "file" "preferences" I beleive.

As far as Marlin...

There is a new Marlin builder here:

http://marlinbuilder.robotfuzz.com/

It seems to be working okay now. If you have any problems send feedback! I've done some limited testing and other's have also. Not sure if it's ready for prime time yet.

Or you can read this and build Marlin yourself:

http://www.extrudable.me/2013/05/03/building-marlin-from-scratch/

 

 

[illuminarti 18]

Perhaps the new Marlin Builder tool might prove useful, if you're unable to compile your own:

http://marlinbuilder.robotfuzz.com

I've just set Cura 13.06.5 to the sizes that you mentioned, and then scaled a simple STL to fill it, and it seemed to slice the file just fine.

 

[xavier 0]

Thanks for the Marlin Builder link, seems magic !

But...

I did it, got the .hex file, uploaded it the Ultimaker through Cura ("upload custom firmware"), got this done :

- Move X, Y, Z axes on the UltiController (prepare>move axes) but still were limited to 205 x 205 x 200

- Changed the bed size in Cura Preferences (as I already did several times) to 405 x 405 x 400 with no trouble (even though the grey bed head marked "Ultimaker" now fit in the middle of the printing stage) but couldn't process the Gcode of the big simple object I had just opened... thought this might be another issue common those days with Mac users... Still I can't have any Gcode big enough at hand to make straight real test.

- So I did a "first run wisard" process test (without replacing my custom firmware), which ended up as usual with a 200 x 200 mm extruder/bed level test square... (and not a 405 x 405 as written in the firmware).

- Finishing this, closed the window to return on Cura printing scene : the bed stage had disappeared for a plain continuous grey window. So, I import a new object: the normal 205 x 205 bed stage reappeared with my new imported object outside the scene and the previous one, off the print bed. Verification : the Preference menu came back by itself to 205 x 205 x 200. Then try to close Cura : crash.

That's it...

 

[Daid 306]

If you have a larger then normal Ultimaker, then it's not an Ultimaker and you should configure it as a RepRap instead of an Ultimaker from the first-run-wizard.

 

[xavier 0]

Ah Ok ! It helps, couldn't realise this is a question of vocabulary : "it's not an Ultimaker anymore" !

Configuring it as a RepRap does change things on Cura !

But now I have to compile the .hex file myself without the marlin builder from robotfuzz which doesn't really change the platform size (check the Configuration.h), and I don't get anything with Arduino (why can't I open anything from the multiple Marlin files ?).

 

[xavier 0]

Ok, still in troubles, here is where I am :

1. Tried from EricZalm AND then Daid's versions of Marlin and used Arduino 0023

2. Managed to open Marlin.pde in Arduino to make the "Configuration.h" modifications (print platform 405x405x400) which could be done also in text-edit.

3. Got everything Compiled and Uploaded to the Motherboard (Arduino Mega 2560)

4. It uploads fine but seems incompatible with the UltiController as the LCD display shows lines of block squares.

5. Tried to get an .hex to be uploaded through Cura (install custom firmware) by following this :

http://www.extrudable.me/2013/05/03/building-marlin-from-scratch/

- changed the lines in indicated in the Makefile in text-edit and then got lost on "choosing the right path" section of the blog as nothing described works on my "Terminal" panel...

6. And still can't manage the last version of Cura to process slicing since three days whereas it was perfectly working before...

 

[gr5 2,173]

1) you are right, the software endstops don't make it into configuration.h. I just let the owner of that page know. He will probably fix it within a day.

2) Alternatively you can disable software endstops (which I just tested and it makes it into configuration.h)

3) "s the LCD display shows lines of block". Make sure you uncomment this line:

//#define ULTIMAKERCONTROLLER //as available from the ultimaker online store.

 

4) "still can't manage the last version of Cura to process slicing". I would consider completely uninstalling and reinstalling and being careful in the wizard to check reprap and then setting size.

Can't you tell it that it's a UM and *then* change the dimensions to bigger? I think that's what illuminarti did and he said it worked, right?

 

[illuminarti 18]

I imagine the Marlin builder will soon be fixed, and hopefully that will solve your problem with the firmware. If not, please post a comment on the building Marlin blog article about exactly what the problem is that you are having, and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

Regarding Cura... I just took my standard 'Ultimaker-configured' version and changed the size preferences. Worked fine for me - although the model I used as a test was pretty simple. Is the model that you are trying to slice particularly large/complex (in terms of file size/number of polygons)?

 

[gr5 2,173]

This reminds me - for fun I tried slicing at a millionth of a millimeter and Cura couldn't handle it. I think I crashed something but it wasn't too hard to recover. I might have deleted steam engine from task manager, but I don't remember. I think I just changed it back to .2 and all was fine but I really don't remember.

 

[xavier 0]

Everything works now:

- Uncommenting "//#define ULTIMAKERCONTROLLER //as available from the ultimaker online store."

solved the problem of yellow brick lines.

- I managed to upload the modified firmware from Arduino last night and Ginge's Marlin Builder this morning, both works good on the machine.

- At the moment Cura works on my Mac OSX with a 13.03 version, it just doesn't recognize the SD card.

I consider everything solved, thank you everybody for your help.

I just have now to finish to improve the mecanics of the machine to get a good 43 x 43 x 42 cm 3D printer (last tested max printing size). Images in my gallery in september ! (after few holidays)

 

[xavier 0]

sorry it's 44 x 44 x 43 cm for those who are interested in the forthcoming plans.