Arc Welder Anti Stutter plugin

[GregValiant 1,251]

I haven't gotten that deep into it but I am using it for parts with lots of radii.

 

I did find a downside.  I have my own pause routine that sends M25 to pause a print.  When using G1 commands and printing around a 65mm diameter cylinder - the M25 gets acted on after about .2 seconds (7 lines of Gcode).  When using G2-3 commands it takes a while (up to 35 seconds) for the M25 to get to the front of the queue to pause the print.  It can be an issue if I'm pausing to do a hot pull to clear a bowden problem or making an emergency adjustment to save a print.

 

Edit:  The same issue occurs when attempting to adjust Flow, Speed, Hot End Temp, Bed Temp or Fan speed during a print.  It takes a long time for the queue to move.  I don't think this can be addressed (at least not on my Ender with Marlin 1.1.8).

Edited November 30, 2020 by GregValiant
Another thought.

[ahoeben 1,948]

Here's a new development snapshot, including the options added by @Cuq and the 1.0.0 release of @FormerLurker's commandline version of ArcWelder.

[ahoeben 1,948]

On 11/22/2020 at 3:24 AM, UbuntuBirdy said:

[Error 13] Keine Berechtigung => (No authorization) when trying to save the gcode.

This should be fixed in the new development snapshot. Could you check?

[UbuntuBirdy 56]

 

19 minutes ago, ahoeben said:

This should be fixed in the new development snapshot. Could you check?

Sorry, same error 13 like before.

[Cuq 198]

1 hour ago, ahoeben said:

Here's a new development snapshot, including the options added by @Cuq and the 1.0.0 release of @FormerLurker's commandline version of ArcWelder.

 .. I need to make some new tests .. since we used the version 1.0.0 of the commandline version. The Gcode is now much more longer 

[Cuq 198]

And much more worryingly, the result in NCViewer also appears to be invalid. Be careful before testing this new version. 

the Layer in Cura

The code tested

The new code ?

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Cuq

[FormerLurker 24]

Updating this to note that the issues pointed out by @cuq have been resolved.  I moved some code around to support counting of arcs aborted due to the firmware compensation, but missed a step.  In my haste I just replaced the 1.0.0 release (though in the future I will update the version number appropriately, but have been putting out forest fires recently and breaking my own rules).  The new artifacts are available in the 1.0.0 release.

There still could be some small glitches with the firmware compensation.  Testing that more completely now.  @cuq has suggested that a default of 14 for minimum arcs works better than 12, as I had been using.  If you are using any version of marlin that does not contain the enhanced arc settings, I highly recommend using the firmware compensation, even if it does reduce compression somewhat. 

[ahoeben 1,948]

I have submitted an updated version of the plugin for inclusion in the Marketplace.

[Hilbe 0]

Trying to understand, how this plugin, the Cura OctoPrint plugin, and Arc-Welder all play together.  I have AW loaded on my OctoPrint instance already.  Any special setup for AW on OctoPrint to accept the "Print" button aka Cura OctoPrint plugin?

[ahoeben 1,948]

I think the best option is to use the ArcWelder plugin in Cura, and to deactivate it on OctoPrint. This has the benefit that the file gets processed on your (likely more powerful) computer that you slice with instead of the (slower) computer that OctoPrint runs on. There is no use in processing the file on both ends.

 

Once @FormerLurker and I figure out a way to have the Cura OctoPrint connection plugin detect that processing of the file on OctoPrint is done I can make the plugin start the print automatically.

[Hilbe 0]

Thank you.  Any update on Marketplace?  Want to make sure I'm always running the latest and greatest.

[ahoeben 1,948]

The plugin needs to be reviewed before it is published on the Marketplace. That normally takes between half a week and two weeks.

[Hilbe 0]

I'm getting "[Errno 13] Permission Denied" when I try to use Cura OctoPrint Print button with Arc Welder checked in Cura.  It slices it, but trying to send the file to OctoPrint throws that error.

[ahoeben 1,948]

@Hilbe, what OS do you use? The development snapshots linked above do have that issue on Linux (and possibly OSX).

[Hilbe 0]

OSX 😞

[production 1]

On 11/22/2020 at 7:24 AM, UbuntuBirdy said:

[Error 13] Keine Berechtigung => (No authorization) when trying to save the gcode.

 

Cura 4.8

Ubuntu 20.04

 

 

Open Terminal, type:

chmod 777 /Users/[USERNAME]/Library/Application\ Support/cura/4.7/plugins/ArcWelderPlugin/ArcWelderPlugin/bin/osx/ArcWelder

Press Enter

[ahoeben 1,948]

Thanks @production, the version that I have submitted to the Marketplace (you might say "the production version") does that automatically for you.

[UbuntuBirdy 56]

7 hours ago, production said:

Open Terminal, type:

chmod 777 /Users/[USERNAME]/Library/Application\ Support/cura/4.7/plugins/ArcWelderPlugin/ArcWelderPlugin/bin/osx/ArcWelder

Press Enter

Thanks, but I'm hesitating to type something like "osx" in my Ubuntu terminal...

[FormerLurker 24]

Fyi @ahoeben, some issues with the binaries you are using have been discovered:

1.  In some cases depending on the gcode precision, both I and J can be rounded to 0, which will cause a 'bad parameters' reply from the printer.  If running from Octoprint, this will disconnect the user unfortunately 😞 In these cases the radius is so small that simply skipping the command would be fine.  In every case I've seen the distance traveled was right around 0.001mm, but due to the disconnect this needed immediate correction.
2.  This should not really affect the cura plugin, but in some cases the 'dynamic gcode precision' feature I added a while back can cause the precision to grow beyond what marlin allows in a single line of gcode.  I've seen this so far only from a user who ran their gcode through a tool that was producing ridiculously high precision (like 10 decimal places or something).  Arc welder saw this and bumped up the precision accordingly, causing the problem.  I've added a few parameters to control this, but I think the cura plugin should simply match the output of cura itself.  The default is 3 decimals for XYZIJ, 5 for E and 0 for F (integer F), and dynamic precision is disabled.

I worked on the above issues for a long time, and was in the middle of some fun performance enhancements.  I decided to merge the code after fixing issues 1 and 2.  The result is about a 50% reduction in processing time.  Still testing all of this.

Hopefully these binaries stabilize soon 🙂

[ahoeben 1,948]

The plugin is now available for general consumption in the Ultimaker Marketplace.

[UbuntuBirdy 56]

So far I have only searched the G-code for G2 and G3 when testing. Today I wanted to test the plugin for the first time with a real print: unfortunately unsuccessful ...

Even before the print starts, my UM2+ asks me whether I really want to allow the G-code to ignore the printer's settings.

Well, let's try, I thought. And the printer starts right away: in the corner of the home position, it prints straight away without first heating up the bed or at least the nozzle and it keeps moving to the limit switch ...
ArcWelder is apparently not usable for me ... What a shame ...

What am I doing wrong???

[GregValiant 1,251]

I don't get involved in Ultimaker machine discussions because I don't know them, but gcode is gcode.  If the instructions were in the file then the printer should have read them and followed orders.

Post that gcode file.  I don't use the plugin either but I do find the topic interesting.  I also find the noises interesting.  The sound of words and concepts flying by about 3 meters over my head gets my blood flowing.  (geez...I gotta get a life.)

[ahoeben 1,948]

9 hours ago, UbuntuBirdy said:

Even before the print starts, my UM2+ asks me whether I really want to allow the G-code to ignore the printer's settings.

It looks like the printer is no longer recognising the gcode file as an Ulticode flavor file. You could try setting the gcode flavor to Marlin (instead of "Ultimaker 2"). That way you will still get the same warning, but at least you should get a working gcode file again.

 

I can see if I can "repair" an Ulticode file after it has been processed.

[UbuntuBirdy 56]

7 hours ago, ahoeben said:

I can see if I can "repair" an Ulticode file after it has been processed.

If you want to, but do it not for me. My UM2+ gets a new PCB next week..

[nallath 1,120]

Note; you might actually want to decrease the max resolution settings when using this plugin. Lines per segment aren't that important anymore (As such, you don't want any simplifications going on before you weld the lines together)