Profile for printer not displayed

[terrypin 3]

For my Ender 3 V2  I first used Cura set to Ender 3. But that has XY borders of 235 x 235, so Cura fails to display when the model is outside my smaller borders. So I added a new printer with the correct 220 x 220 borders. However, as you see, those dimensions are not correctly shown by Cura. It appears to show SMALLER limits of 200 x 200.

 

 

[GregValiant 1,342]

Not Cura - Creality.

Creality calls it a 220 x 220 build surface and that's what "Trouch.Com" (the developer of the Creality printer definition files) put in for all the Ender 3's.  In addition, there are "disallowed areas" defined for the clips that hold the glass down (there were on my Ender 3 Pro).  Another thing that affects the size is skirts and brims.  If you look you will see that on the left and right of your Cura build surface there are lighter gray areas.  Those are there because you have a skirt or brim defined and Cura is reserving those areas.  In the front and back you see darker gray areas that are defined as "disallowed areas" in your printer definition file and are not affected by skirt and brim settings.

• In Printer Settings set the X width and Y depth to 230.  On the printer use the LCD to Auto-Home and then move the nozzle to a point 2.5mm in from the left edge and 2.5mm in from the front edge of the build surface (close is good enough) and at Z=0.  Select "Set Home Offset" and then "Save Settings" on the LCD.
• In Cura - if you set the Build Plate Adhesion to Skirt and make it 1 loop and 1mm from the part it should then fit on your build surface.
• If you rotate the part 45° it may fit on your build surface.
• In the Creality_Ender3.def.json file you will see this:
  • "machine_disallowed_areas": {
                "default_value": [
                  [[-117.5, 117.5], [-117.5, 108], [117.5, 108], [117.5, 117.5]],
                  [[-117.5, -108], [-117.5, -117.5], [117.5, -117.5], [117.5, -108]]
  • That defines the darker areas on the front and rear of the Cura build plate but they don't extend up the sides because you can't put clips there.  You must alter that file to get rid of the clip areas.

 

 

[terrypin 3]

Thanks for that thorough explanation, much appreciate the time you put into it.

 

And your suggestion about rotating worked fine.  Just managed to squeeze it into the limited 200 x 200 valid area. (BTW, even with Snap enabled I found it difficult to get the model back to its original zero angle. Is there a tool I’ve missed?)

 

Could you explain a bit more on that final point please? How do I now proceed?

 

• • You must alter that file to get rid of the clip areas.

And are the clips securing the glass in the same positions on the Ender 3 and the Ender 3 V2?

 

Also, I’m puzzled why there is still no specific profile for the Ender 3 V2?

——————-

 

The print failed to adhere properly, so now pursuing that unrelated issue!

 

Terry

[GregValiant 1,342]

No, you didn't miss a tool.  Rotation with snap off can't be recovered from (there is a GitHub request for a textbox so a person could enter an angle instead of using the grips, but it is deferred).  What you can do is select the model, right click and "Reset all model Transformations".  That sets it back to the original orientation.

 

"Also, I’m puzzled why there is still no specific profile for the Ender 3 V2?"  It would be impossible for Ultimaker to write profiles for other manufacturers printers.  They would have to buy at least one of each machine, and upgrade them as a manufacturers made changes.  That would be really dumb for a company that manufactures and sells it's own printers.  So a printer company like Creality contracts with a third party ("Trouch.com" for Creality printers) to develop the printer definitions, extruder definitions, and base meshes (like the Ender logo that appears on the bed in Cura).  That third party submits the definition to Ultimaker for inclusion in Cura.  Ultimaker is gracious enough to include it.  A lot of people seem to equate "Open Source" with "Non-Profit" but it isn't true.

The "clip areas" are just rectangles across the front and the back.  You can't put a clip near the wire attachment point of the bed but it is included in the disallowed area.

 

The file you need to alter is "Creality_Ender3.def.json" and is in the Ultimaker program folder "...\resources\definitions" and is a text file so you can open it with any text editor (like Notepad).  The Overrides section looks like this (when altered for my use):

 

"overrides": {
        "machine_name": { "default_value": "Creality Ender-3" },
        "machine_width": { "default_value": 230 },
        "machine_depth": { "default_value": 230 },
        "machine_height": { "default_value": 240 },
        "machine_disallowed_areas": {
            "default_value": [
              [[-115, 115], [-115, 115], [115, 115], [115, 115]],
              [[-115, -115], [-115, -115], [115, -115], [115, -115]]
        ]},

Because I have my bed defined as 230 x 230 (useable area) I changed all the numbers in the disallowed area to 1/2 of 230.  Now the disallowed areas are of zero width and effectively disappear.  The stock file has "117.5"'s and "108"'s to define the disallowed areas.  Change all the 108's to 117.5's leaving the negative signs in place.  I had to share the folder with myself to be able to save the file.  (Python is fussy about punctuation placement so I just changed the numbers instead of deleting the section.  It worked.)

 

@gr5 is a moderator here and has put together a VIDEO regarding bed adhesion.  It is longish but covers a lot of material.

 

[terrypin 3]

Thanks a bunch, that's very helpful. A lot to study, but I'm much better equipped now.