Cura 4.5 is slower than 3.6 with same settings

[CrispyDragon 1]

hi all,

I still use Cura v3.6 as i found v4.x to have too many issues for me to rely upon. (such as the model now moves to the right and behind the settings menu when you zoom in/out)

I have just installed v4.5 alongside v3.6 hoping that has improved however the issue above was still there (annoying but not a big issue), Also some settings (such as print and travel acceleration) don't show on the menu despite being enabled in the options. But they do appear when you search for them.

In some ways I like some of the new features in v4.5, but it leaves me feeling I can't trust it or that it will just take longer to print even with the same settings.

 

Anyway I loaded the same test model into v3.6 and v4.5. Configured the same settings on v4.5 that I use on v3.6, however while v3.6 estimates 10hrs 46mins, v4.5 estimates 13hrs 4 mins. And v3.6 shows that it will use slightly more filament in that faster print time! 54.3933m for v3.6 vs 54.1861m for v4.5.

 

Does it have some hidden settings where the default has changed (I've found several changes so far that I had to change back - some were actually set faster in v4.5 than in v3.6 but v4.5 still gave a longer print time)

Maybe I've missed something, but it's not something that is obvious or visible in the basic settings.

Does anyone else have the same issues, or have an answer to the riddle for me?

 

I'm happy with v3.6, but I would like to try some of the new features in v4.x without having to spend more time printing.

 

thanks.

[bagel-orb 61]

What printer?

 

Probably acceleration and jerk settings.

 

The defaults might have changed in order to ensure a higher print quality.

[CrispyDragon 1]

hi Bagel-orb,

Thanks for the reply.

 

I have a Creality CR-10 with standard/basic printer settings in Cura.

Running Win7 x64 Pro with all updates.

Printing off an SD card.

Some Jerk and acceleration settings had been changed as you suggest (as well as things like low quality changing from .3mm to .28mm), but I had already changed these to match v3.6 values for my comparison. I'm missing something as I have just tried a few more files and v4.5 gives slower print time for all of them.

The files are saved as STL from Fusion 360 onto a local drive, and then loaded into Cura by either double clicking on them or drag and drop into an already opened Cura. I tried both methods to see if there was a difference.

 

I'll have to go through all the settings 1 by 1 again, as I must have missed something.

 

 

 

 

[CrispyDragon 1]

Is there a little app that can read the settings from a v3.6 and a v4.5 Cura generated gcode file so they can be compared?

 

As they already know the formats and gcode they generate, one of the Cura dev's could probably knock up a rough and ready app /script in a few minutes. Even if generated a text file from each one that lists something like:

option 1 : value

option 2 : value

.

.

.

I can then load them into excel and compare their values.

 

They probably even have this already as a quick validation tool when they develop new versions of the app.

Also it would be very useful to be able to import or read the settings from an old gcode file that you know works really well for a specific print, that you haven't printed for a while. Currently I do this manually for the main settings that are easy to read.

 

[ahoeben 1,948]

On 3/14/2020 at 4:18 PM, CrispyDragon said:

Is there a little app that can read the settings from a v3.6 and a v4.5 Cura generated gcode file

 

No. A normal gcode file does not contain all the settings, only the results of using all settings. So unfortunately, gcode files are the wrong place to look at.

 

On 3/14/2020 at 4:18 PM, CrispyDragon said:

one of the Cura dev's could probably knock up a rough and ready app /script in a few minutes.

 

I can imaging a plugin that exports a flattened version of the settings "stack" that Cura uses for printing, which would work on both Cura 3.6 and Cura 4.5. Two exports, one from each version, could then be compared/"diffed". But I doubt that it would take only a few minutes, especially when taking into account multiple extruders (which a Cura dev would have to do). I've written my fair share of plugins for Cura.

 

I think it would be quicker to manually compare the definition files for the printer between versions:

This is 3.6:

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/blob/3.6/resources/definitions/creality_cr10.def.json#L16

For 4.5, the values are mostly set here:

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/blob/4.5/resources/definitions/creality_base.def.json#L126

[ahoeben 1,948]

The biggest change for the CR-10 in Cura was that in Cura 4.3 (or was it 4.2?) the Creawsome mod definitions were chosen as the basis for all Creality printers.

[bagel-orb 61]

19 minutes ago, ahoeben said:

 

No. A normal gcode file does not contain all the settings, only the results of using all settings. So unfortunately, gcode files are the wrong place to look at.

 

 

 

A Cura generated gcode does contain the settings at the end of the file.

You can load the settings from a gcode file by Manage Profiles > IMport > select gcode.

[ahoeben 1,948]

Only the user settings though, NOT the settings specified in the machine definition

[bagel-orb 61]

Ah yes. Indeed.

[ahoeben 1,948]

.

Edited March 15, 2020 by ahoeben

[CrispyDragon 1]

@ahoeben, @bagel-orb,

Thanks very much for your replies. All are of use to me.

I've compared the settings I could read at the start and end of the gcode files, with no real differences (other than layout).

I've also downloaded the definition files and will be going through them properly later today.

On the initial very brief look there appears to be a number of differences, but I'll compare them properly later to see how they affect the timing and quality.

Thanks again.

David.

 

[Aldimann42 0]

@CrispyDragon do you have any new information according to that topic?

I've exactly the same problem with my ender 3. Standard profile in cura 4.5 and draft profile on cura 4.0.

 

4.0 calculates 8h 21 mins

4.5 says 14h 29 mins

 

And it also feels awfully slow. I  can not explain where those addition 6h come from.