Cura 4.6.1 New User Stupid Questions

[toysbyus 0]

Please excuse the stupidity of the questions that am asking. I replaced an old Makerbot FDM printer when it crapped out with an AnyCubic i3S which so far works like a charm.........I was used to the Makerware slicing appl. and Cura is a new thing for an older guy so here goes:

 

1) How can I soon in to view the new stl file once I load it into Cura?

 

2) Can I change the units from MM to inches?

 

I'm 73 so please be patient.........I follow directions well so show me the way and I'll happily follow along.

 

I'm a retired toy designer (GI Joe, Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, slot cars and aircraft....and on and on......

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Stay well and safe!

 

Steve (AKA Slipstream)

[gr5 2,173]

mouse wheel zooms.  Alternate: + and - keys (either on main keyboard or on keypad - doesn't matter.  "=" works same as "+")

Right click and drag to orbit (or the 4 arrow keys work if you click on the grid away from any part first)

shift+right click and drag to pan

 

I use all three of those actions.  Everytime I use cura.

 

Middle mouse drag also does something (maybe?) but I don't have a middle mouse so I'm not sure what.

[gr5 2,173]

#2 - No.  Cura programmers all are in Europe and feel that inches is a barbarian measurement.  There is a barbarian plugin but doesn't allow you to view in inches (pretty sure).  It only allows you to convert STL files from inches to mm.

 

Metric is something you may just have to learn.  I find having a metric ruler around and if you memorize 1cm (how big it is) a few times, it gets easy fast.  The visible grid in Cura has 1cm (10mm) squares for reference.

 

[toysbyus 0]

Hello gr5!

 

Thanks so much......there it was RIGHT in front of me, the "zoom" function. Knew that it had to be there BUT haven't spent much time with Cura yet...but surely will so thanks for directing me to the appropriate commands.

 

I actually use Metric quite a bit but it never is as easy as the old SAE system..........I've been converting from inches to mm anyway but thought that there MIGHT have been a user-controlled pref.

 

Thanks so much for the help, you just made my life easier!

 

Thanks, stay well and safe!

 

Steve

[gr5 2,173]

The thing I hate the most about inches.  HATE IT.  Is when I'm using a micrometer and it says the hole is 0.182 inches in diameter - then I'm like - okay what drill is that?

 

With mm it's simple.  If the micrometer says the hole is 2.99mm in diameter then I must have used a 3mm drill or will need one to make a similar hole.

 

Same with screw threads, screw diameters, part measurements of every type and so on.  Unless I already know the ratio (e.g. oh yeah - that's 3/16 of an inch) then it sucks converting between fractions and decimals all the time.

 

[toysbyus 0]

Sorry, just saw this response. I agree with you about the inches to mm thing. When I'm using my 3D appl, Ashlar Xenon, the dimensions are very much like AI, in that I can set preferences to display them BUT even there, I'm using decimals NOT fractions........at my ripe old age, I'll continue building 3D in inches because I can visualize what a 3" diameter cylinder might look like, compare to, say, my hand BUT a 77 mm diameter cylinder doesn't mean anything to me........

 

Seriously, thanks for the help........just eliminated my last gripe about transferring over to Cura from Makerware......

 

Stay well and safe!

 

Steve

[manac 0]

Solidworks is nice.  I can design in mm or in.  When I export to an stl it has a setting to always write the stl in mm.  The 3d printer world is defiantly a metric world.  I work for Pratt and Whitney even though it’s 2020 we still design our engines in inches.

[manac 0]

On 8/17/2020 at 3:42 PM, gr5 said:

The thing I hate the most about inches.  HATE IT.  Is when I'm using a micrometer and it says the hole is 0.182 inches in diameter - then I'm like - okay what drill is that?

That’s why I always have used a Mitutoyo digital mic or caliper.  Push a button and it coverts the reading for you.  #14 by the way.

 

[toysbyus 0]

If I was not towards the end of my working life, I'd pick up the digital caliper in a heartbeat........doing the inch to mm step isn't THAT bad.........

 

Steve