Ultimaker S5 / Cura 4.0 - z Offset Plugin does not work at all

[Sefco 0]

Hello community,

 

I am using an Ultimaker S5 with the newest firmware (5.1....) and Cura 4.0 freshly installed yesterday.

I have serious problems with the 1. Layer height, because the extruder cloggs during the print which means that to much preasure is in the extruder system. I use nearly standard settings and from my point of view, the first layer is aboslutely to close to the print bed. Due to the autolevel mechanism, there is no chance to influence somehow this problem without an additional z offset setting for the first layer. I tried nearly all settings for initial layer settings - it will not help.

 

When I discovered the z offset pulgin, i was quiet happy. Unfortunately, the plugin doesn't work at all. When I set a z offset that is not 0, the printer starts the first layer from approx. 10 mm height and the extruded filament just falls down on the bed. The Ultimaker S5 doesn't care what number is used for the z offset setting. As long as it is not 0, its impossible to print.

 

I had the same problem with older Ultimaker S5 firmware and Cura versions. So, I am running out of ideas and hope you can help me.

 

 

[gr5 2,172]

I don't know how to affect the bottom layer but here are a few other things...

1) After autolevel is complete but before it prints much of your print, you could turn the 3 leveling screws clockwise from below to move the glass down and away from the nozzle.  I do that sometimes.  Then when the print is done turn it back.  Each full rotation is .5mm.  Usually I do about 1/6 rotation.  Turn them all the same amount.

 

2) If you make the bottom layer thicker (default is I think 0.27mm) then even if it's overextruding a bit at least there is more space to deal with it.  Forcing the extruder to underextrude by 10% is no big deal.  So if the glass is too close by 10% then it will be absolutely fine.  Even 50% is usually fine.  So making the bottom layer thicker lowers that percentage.

 

3) This shouldn't be an issue.  Are you printing PLA?  It's okay to overextrude the bottom layer.  In fact I love it when the bottom layer is extra thin.  That means the part will stick better.  If you mess with this with a z-offset your part may come loose which can cause a head flood if the part is wider than tall at the moment it comes loose and it gets carried around like a hockey puck.  Quite the disaster.  Seriously.  I don't think this leveling issue and this "extruder cloggs" issue is related.

 

[Sefco 0]

Thank you very much for the information.

Rotating the leveling screws is a solution, but a very unconfortable one. It would be so easy if the z Offset Plugin would work. There must be a bug in the printer software, because other users report that the printed works with z Offset Plugin and maybe I am one of few people owning a Ultimaker S5. I cannot understand why the printed behaves like described above when using the z Offset Plugin setting. Does anybody have an Ultimaker S5 and can check what happens with this plugin?

 

I am printing Tough PLA and maintained the printer a few weeks ago. I cannot imagine what else could be the reason for the clogging sound from the extruder gear while printing. 

[Travis7s 25]

Is there any fix for the Z offset plugin yet? Its very useful for me as I routinely need to make parts that have virtually no elephant foot and manually adjusting the screws back and forth is not ideal...

[Sefco 0]

I really dont get why z-offset plugin is not implemented directly in Cura...

[ahoeben 1,948]

A new version of the Z Offset setting plugin that is compatible with the S5 (and updated UM 3) is currently in review and should be available from the Marketplace soon.

Edited April 23, 2019 by ahoeben

[Sefco 0]

...including z-offset feature?

[Link 34]

hi, has this new version been released ? thanks

 

On 4/23/2019 at 2:59 PM, ahoeben said:

A new version of the Z Offset setting plugin that is compatible with the S5 (and updated UM 3) is currently in review and should be available from the Marketplace soon.

 

[bsaygan 1]

Hi,

 

This offset issue may be related to the new firmware?  That’s when I noticed any offset related codes didnt work.  Just an FYI as people (like me) who have updated the firmware have been having these types of issues more noticeable in things that require dual extrusion.

 

Also I’ve had a similar issue because of the firmware and it still is an issue in older versions of Cura which is why i think it’s not a Cura issue, but a firmware issue.

 

Bobby

 

[Link 34]

44 minutes ago, bsaygan said:

Hi,

 

This offset issue may be related to the new firmware?  That’s when I noticed any offset related codes didnt work.  Just an FYI as people (like me) who have updated the firmware have been having these types of issues more noticeable in things that require dual extrusion.

 

Also I’ve had a similar issue because of the firmware and it still is an issue in older versions of Cura which is why i think it’s not a Cura issue, but a firmware issue.

 

Bobby

 

 

yes, this has been widely discussed the new firmware does not allow the use of G92 so a new version of this plugin is required and is in review, I am asking when this new version will be released.

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by Link

[ahoeben 1,948]

The plugin is still awaiting review. In the mean time you can get it here (for Cura 4.0):

http://files.fieldofview.com/cura/ZOffsetPlugin-v6.0.0-2019-04-19T15_13_09Z.curapackage

Once downloaded, drop it into a running Cura window and restart Cura.

[RudydG 62]

Same problem here, S5 with Cura 4.1, Z offset has no effect. Tried to drop the update from the link above, restarted Cure, but still plugin version 3.5.3 ?

 

[ahoeben 1,948]

Use the one from the Marketplace. The one linked above may be an older version; don't use it anymore.

Please share a (small) gcode file with a non-zero value for Z Offset.

[RudydG 62]

Ok, back to the newest.

And here you are, Z offset at 0.2mm (also the first layer horizontal expansion to -0.5 to get a goot firts layer without the elephant foot 😉

Many thanks!

UMS5_2x spacer for Y belt holder.gcode

[Link 34]

1 hour ago, RudydG said:

Ok, back to the newest.

And here you are, Z offset at 0.2mm (also the first layer horizontal expansion to -0.5 to get a goot firts layer without the elephant foot 😉

Many thanks!

UMS5_2x spacer for Y belt holder.gcode 231.43 kB · 2 downloads

What is a spacer for Y belt holder ??

[ahoeben 1,948]

In the left extruder, you have the z offset set to 0.15. In the right extruder, the z offset is set to 0.2. The Z Offset plugin currently takes the lowest of the two values. I'm guessing your initial layer height is set to 0.2; the first layer is corrected by the plugin to 0.2 + 0.15 = 0.35 (see line 46 of the gcode file you attached)

[RudydG 62]

Will look further into this later. (can't remember setting a different Z offset for the left and right extruder?)

And will do some test when the machine is free.

 

[RudydG 62]

16 hours ago, Link said:

What is a spacer for Y belt holder ??

I don't even remember, it was a small design, probably for some Prusa type printer.

[ahoeben 1,948]

I think the logic of just taking the lowest value between the two extruder values is flawed. I can't really remember why I ended up doing it that way. I think taking the value of whichever extruder is used first (which is normally the extruder used for the skirt/brim/raft) makes more sense.

 

In previous versions there was only a single value that was shared between all extruders automatically. That was changed so a value could be saved in a profile per material (eg using the Material Settings plugin).

[RudydG 62]

But i can't find a settings where my layer height is different for extruder 1 and 2, not in printer or material settings.

Am i missing something?