Feature request: named parts in gcode comments

[TurboTas 2]

Hi there, I've been looking at the Cura output GCODE and the comments are really useful, for example  ;TYPE:WALL-OUTER

I've been thinking that if the different parts on the bed could be named or numbered and then commented in the GCODE, then it would be possible for CURA (or whatever software is used to actually print (Octoprint in my case) could be used to live splice sections out of the GCODE on a part by part basis while printing - subject to the print software supporting named parts.

 

The use case that I'm thinking of is that on a long, multi-part, print:  One part breaks free.  At the mo, that's a failed print - the spaghetti will ruin the rest of the parts, cause a domino effect   With a live-splice capability the user could dump that part from subsequent layers.  Obviously the print management software would need to support the live splice capability, but part one of this is the gcode comments identifying the various parts by name or by number etc....

 

Coupled with this, it it possible to force an ooze/wipe tower even on a single nozzle setup?

 

Thoughts?  Crazy?  

[gr5 2,224]

very cool idea.  Even if it's just numbered parts.  The display can show the number of part currently printing so you know which one needs to be 'spliced out'.  Although it's a little more complicated as you have to adjust extrusion amounts also: say you are extruding 3mm of filament per part, after you skip one part you will see a sudden jump of the E value (extruder) by 3mm but you have to subtract off that 3mm from all future E values.  and then on the next layer when you skip it again you have to subtrace 6mm from future E values and so on.

 

Not that hard to do but it's another detail.

 

 

[gr5 2,224]

On further thought - why are your parts coming loose?  I don't get parts come loose like you describe.  Maybe you should concentrate on that issue.  🙂

 

Here's a long but information packed video talking about how to keep parts from EVER EVER COMING LOOSE.

 

 

 

[TurboTas 2]

That's a great point, it definitely my bad that parts are coming loose.  I'm printing a field of identical tall narrow parts and without support.  Fettling is important, but I'm not sure that print failures due to adhesion (or whatever) are that unusual and the ability to live splice out copies is not that much of an edge case.  But you are right it would be tricky - I checked that XYZ being absolute presents no issue, but never spotted that estep also being absolute would be an issue 😉  you've not to recalculate every layer which is a bugger.  Oh well.  Let's park it in the round ideas receptacle!

 

 

 

[gr5 2,224]

I was just told that there are several versions of Firmware that support this exact feature already!  Including the latest Marlin (which Ultimaker has drifted from), and Duet might support it.  Also Octoprint might support that.

 

But then you need some slicer to support this also.  Not sure which slicers support it.

[burtoogle 516]

Cura and Octoprint already support this feature...

 

Look for ;MESH comments in the gcode.

 

[TurboTas 2]

2 hours ago, burtoogle said:

Cura and Octoprint already support this feature...

 

Look for ;MESH comments in the gcode.

 

Hi there,

I don't think that's quite correct - I have 3 separate parts on the bed, but there is only one mesh comment per layer. For my idea to work it would need something like a ';PART XYZ' comment as it moves over the bed within a layer working on the WALL-INNER, WALL-OUTER, SKIN, FILL for each part.

 

Cheers

 

[burtoogle 516]

Could you please save the project file (File -> Save) and attach to this thread? Thanks.

[TurboTas 2]

6 hours ago, gr5 said:

I was just told that there are several versions of Firmware that support this exact feature already!  Including the latest Marlin (which Ultimaker has drifted from), and Duet might support it.  Also Octoprint might support that.

 

But then you need some slicer to support this also.  Not sure which slicers support it.

That's awesome, thanks!  Do you know if the feature has a proper name and I can start looking for that in octoprint or my printer firmware?

[burtoogle 516]

 

I have this installed, not sure I have ever actually used it.

 

https://github.com/paukstelis/OctoPrint-Cancelobject

 

 

[TurboTas 2]

8 minutes ago, burtoogle said:

Could you please save the project file (File -> Save) and attach to this thread? Thanks.

Sure thing, attached to this post.  in the .model fileThreePartNameTest.3mf you can spot the 3 distinct parts each numbered but never referred to in the GCODE comment.  I'm not reporting this as a bug, more a feature request 😉

[TurboTas 2]

2 minutes ago, burtoogle said:

 

I have this installed, not sure I have ever actually used it.

 

https://github.com/paukstelis/OctoPrint-Cancelobject

 

 

WOW! Thats's EXACTLY it, thanks - checking it out now.

 

[TurboTas 2]

4 minutes ago, TurboTas said:

Sure thing, attached to this post.  in the .model fileThreePartNameTest.3mf you can spot the 3 distinct parts each numbered but never referred to in the GCODE comment.  I'm not reporting this as a bug, more a feature request 😉

 

3 minutes ago, TurboTas said:

WOW! Thats's EXACTLY it, thanks - checking it out now.

 

 

Getting interesting - My version of CURA _should_ be naming parts.  Getting Vanilla CURA version and checking it out - Stand by!

 Thanks both!

 

[burtoogle 516]

Thanks for the file, I sliced it and then searched for MESH...

 

;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH

 

and so on

[burtoogle 516]

BTW, if you have the mesh tools plugin installed, you can rename selected parts so that the mesh names make more sense. Just right click on the part and use the mesh tools portion of the context menu.

[TurboTas 2]

3 minutes ago, burtoogle said:

Thanks for the file, I sliced it and then searched for MESH...

 

;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(2)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf(1)
;MESH:ThreePartNameTest.3mf
;MESH:NONMESH

 

and so on

Awesome, thankyou! I'm grabbing 'Proper' CURA version now as mine is not doing that!

[TurboTas 2]

6 minutes ago, burtoogle said:

BTW, if you have the mesh tools plugin installed, you can rename selected parts so that the mesh names make more sense. Just right click on the part and use the mesh tools portion of the context menu.

That's a great steer, thanks!

 

I had what I thought was a great idea.  Then discovered that someone had thought of all this years ago and I had just failed in my 'research' (Google).  Thanks Again.