SOLVED Cura 4.8 and Ender 5 pro - setup and print issues

[A05C 1]

I don't know if I'm missing something, or if there's a compatibility issue with my Ender 5 pro (with 4.2.2 board), and Cura software or I'm just not finding something to get it to setup correctly.

 

Every time I try to print a sliced file (that works from the creality sofware, just opened and sliced in Cura after) the print head maybe moves 1/2" and tries to print only in the area where the printer normally homes. 

 

I've tried to find things in the menus, and even copied the gcode from the creality software (start and end), and no change. 

Imported some other known good, print profiles, same result.

 

I just don't understand what I'm missing, when a file that works perfectly in Creality slicer software, fails in another software.

 

I have the printer profile setup as an Ender 5, with all the printer settings that are auto populated. The Print head settings look weird (some negative numbers for some reason), but every time I select a different Ender 5 (or plus (which is different than my 5 pro)), it has the same print head settings in it.

 

Attached is a screen capture of what is auto populated, and the odd looking print head settings. 

 

Any help/insight will be greatly appreciated,

Thanks

 

[gr5 2,294]

Uncheck "origin at center".  That feature is only for delta printers.  99.9% of printers don't do that so it's printing in the front left corner instead.

[A05C 1]

I'll give it a try, and report back; probably tomorrow. I've got a larger print running right now.

Should I put the original gcode back in?

 

Thanks.

[GregValiant 1,454]

Welcome to our world.

 

For most things and certainly for any gcode files you print, the origin is at the left front corner.  There are some things (like the printhead settings in the right side of your screen shot) that use the center of the nozzle as the origin.  It's an easier point of reference for a moving part.  Those numbers are the size of the interference area of the print head.  If you have multiple parts on the build plate, you can choose to print them one-at-a-time.  If you do, then Cura will check those printhead size numbers and notice if the printhead will crash into a model that might already be built up.  If you play with that setting, you will see a gray area on the build plate around each model.  That's the interference area and they can't overlap or Cura will refuse to slice.  The gantry height (build plate to the bottom of the X beam) determines the "Z" limit for printing one-at-a-time.  It's usually about 25mm.

 

In Cura, models are brought in by placing their "center of geometry" at the center point of the Cura virtual build plate.  When fooling around with the settings for model placement (top tool on the left toolbar) the center point of the virtual build plate is the origin even though (with Origin at Center turned off) all gcode will be created with 0,0,0 at the left front corner.

 

If you open a Cura gcode file it will list the MINX and MINY  right near the beginning of the file.  If either of those are negative numbers then the file was sliced with "Origin at Center" checked.  The printer will try to get to the negative numbers but it can't, so it will just make a lot of really ugly noises as it keeps trying while you fumble madly for the shut-off switch.

Edited February 7, 2021 by GregValiant

[A05C 1]

Update:

Just started a small print, with the suggested change, and appears to be working. Printing at the center of the bed versus the corner.

 

Thanks for the help.