Disabling second extruder should take into account nozzle offset

[shiftylilbastrd 0]

I have a Makergear M2 with dual extruders mounted together in the same printhead. As you can see the offset for extruder 2 is -31.1mm and Cura accounts for that correctly as I can't print on the far left of the bed with extruder 2. 

Here's the rub, extruder 1 CAN print anywhere on the bed. Shouldn't disabling extruder 2 by unchecking the box shown below "disable" extruder 2 allowing me to utilize the entire bed?

[GregValiant 1,411]

It might if this was MakerGear Cura.  Since it is Ultimaker Cura it doesn't work that way.

My understanding is that it is always assumed that the left nozzle can reach the left side and the right nozzle can reach the right side and that neither nozzle can move beyond the limits of the bed.

It sounds like your right nozzle can actually move beyond the right side of the bed.

I think you will need to install a second printer in Cura with the X dimension of the bed 31mm wider than the bed really is.  Use that printer when you want to print with extruder 1 only, and use your original printer instance when you want to print with both extruders.

When printing with "extruder 1 only" you will need to remember that the extra 31mm you see on the right doesn't actually exist so don't put models in that area.

[shiftylilbastrd 0]

1 hour ago, GregValiant said:

It might if this was MakerGear Cura.  Since it is Ultimaker Cura it doesn't work that way.

It's also an application designed to work for other printers as well so that's kind of a narrow view. Especially since the software already changes various settings by enabling/disabling the individual extruders.

 

The suggestion to setup a second printer might be the way I have to go though so thanks for the suggestion. My printhead actually has the ability to move completly off the right side of the bed to facilitate nozzle purge operations.

[Dustin 175]

UltiMaker Cura is primarily developed and funded by UltiMaker.
UltiMaker 3D printers are single extruder or Dual Extruder with the printheads on the same carriage (shifting the nozzle up and down). So the software is designed with that in mind.
It is well documents across the various communities that Cura does not always play well with IDEX style 3D Printers.

Yes its an application designed to work for other printers as well.. but a lot of that design comes from community contributions to the code base. Cura is open source. If there was a considerable effort by the community to make it more friendly to IDEX 3D printers, it would as such be better for IDEX 3D printers.

Otherwise if your waiting on UltiMaker to develop this.. your probably going to be waiting until UltiMaker releases an IDEX format machine.. The recent merger of Ultimaker + MakerBot combined the product lines, but both companies utilized shifted print head/nozzle concepts not IDEX.. so no idea how long you might be waiting for a IDEX machine or if UltiMaker even ever plans to make one.

[GregValiant 1,411]

@shiftylilbastrd FYI...The fix for the Raise3D IDEX printers is similar.  They have to install three printers, one each for Normal, Duplicate, and Mirror.  They pick the printer they need for the function they want to use.  Each printer has a different M602 command in it's startup gcode and it is that command that tells the printer what mode to switch to.

[shiftylilbastrd 0]

@Dustin As I said in the original post it's not an IDEX printer, both extruders are mounted to the same head. I was looking at the add your custom machine to Cura page earlier today.  What would be a good example for me to use as I begin trying to set mine up?