Add a Pause in GCode

[jeex 35]

Hi All,

 

My next project is printed in parts. One part needs to be added to the part that is in the printer. So, I manually pause the printer, so I can add the other part. Then, I continue printing.

 

Question: is there a GCode Command that I can add in the GCode file, so that the printers pauses automatically at the right line? Or is there a function in Cura or a plugin that can do that?

 

Thanks.

Edited December 16, 2020 by jeex

[jeex 35]

Or is there a way to show in the printer's LED at what layer the printer currently is?

[GregValiant 1,251]

This is a piece of cake.

In Cura, select Extensions / Post Processing / Modify Gcode

Select "Add a Script" and then select Pause At Height

In the dialog box for Pause at Height in "pause at" select By Layer (Height can be fooled by Z-hops)

Remember that the layer you see in  the Cura preview is a base 1 number, but gcode layers are base 0.  So if you see in Cura that you want to pause at Layer 57, then in the dialog enter 56 (Cura layer - 1).

Disarm timeout = 1800 (that's the max of 30 minutes)

Park the head wherever you want to get it out of the way.

I don't bother with the retraction stuff.  It requires some dialing in.

Standby Temperature should be your printing temperature.

Code before pause is M300.  It means Beep.

 

So the print will move along and then get to the pause.  The printer will beep, maybe make 1 or 2 more moves, and then park the head where you told it to.  Insert your insert.  I know that if the pause uses the M0 Marlin command, it will require a button click to resume.  Other firmware might be different.

Do to some oozing, the first few mm of extrusion may be sparse, then it will get back to normal.  You might be able to fix that by practicing with the retraction settings. 

 

Oh yeah...Show Progress.  The "ShowProgress.py" file goes here:  "C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 4.x.x\plugins\PostProcessingPlugin\scripts".  Copy it in and re-start Cura.  Add ShowProgress as a post processing / Modify Gcode script.  It will show the Cura layer number and a time estimate on the LCD screen.

 

 

 

 

ShowProgress.zip

Edited December 16, 2020 by GregValiant
CRS disease

[jeex 35]

Thanks. Processing it now. Also found an extension that shows the layer number.

[DemonRat71 0]

Greg, Thanks for the help on this. I have been looking for this information for awhile now and just couldn't get the exact information like you had said. I didn't know that Gcode started at 0 and Cura started at 1. Now I understand why my prints kept failing. Thanks again Greg.

[GregValiant 1,251]

Glad to have been some help.  By the way, the "speed factor" in the plugin refers to the time difference that might exist between what Cura says a print will take, and how long it actually takes.  It's a percentage based calculation.  If the Time line in a Cura gcode file (second line) says 34222 (seconds), and it actually takes exactly 10 hours to print (36000 seconds), then 34222/36000 = 0.95.  That is the speed factor for that print.  You would want a fair sampling of print times to come up with a good average for the "offage" and enter that average as the Speed Factor.

My thanks to Louis Wooters for writing ShowProgress.Py.