QUESTION Having problems with first project

[surfingAllTheTime 0]

I bought the Ender Creality 3 Pro printer and I'm attempting my first print. It's not going so smoothly for me, in the ultimaker cura app I'm getting 3 error msgs so I can't even save my file to take it out to the printer. This has been a long process to get to this point, I'd really appreciate any help I can get from this community. The error msgs that I'm getting are:

 

-Fit within the build volume

-Are assigned to an enabled extruder

-Are not all set as modifier meshes

 

I don't know what all of these mean and I don't know what I have to do to make it work. Any help would be appreciated. What would be the best thing for me to do? Thank you in advance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GregValiant 1,112]

I've had my Ender 3 Pro for a couple of years now.  As with everything in 3D printing there is a convoluted explanation for each item.

-Fit within the build volume

When you installed your printer in Cura, a Definition file was used to set up things like the firmware language (Marlin for yours), the "build volume", the Print Head settings, whether it has a Heated Bed or not, etc..  When in the Cura "Prepare" screen, click on Settings menu and then Printer and down at the bottom ... Manage Printers.  Go to the Machine Settings.

The Width, Depth, and Height are on the left.  I think the defaults for your printer are X220 x Y220 x Z250.  Those numbers describe the Build Volume.  Your model, and any Skirt, Brim, or Raft must fit inside that volume or the nozzle can't get to it.

The Skirt, Brim, Raft area is reserved and the Cura build surface will show those reserved areas as a darker gray around the periphery.  So your model actually has to fit within the whiter area in the middle of the build surface.

The numbers on the right side (Print Head Settings) describe the actual print head as measured from the centerline of the nozzle.  The Gantry Height is the distance from the build plate to the bottom of your X beam when you are in the Auto-Home position.  Those Print Head numbers only come into play when you have multiple models on the build plate and have Cura set to "One at a Time" mode.  Cura needs some idea of the crash/interference dimensions of the print head so it doesn't knock over one model when moving to the next.  In "One at a Time" mode, the Gantry Height will limit the height of any model that can be printed.  You wouldn't want the build plate to go sliding under the X beam and have the X beam smack into a previously printed model.

-Are assigned to an enabled extruder

This should have been automatic as you have a single extruder printer.  There might have been a problem with the Cura installation.  It is more likely some basic setting is in conflict with something else.

-Are not all set as modifier meshes

Cura has tools for adding additional Modifier Meshes that are generally called Support Blockers.  They can be configured in different ways to "Modify" your main model.  There must be a Main Model.  All 3d objects are referred to as Meshes.

 

A "Project File" is a special Cura file that contains the printer, the model, and all the print settings.  They have 3mf filename extensions but are more than just a 3mf model file.  I am attaching a 3mf project file made with my printer active and a calibration block as the model.  You can open it in Cura and when prompted allow it to open as a project with the option regarding the printer to "Create New" (rather than "update your printer").  It should give you a basic starting point.  Use the "expert" settings with setting visibility set to "All" and go down the list of settings to see how I have set up the slice.  It's a starting point.

Pretty much all of the Creality printers need to have their "E-Steps" calibrated.  I'm sure CHEP has a video on his YouTube series "Filament Fridays".  It needs to be done so that when Cura tells the printer to push 100mm of filament that exactly 100mm of filament gets pushed...not 95 and not 107 but EXACTLY 100mm.

 

X-Y Ref Block.3mf

[surfingAllTheTime 0]

Thank you so much! You've helped me more than you know. I really appreciate it.

 

What should I do about "-Are assigned to an enabled extruder"? 

 

You've helped more than you know, so if I don't get an answer no big deal.

[GregValiant 1,112]

@surfingAllTheTime what printer are you trying to set up?  The "Are assigned to an enabled extruder" warning could mean that there is no Nozzle or Material or Setting Profile affiliated (in Cura) with the extruder.

If you would load a "Calibration Cube" or "Benchy" other simple model and then use the "File | Save Project" command and post the resulting 3mf file here I'll take a look.  

 

If you happen to have an Ender 3 Pro you could download and open the 3mf file that I posted earlier.  When prompted to "Update Ender 3 Pro" select the "Create New" option.  That will install my printer and settings as a new printer instead of over-writing yours.  You could then activate each in turn to see what might be different.

I have pushed the build area of my build surface to 230 x 230.  That will require you to change  your Home Offset position within the printer.  It only takes a few seconds.  (If you don't, the prints won't be in the exact center of the build plate.)

Edited July 16, 2022 by GregValiant

[surfingAllTheTime 0]

I've got the Ender 3 Pro and I'm using the Autodesk Fusion 360 program. Like I said, I have it all drawn up in the program, now I'm just trying to figure out how to copy and paste each piece into it's own file, like one of your suggestions mentioned. This thing is taxing. I think the design that I made was too big to be put into one file for the printer to handle. That's why I'm going, I should say trying to copy and paste each piece into it's own file, its not working though bc when I copy from the original file it doesn't let me paste into the blank new file. Do you know of a way to copy and paste in the Autodesk program? When I do it, I can see the normal copy and paste highlighting in the browser, it's just nothing happens in the program. 

 

That's super nice of you to take a look at it for me and I am most appreciative of that, but I set a goal for myself to try and get a patent on this, haha, stupid achievement, I know but it's still a goal I set for myself and my wife heard me say it, so now I need to do it.

 

Man, how did you figure all of this stuff out? And keep your sanity while doing it. I watch the videos on youtube and go through the process as they do but mine doesn't turn out the same.  Yeah I'll definitely try the downloading of what you sent and putting it into my printer. I appreciate that. 

 

I know what I want to make is kind of dumb, but I've been thinking about it since I was in high school and there's only one way to find out if it's any good, right? 

[GregValiant 1,112]

You can't copy and paste a parametric model.  If Fusion has an "Explode" command you can explode a parametric model and it will become a 3d Solid.  You might be able to copy and paste a 3D solid.

What you should be a able to do in an assembly file is to copy a part, move the copy off to the side.  Set your USC to World and make sure the entire copy is within the +X +Y +Z octant of the workspace.  Then explode the parametric model and export it from the drawing as an STL file.  There may be options you can set for the export.  You want it set it to a high resolution.

So long as any of your models is less than 230 x 230 x 250 it will fit in your printer.  You will usually want one model at a time.  If you want to have multiple 3D solids in a single STL file you will need to make their relationships exactly correct and know which side will rest on the build plate and then make those surfaces exactly planar.  Then "Union" them together so they become a single piece even if there is air between them.  That will fool the STL export utility.

 

I've been around the block two or three times.  I'm not a young man.  One thing I know is that it is a very rare thing that the first design is the best design.  Most designs need to be tweaked.  We used to call it "giving them some love".  I tend to make changes to a design while the current earlier design is printing.  That kind of sucks.  The one printing isn't done yet and it's obsolete.

Edited July 29, 2022 by GregValiant

[surfingAllTheTime 0]

Oh man, this sounds like its going to be a pain in the butt. I'm going to have to look up some of what you're talking about. I think to make it easy on myself, I'll focus on getting each piece of the object into it's own file and saved as an STL, since each piece fits into one another anyways. Then if each piece is in it's own file there shouldn't be any problem of it being out of the boundary line. 

 

I probably should have started with a simple design for my first model print job, but like I said, I've wanted to do this for so long just to see if it was a good idea or a flop. More than likely a flop, but only producing it and getting it out there will let me know. You're a really cool person, it's too bad that we're not neighbors, but hey at least we've got this.