Can I print just gcode?

[kjochai 0]

Hi,

 

I'm attempting to send a simple gcode file to my printer to heat the bed for several hours. I have a code snippet that I can open in Cura and attempt to send to the printer, but the printer freezes (screen is stuck displaying: "Receiving print from Digital Factory"). The same happens if I save the file as a .3mf first. Is this something I should be able to do? Is there another way to do this that'll work?

 

Thanks for any help you can give me!

[Dustin 175]

What 3D Printer and firmware are you using?
I honestly would not expect this to actually work at all via anything but print from USB.. that would be a very expected print file for Digital Factory.

[kjochai 0]

I'm on a UM2+ Connect running 1.5.2 firmware, Cura 5.3.1. I'm attempting to send the print job over wifi with Digital Factory. Sounds like maybe I should try loading a USB stick with the file to see if that'll work instead?

[Dustin 175]

I would try USB stick.
But I don't know that it would actually work. 
Firmware of the 2+Connect is quite picky about stuff.

[kjochai 0]

Ok, made a little progress. I was able to export a gcode file from Cura that had the right settings for my printer, then I modified it to get it to 1. remove unneeded code from the source file and 2. add code to heat the bed. I loaded a USB drive with the gcode file and the printer was able to start printing it. But it isn't quite right yet... the bed heats up, but the print head moves from resting position to start position then back every three minutes or so. The air manager fan also rapidly starts and stops, and the LCD shows the "preparing print" message throughout. If I could get those couple things to stop then I think it'll work.

 

Here's the code I used:

;START_OF_HEADER
;HEADER_VERSION:0.1
;FLAVOR:Griffin
;GENERATOR.NAME:Cura_SteamEngine
;GENERATOR.VERSION:5.3.1
;GENERATOR.BUILD_DATE:2023-04-19
;TARGET_MACHINE.NAME:Ultimaker 2+ Connect
;EXTRUDER_TRAIN.0.INITIAL_TEMPERATURE:0
;EXTRUDER_TRAIN.0.MATERIAL.VOLUME_USED:0
;EXTRUDER_TRAIN.0.MATERIAL.GUID:506c9f0d-e3aa-4bd4-b2d2-23e2425b1aa9
;EXTRUDER_TRAIN.0.NOZZLE.DIAMETER:0.4
;EXTRUDER_TRAIN.0.NOZZLE.NAME:unknown
;BUILD_PLATE.INITIAL_TEMPERATURE:50
;PRINT.TIME:360000
;PRINT.GROUPS:1
;PRINT.SIZE.MIN.X:0
;PRINT.SIZE.MIN.Y:0
;PRINT.SIZE.MIN.Z:0
;PRINT.SIZE.MAX.X:0
;PRINT.SIZE.MAX.Y:0
;PRINT.SIZE.MAX.Z:0
;SLICE_UUID:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
;END_OF_HEADER
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 5.3.1
T0
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode

G92 E0
M109 S0
G0 F9000 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
G280

G21 ; set units to millimeters
G90 ; set absolute positioning
G1 F1000 ; move the head to the origin
M140 S50 ; heat the bed to 50 degrees Celsius
G4 P360000 ; wait for 10 hours
M140 S0

;TIME_ELAPSED:7910.484827
M107

M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
M104 S0
;End of Gcode
;SETTING_3 {"global_quality": "[general]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Draft Quality #2
;SETTING_3 \\ndefinition = ultimaker2_plus_connect\\n\\n[metadata]\\ntype = qual
;SETTING_3 ity_changes\\nquality_type = draft\\nsetting_version = 21\\n\\n[value
;SETTING_3 s]\\nadhesion_type = skirt\\nsupport_enable = True\\n\\n", "extruder_
;SETTING_3 quality": ["[general]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Draft Quality #2\\ndefin
;SETTING_3 ition = ultimaker2_plus_connect\\n\\n[metadata]\\ntype = quality_chan
;SETTING_3 ges\\nquality_type = draft\\nsetting_version = 21\\nposition = 0\\n\\
;SETTING_3 n[values]\\nmaterial_print_temperature = 215\\nspeed_print = 55\\nwal
;SETTING_3 l_line_count = 5\\n\\n"]}

 

This is the first gcode file I've modified so it could easily be bad code that I added or that I need to remove more of the code from the original file. Any ideas what I should change to get it to work?

 

TIA

Edited May 24, 2023 by kjochai
added info

[kjochai 0]

I cleaned up the code a bit more, only to find that the G4 pause command isn't supported - source is in this thread: 

I will try something similar to @kupfeli with a slow nozzle move as a workaround, but I'm not sure it'll be a good idea or will work for the amount of time I need the gcode to run.

Edited May 25, 2023 by kjochai

[obewan 37]

What firmware does your machine run ?

 

[kjochai 0]

I have since found that no pause or dwell commands are supported by UM2+C firmware. There is also no way to heat the bed from the control LCD. Ultimaker please add this to the next firmware release!