No print button in software

Wiebob · January 5, 2020

I'm currently running Cura 4.4.1, with a Monoprice Maker Select v2 printer, connected via USB, under Windows 10.

Simplify3D prints just fine, but I wanted to try Cura out. Unfortunately, the only option I get after slicing the file is to save...Print is not an option.

I've searched around the internet, and nothing suggested works, even though it seems to for others with the same issue. This is my last resort after spending a couple of hours trying to fix this, just about ready to give up on Cura.

I tried changing the gcode flavor to reprap, as several posts suggested, but still no print button.

One post had me create a *.json file (ultimaker2_plus_reprap.def.json) with some code I pasted in, and sure enough, that showed up as a new printer, which I selected. But then the same thing happened, no option to print.

Any ideas?

AndersK · January 6, 2020

That is most likely due to Cura not connected to the printer.

Check under manager printers if it is listed or not

ahoeben · January 6, 2020

If an USB-connected printer is not detected by Cura, there is nothing you can do with the printer definition (*.def.json) that can fix this.

USB printing in Cura is not something that is actively supported by Ultimaker, because it has not been recommended or even possible with their printers to use USB printing. So the USB Printing that is provided by Cura is basically provided as-is. If it works, it works. If not: sorry, you are going to have to use other software to connect with the printer to print the gcode produced by Cura (eg PrintRun/pronterface, or OctoPrint).

Having said that, I am working - on and of - on a plugin that replaces the current USB Printing functionality with the functional part of pronterface. Progress is slow, mainly because I don't use direct USB printing myself either.

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-SerialConnection

You can sponsor my work on this plugin (and others): https://github.com/sponsors/fieldofview