print form usb gone?

[Gravesly 0]

Hello all!

Ive looked thru the forums and havent found anything on this issue specific to mine, so I apologize if this has been asked.
Ive used the print from usb on cura before, and now its not showing up. Only save to files. Am I missing something? I have a creality cr10s pro, and every time I change the usb cord to a different port, it connects to the printer. So I dot think its a connectivity issue. 
Thanks in advance for helping a very frustrated newbie out that cant seem to find an answer online yet.

[Smithy 1,144]

Unfortunately I don't have a solution for this problem, but printing via USB is not maintained anymore by Ultimaker because it is not used (for a long time) for UM printers. Besides that it is generally not recommended to print via USB, better use the SD card which is more reliable.

[GregValiant 1,251]

If you go to the MarketPlace and check under "Installed" then USB Printing should be down the list.  Make sure the box is ticked.

If it isn't there you could install an earlier version of Cura that includes USB printing.  As Smithy says, it isn't used or recommended for Ultimaker machines and hasn't been maintained or updated.  Pronterface/Printrun is an option as is Octoprint/Raspberrry Pi.

For me, the SD card is simple and easy to understand.

[WoodSketcher 0]

I have an ANeT A8 and it works fine over USB using MatterControl.  I installed CURA 4.8.0, but it is not seeing the printer over USB.  I checked the Installed section of Marketplace and USB is installed, yet it still does not see the printer.  I'd like to get this working because it is an excellent way to manually control the printer from the PC without the added complexity of something like OctoPrint.  Anyone know how I can get this working?

[GregValiant 1,251]

It sees my Creality machine just fine.  Have you tried using different USB ports on the computer?  I don't know about Cura but some installers only put the USB to Serial connectivity on 1 port.  The other ports don't have the drivers and so if the printer is connected to one of those it won't be noticed.  One thing I did notice is that after starting Cura it takes about a minute for Cura to acknowledge communication with the printer.  Then the Monitor screen comes to life.

[BradLevy 4]

Depending on whether the printer was hooked up when Cura was started, you may need to activate the printer before printing to USB shows up as an alternative to save to disk / save to removable drive.

To activate the printer, select Settings > Printer > Manage Printers, click on the printer in the list of Preset Printers, then click on the Activate button.

[treereaver 2]

OK.  This does not work.  Why, oh, why did Ultimaker remove this facility?  Using an SD card while experimenting with a print is a huge waste of time! Switching the printer off to safely remove the card, fit the card into an adaptor, plug into the PC, download the gcode, safely remove the SD card,  remove it from the adaptor, plug it into the printer, turn on the printer (to protect the card), find the gcode file then press go.  Only to find the extruder rate was too low so repeat the whole process again and again.  As opposed to one mouse click!! I will probably end up voting with my feet and swap to an alternative.  Cura 4.3 maybe. 

[GregValiant 1,251]

It works for me in 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, and Arachne.  I think something else must be going on between your computer and your printer.

[treereaver 2]

Thanks for this.  I'll work on it for now.

[treereaver 2]

Hi GregValiant.  

 

    Your answer gave me the answer!!!  You stated that it worked so it had to be me or my PC.  It was my (continued) stupidity.  Unplug the cable.  Then plug it back in. Sorry to all concerned!  I should have known,  but my PC does not make the connection and disconnection trill when I turn this (new) printer on and off and I never saw (heard) the problem until you convinced me it worked and that it was my fault!

 

Thanks again.

[GameRickster 0]

On 3/18/2021 at 5:47 AM, GregValiant said:

It works for me in 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, and Arachne.  I think something else must be going on between your computer and your printer.

 

 

On 3/18/2021 at 7:24 AM, treereaver said:

Hi GregValiant.  

 

    Your answer gave me the answer!!!  You stated that it worked so it had to be me or my PC.  It was my (continued) stupidity.  Unplug the cable.  Then plug it back in. Sorry to all concerned!  I should have known,  but my PC does not make the connection and disconnection trill when I turn this (new) printer on and off and I never saw (heard) the problem until you convinced me it worked and that it was my fault!

 

Thanks again.

 How you make it work? You turn printer on and off while PC was on? Thanks in advance.

[GregValiant 1,251]

There are no guarantees but this should work.  You must have "USB Printing" installed and enabled in Cura:

1. Close Cura.
2. Turn off the printer and disconnect the USB cable.
3. Power on the printer.  Let it finish the "boot-up" process.
4. Plug the USB cable into the printer and computer (it doesn't matter which end goes first).
   1. The printer sees the 5 volt signal from the USB cable and likely will do an "external reset" which will look a lot like it's re-booting.  Let that finish.

Now the printer knows it's connected and the computer should also notice it's connected. 

Start Cura and it should notice the printer is there and open the port for communication.  There are no further controls in Cura for handling the port.  If the default port parameters (baud rate, parity, stopbits, etc.) don't work then you are SOL because they can't be adjusted.

 

I have a program I wrote that handles all communication with my printer.  It's very handy and I never have to use the knob on the LCD and my printer is connected to the computer all the time.  I NEVER print via USB.  I could print via USB but I don't because it's a poor choice.

[Zalmo 2]

Hello There 3D people! :)

I stumbled over this thread in an extensive effort to find how to print over USB on my original Creality Ender3 from Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0.

 

I had Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0 installed as the sole slicer software and couldn't print via USB by default so I ended up performing a few steps which ultimately allowed me to usb print SUCCESSFULLY!

 

I needed to print via USB because I needed to tweak the PETG settings before printing parts, and running around with a SD card was taking too much time. Finding how to print via USB took too much time as well btw :))).

 

So here's what's happening:

1. Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0 has usb support still.

2. In order to print to USB, make sure your PC is connected via USB PRIOR to opening Cura. After you sliced your object, the "Save to File" option will show up, and after 5 more seconds, the button itself will show a dropdown arrow. if you click on that, you get the magic option of "print via USB".

 

EVRIKA!!! I just wish a moderator would have made this mention super clean in a post somewhere.

 

Now it's worth mentioning that you don't get to specify the COM port or BAUD rate.So the only way to get this going would be to install an older version, connect via usb successfully, and than upgrade. Yes, lame but it works.

 

Also keep in mind that you need to setup USB drivers in Windows in order to translate Serial over USB signal, so check your device manager make sure you have drivers set up correctly.

 

Well I hope this post passes the stringent moderator approval process and spares a few people some time in figuring out this issue.

 

Cheers!

[gr5 2,172]

If only it were always so easy that you just have to restart Cura!  I mean usually it is that easy but sometimes you have to install the USB-serial driver.  Sometimes (one windows) the COM port is a very large number and Cura can't seem to find it.  

[Zalmo 2]

3 hours ago, gr5 said:

If only it were always so easy that you just have to restart Cura!  I mean usually it is that easy but sometimes you have to install the USB-serial driver.  Sometimes (one windows) the COM port is a very large number and Cura can't seem to find it.  

 

Indeed gr5, at times, Windows can slap a super high port number. However, there is a workaround to that as well.

 

I am posting this in hopes that other users do not get discouraged about printing over USB. I personally believe that is a necessary feature to have, especially when you try to tweak your print settings in order to save some good print profiles in Cura. I like that Cura allows you to save profiles, and that it has soo many print options. However, for those users that do not want to bother themselves with a raspberry pi attached to the 3D printer, USB is a way to go when it comes to tweaking settings.

So let's demystify this high port number value thing that really happens sometimes:

 

Here's how you fix that:

 

Get rid of COM ports you don't need. (Unless you live in the '90's :)) ). Than do it by listening to" Backstreet Boys"! :))

Unplug your PC from 3D printer USB port first

 

1. Start command prompt with Administrative rights (right click run as administrator)

2. Change registry setting by typing: SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

3. Next type: devmgmt.msc

4. Once device manager opens, got to VIEW and check "Show hidden devices"

5. Now look at com ports, you will see a lot of them in transparent icons. Right click and uninstall or delete them. Uninstall is preferred if available.

6. Congrats, now you got rid of drivers you don't need currently.

7. Plug in your 3D printer USB port again, and look at the COM port value you receive.

 

If COM Port value is still too high here's plan B: In the same Device manager

 

1. right click the COM port for the 3D printer and select PROPERTIES

2. In "Port Settings" tab, select "Advanced"

3. Look for "COM Port Number" setting, and from the dropdown list, select a lower COM value THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY IN USE by another driver.

4. Click OK and confirm all the way out of all subsequent menus.

5. CONGRATS!!! You lowerred your port number. Now CURA should be happy again.

 

Ok 3D people. That's all I have for you on this antiquated technology.

Have fun!

[vmgaspar 0]

Hello, I have a DaVinci XYZ Pro 1.0 printer that is installed as a COM3 USB port, and there is no way I can make Cura 4.8.0 "See" that port, and therefore there is no way for me to print the G code it generates. Incredibly enough I have seen that some people in this thread have made their computer see their printer, but I can't seem to do it. There is a Microsoft APP called 3D Builder that does see the printer and works, but it has very little power compared to Cura. The only option I can think of is maybe OctoPrint, but it is more complicated and I really can't understand how come both XYZ Printing app and 3D Builder from MS can see the port and Cura can't. It just doesn't make sense to me! The worst thing is that this printer hasn't even got an SD Card system to put the G Code in and print like other printers which renders the Cura program unusable until the issue is resolved. Thank you

[gr5 2,172]

1) You can slice in cura and save the gcode file and print using different software.  If you go that route I recommend this software which is much better at printing over USB than cura:

http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/

 

2) Cura can't open the comm port if some other app has it open so make really really sure that all copies of 3d builder are NOT running.  Not even a hint of it in the background somewhere.

 

3) What is the com port number as reported in device manager?

[Zalmo 2]

2 hours ago, vmgaspar said:

Hello, I have a DaVinci XYZ Pro 1.0 printer that is installed as a COM3 USB port, and there is no way I can make Cura 4.8.0 "See" that port, and therefore there is no way for me to print the G code it generates. Incredibly enough I have seen that some people in this thread have made their computer see their printer, but I can't seem to do it. There is a Microsoft APP called 3D Builder that does see the printer and works, but it has very little power compared to Cura. The only option I can think of is maybe OctoPrint, but it is more complicated and I really can't understand how come both XYZ Printing app and 3D Builder from MS can see the port and Cura can't. It just doesn't make sense to me! The worst thing is that this printer hasn't even got an SD Card system to put the G Code in and print like other printers which renders the Cura program unusable until the issue is resolved. Thank you

Have you tried starting Cura with administrative rights?

That is: Right click on Cura executable, and select run as Administrator.

I suspect CURA doesn't have sufficient rights to use the Serial drivers which obviously work with other applications you are running.

Also, Richg click Properties, select Security tab, and make sure "System" User group has all rights checked.

You can also create a security group, introduce your current user, and assign it to both COM driver and CURA software. That one is a bit more involved.

[vmgaspar 0]

Thank you very much for your suggestions. Starting Cura with administrative rights doesn't seem to work to solve the problem and the "System" user group has all rights checked. I'll ty the idea of creating a  security group. I have also tried Printrun's  Pronterface, it seems to find the COM3 port, but the printer doesn't seem to take any notice of it. I guess it's a strange printer driver from XYZ Printing. In the device manager it comes as "XYZprinting da Vinci 1.0 Professional (COM3)" the port settings are set as 9600 bps,8 data bits,No Parity, 1 Stop bit and no Flow control. I have tried the default of 115200 bps and also changed it to 9600 but still in debug mode pronterface sends the M105 command and, althouhg I guess I should 'see' something, somewhere, I don't get anything. In any case, I'll investigate this lead which looks promising. Congratulations to this active community and thank you once again.

[GregValiant 1,251]

I haven't been able to find anything regarding the port settings for the XYZ printers.  Have you tried 230400 baud rate?  It definitely won't be as low as 9600.

[liamwerk7676 0]

no its not gone i was in cura 4.12.2 adn print t usb pop up but when i clicked it it disepired

[cmudrama 0]

My Cura will only allow me to save to disk now. I recently upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7. I have done all applicable updates to Windows and Cura.

 I have it connected to our ethernet hub and it says it is connected but will not let me send a file to the printer.

Also my USB removeable drives are not showing up in my Windows explorer.

The old files I have on the drive still show up on the printer.

Anyone else having this problem?