UM2 - printing via USB

[MironT 0]

Dear all,

The laptop I am currently using to draw models and export printing files from Cura (version 4.3.0) does not allow communication with SD cards without BitLocker encryption. Therefore, my UM2 can't read the card.

The only option that is left is to print via USB, which gives the following issue:

 When clicking "Print via USB", the head immediately starts to traveling (along a path that appears to be the correct contour of the product I am trying to print) , but without heating the bed and the nozzle, without raising the bed into the correct position and without extruding (feeder is not activated either). 

 

What is going wrong here? 

Thanks in advance!

Miron

[tinkergnome 927]

1 hour ago, MironT said:

What is going wrong here?

 

in short:

"Ultimaker" gcode flavor does work only for prints from sd-card.

If you want to print via USB - change "GCode flavor" to "Marlin" (machine settings in Cura)

 

important difference:

Material settings on the printer (temperatures and retraction settings) are not longer used. Everything has to be configured in Cura.

 

[MironT 0]

Thanks! That did the trick.

One last question: is there a way to keep the printer printing while removing the USB cable? 

[P3D 46]

40 minutes ago, MironT said:

Thanks! That did the trick.

One last question: is there a way to keep the printer printing while removing the USB cable? 

 

No, since (if I understand this correctly) Cura is directly sending the G-Code instructions to the printer in real time if you're printing over USB.

[johnse 31]

When printing via USB that way, @P3D is correct. Also, be sure to set the PC to never go to sleep.

 

if you want to not be tethered like that, you can get a Raspberry Pi and install Octopi, the Octoprint version built for the Pi. This runs as a 3D Print server and there is a Cura plug-in to let you print directly to it via the network. When I set mine up, I didn’t have luck connecting it via hardwired Ethernet, but it worked fine using WiFi with a little USB WiFi dongle.