My printer entries confusion

[terrypin 3]

I added these four 'printers' after buying my Ender 3 V2, as there wasn't a V2 in Cura's list (still isn't). My intention was to change the profile experimentally for each.

Was that the right approach? Or should there only be a SINGLE entry, matching my single physical printer?

That might explain why the first is the only one to give access to Machine Settings? (And also the only one in italics?)

 

But if so, why would Cura allow me to add these 'virtual' printers?

 

[GregValiant 1,142]

A single definition file can be used for multiple installed printers.  Each installed printer should have a different name.

The printer definition file for the Ender 3 can be used for the V2 since both use a flavor of Marlin.  The E3Pro is the same definition but does not include the "glass clip" disallowed areas that the E3 definition does.  You could use the E3Pro definition if you want to.  Just name the printer so you know what you've done.

As far as "profiles" go, Creality (who supplies the definition files when they get around to it) doesn't dictate any printing settings other than Max Feedrate and Max Accel and Jerk and other things like that.

The definition files are in Ultimaker Cura x.x.x\resources\definitions and are named like "creality_ender3.def.json".  There are specfic extruder files (in resources\extruders) and nozzle files (in resources\variants) and the base plates are in resources\meshes and all together they constitute a "Printer Definition".  You can open those files in a text editor and view them.  You could alter them if you know what you are doing as they are Python scripts.  The problem with altering them is you would have to manually install them again if you upgrade to the next version of Cura.

 

So you only really need one printer installed.  After you have adjusted all the settings for a model you can save that configuration as a Profile.  You can also make changes to materials if you enter custom ones.  

 

 

[terrypin 3]

Thanks. So do the italics indicate an actual printer? And the others are redundant? And the settings I defined in them (the other three) should really have been exported as profiles?

 

[GregValiant 1,142]

Yes, the one in italics is the "active printer" and only one can be active at a time.  You could click on one of the other names and choose "activate" and maybe set it up different.  I have a lot of printers installed in Cura due to opening so many 3mf files here.  It's kind of a virtual print farm.  I find it convenient to keep the Ultimakers and Creality machines installed but I do clean house once in a while.

[terrypin 3]

Thanks, got it.