Retract Tests: Can't Change Retraction Distance + Speed settings, also not visible?

[plndobslnce 0]

Having a heck of a time trying to set up a Retract Tower. The retract speed and distance are not changing according to the post processing scripts (eg. increments of 10mm) when printing, the settings remain at defaults.

 

I've read the notes on this tower, including enabling retraction,  and turning off the adaptive layer setting (noted here: https://github.com/5axes/Calibration-Shapes/wiki/Retract-Tower). 

 

Additionally, I can't seem to adjust distance/speed settings despite having these settings marked as "visible."

 

Can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.....Ultimaker 2, latest firmware. Cura 5.1.1

[gr5 2,167]

Those "where" settings are normally in the UM2 firmware.  You control them on the UM2.  In "material" settings.  You can create a custom material and set those things for that material.

 

Alternatively, in cura, you can go into the machine settings and change the gcode type to "marlin".  then cura will suddenly let you control more things in cura (including nozzle temp, bed temp) as the two most important.

 

For a temp tower or retraction tower, this is probably a good idea but once you've figured it out, then I recommend setting the machine settings back the way they were and setting these "where" settings on the UM2.  Although I suppose it's fine either way.

 

I actually have some gcode files that I can print the same one for PLA or PETG.  I just change the material on the printer but use the same old gcode file.  Because the material customizations are on the printer.  Not in cura.

[gr5 2,167]

By the way, creating a custom material on um2 was extremely confusing at first.  You hit the save button and then it asks you for a material and you have to select that before it does the save.  something like that.  It's not clear but just remember the order: save and then select the material to save to.

 

[plndobslnce 0]

Thanks for the clarification on UM2 handling the material settings, and the Marlin g-code tip; I've give that a try to dial in the best settings and then punch those into UM2 material specs. 🙂

[plndobslnce 0]

Still battling....changing to Marlin seems to have messed with extrusion/flow rates, looking into that now.

 

Also, the RetractTower script distance and speed settings are acting weird. When I change the distance starting value to 1.0mm, the speed also changes to 1.0mm. If I change the speed back to 10.0, the distance also changes to 10.0.

[gr5 2,167]

1 hour ago, plndobslnce said:

Also, the RetractTower script distance and speed settings are acting weird. When I change the distance starting value to 1.0mm, the speed also changes to 1.0mm. If I change the speed back to 10.0, the distance also changes to 10.0.

That sounds very strange.  I'd restart cura as sometimes the gui does strange things if I leave it running for a few days.

[plndobslnce 0]

It looks like I needed to use 2 instances of the RetractTower script, one for Speed, one for Distance.  Not sure if this is normal, couldn't find any info on that one way or another.  Tuning begins! 🙂

[Cuq 198]

Unfortunately the RetractTower script does not work with the UM2 on the standard configuration.   By default these machines use the firmware Retract code (G10/G11) so the values are not modified by the script and are only driven by the parameters set on the machine. I don't have this machine but maybe if you disable the firmware control in the cura parameters it will work.

 

https://github.com/5axes/Calibration-Shapes/wiki/Retract-Tower#note

 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Cuq

[Cuq 198]

Note : For the missing Retract parameters if you use an Ultimaker 2 it's normal, for the same reason. As you are not suppose to modify the values form Cura but only on the machine these parameters are not visible.

 

[Edit ] Oups ! The answer was already provided by @gr5 in his post.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Cuq

[plndobslnce 0]

Yeah--to clarify for future searchers:

 

To do any of the Calibration Shapes tests that require changing parameters via g-code while printing (eg. temp control, retract settings, flow rate, etc) with Cura 5.1.1 and an old-school Ulitimaker 2 :

 

Change the Machine Settings -> G-code flavor to "Marlin".  This allows for G-code to override UM2's controls.

 

When doing a Retract Tower test, you might need two instances of the RetractTower Post Processing Script, one for speed, one for distance.

 

 

 

[Cuq 198]

I don't really understand this needs of two scripts. Anyway concerning the retract tower you need to have two different print, one for the retract length and one for the speed. So you need to modify the script according to the parameter you want to test. It's a normal behaviour.  But you don't need two "scripts" ?