Cura 5.4.0 not incorporating material print bed and extruder temps into gcode

[13337 0]

I am currently using Cura 5.4.0 with my Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro printer, and running it on an iMac with MacOS Ventura 13.5. When I slice a project and run a print on my Neptune 3 Pro it is ignoring the specific temperature specs associated with the material I have selected in Cura. Upon noticing this I checked the gcode file, and Cura doesn't seem to be incorporating the material print temperatures into the gcode file. I have attached an example file, the specific material I have chosen for this project is PLA with a print temp of 200, and build plate temp of 55 - but Cura isn't carrying these settings in to the gcode? It always seems to default to print 210 and build plate 65 - any reason why, or ideas as to how I can fix this?

 

Many thanks

EN3PRO_Crystal_Pot.gcode

[Slashee_the_Cow 482]

Firstly: thanks for the descriptive subject title and attaching the gcode. My life would be a lot easier if more people did that.

 

As for your problem, the bed and extrusion temps are in the gcode file... multiple times, in fact, right at the start. It's probably in the printer's profile in Cura, but never had an Elegoo printer so I don't know why it would be set like that (or why the printer is seemingly ignoring it). You could try editing the offending section of the gcode yourself.

 

Here we are, lines 12-17:

M140 S65
M105
M190 S65
M104 S210
M105
M109 S210

M140 S65: Set bed temperature to 65 degrees.

M105: Report temperatures. Usually only used when controlling the printer from a computer, as it doesn't need to report temperatures to itself. Returns values pretty much instantly, although some printers ignore it.

M190 S65: Set the bed temperature to 65 degrees and wait for it to heat up to that. This makes the M140 redundant since there should be practically no time passed between the two.
Then we repeat the same thing for the hot end:

M104 S210: Set hot end temperature to 210 degrees.

M105: Report temperature (see above)

M109 S210: Set hot end temperature to 210 degrees and wait for it to heat up to that. Makes the M104 redundant.

 

You could try opening the file in a text editor and replacing that whole block with just:

M190 S65
M109 S210

and see if it makes a difference.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Slashee_the_Cow
Fixed typo

[13337 0]

Hi @Slashee_the_Cow, thanks for replying and highlighting the areas of the gcode related to the temp instructions sent to the printer. I can give this a go for sure, but really the issue I am particularly interested in resolving is less about the gcode file itself, more specifically why is Cura not compiling the gcode correctly with the temperatures it holds in its material database.

I assume that by choosing 1. the printer, and 2. the specific material you intend to print with, Cura should be passing pertinent details on to the output file - saving me needing to edit the code each time. The problem is Cura doesn't seem to be passing the print & bed temperature information it holds on the chosen material in to the output gcode (which defeats trying to get this accurate and configured in Cura :-/).

 

Any thoughts/ideas why Cura is ignoring this, or where I might look to resolve?

 

Thanks in advance

[Slashee_the_Cow 482]

I think this is where someone who knows a lot more than me like @gr5 should step in. Looking through my own gcode, it actually looks like something Cura adds by default unless a printer's profile contains custom start gcode that includes setting the temperature (I compared before and after I created a custom profile with the custom gcode). So I'm guessing it's not a problem for most printers.

 

As for where in the process it adds it... yeah, I have no idea. You could see if your printer does any better with the edits I suggested (and if it does, you could change the gcode in the printer's profile to reflect that, but we'll get to that if it does work) although my faith in that working has diminished based on my latest research.

[Slashee_the_Cow 482]

Possibly related: someone else having trouble with their Elegoo Neptune 3 printer:

Could maybe be a Cura thing? Try uninstalling it and downloading an earlier version like 5.3, from what I've read 5.4 has some issues in a few different places.

[13337 0]

Hey @Slashee_the_Cow, thanks again for coming back to me.

I'll go ahead and test/confirm either way whether my Neptune 3 Pro acknowledges 'temp' commands in the gcode (will have to wait a while, currently printing - Zzzzzzz).

 

In the meantime, if perhaps @gr5 might have any ideas/suggestions on why Cura 5.4.0 isn't passing related material temps in to the gcode, that'd be awesome. Will wait to hear. If we have no idea, I might try a previous Cura version - although it took me a while and some digging to get 5.4.0 working without profile problems on MacOS 😕

[obewan 37]

Please post a cura project file (file/save project) this way we can see your machines start code.

 

[13337 0]

Hi @obewan, should have thought of attaching the project too - apologies. Here is a freshly saved project file and subsequent gcode.

 

For info - the PLA I have selected in Cura has a print temp of 55, and bed of 200 - neither of which have carried through to the gcode file.

EN3PRO_Crystal_Pot.gcode EN3PRO_Crystal_Pot.3mf

Edited August 25, 2023 by 13337

[Slashee_the_Cow 482]

The Cura project file doesn't have any temperature overrides set (I don't doubt you did them, just saying they're not in the project file or in the gcode).

 

Changed the temperatures and sliced it on my end and the gcode shows the temperature changed. Saved the project locally, closed Cura and opened it again, loaded the project and the changes were still there. Working fine on my end makes things much harder to diagnose.

 

(Sidenote that probably has nothing to do with your problem: I did notice that where I set the temperature to change after the first layer, Cura put in an M104 S215 - set the target temperature for hot end and keep going - when I would have used M109 R215 - set hot end temperature wait for it to reach that, whether it has to heat up or cool down - since I usually print my first layer hotter to help with adhesion)

 

My uneducated suggestions:

1) Make sure you're setting all the temperature settings (they usually follow the leader, but Cura can be a fickle beast), they're all the material section,\ make sure you have it set to show all options.

2) Before you save the gcode, try saving any setting changes you make as a custom profile, switch to a default profile (telling it to discard any changes you've made if necessary) and back to your own, then slice again if necessary.

3) Try uninstalling Cura and download and install an older version (5.3 should be fine, AFAIK)

 

P.S. This thing looks like it would be awesome if you printed it spiralised... but first we need to get it printing properly.

[13337 0]

Thank you, will give this all a go later today and report back.

[gr5 2,266]

Printer (machine) settings are complicated as they aren't normally really shown in Cura and they come from multiple files through an inheritance method where one file inherits some properties from another file and some are overridden and so on.

 

But there is a nice plugin to see what are the actual settings.

 

In the top right of cura click "marketplace" then make sure (next to search) it is searching for "plugins" and not materials.

 

Look for "Printer settings".  It adds more settings to be able to look at.

[Cuq 206]

There is many post concerning this issue. As soon as you define a temperature in your profile, this value overwrite the material datas. So if you are using a non standard profile most of the times you cuts the link between the material temperature and the parameter value of you current parameter value.

 

To solved this problem you must install the Material Settings plugin from @fieldOfView (https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/plugins/fieldofview/MaterialSettingsPlugin) and then you will have the possibility to access to a right clic button function (Use value from material)  on the printing temperature and bed temperature to force the value from the material datas

Edited August 29, 2023 by Cuq

[Gigabeast 1]

I had the same issue printing temp towers. Cura sends the right post-processing script codes in the right places but ONLY if you're printing direct via USB, or if you transfer the file via SD card you have to use the alternative "Save as File" format. There's a dropdown next to the Save button which you use after slicing in Cura, and the default seems to be "Save as TFT File" which is lovely because it includes a pretty thumbnail you can admire while your N3Pro is printing your item 🙂 BUT there's an issue with TFT because I've found that it leaves out all post-processing commands from the gcode file. This may be a restriction of the TFT file format, maybe it's not intended to include any post-processing commands, I'm reporting it to Elegoo in case it's a bug. Anyway, if you want to have your scripts actually inserted into the gcode, do not use a TFT file. The "Save as File" option results in gcode which early in the file includes the remark ;POSTPROCESSED and then you'll find your temp codes and any other script code you've programmed will appear in the right places in the file. Yayyyy! Took me 24 hours of massive head-scratching (yes, I have a massive head and I had to scratch it a lot <g>) so I hope this helps other avoid the same hair loss 🙂 

[gr5 2,266]

The post processor runs *after* the "gcode" file is created.  If the post processor isn't specifically written to work also with TFT files then it won't work.

[LePaul 354]

I have been using the plugins Auto Towers and Parts for Calibration and Cura is completely ignoring the temps I have specified with Post Processing.  

 

It seems glued to whatever temperatures are setting within the Materials section.

 

Doing some testing here - so if the first layer of the temp tower needs to be 220C, set Initial / Printing temp to 220

 

If the end of the temp tower is 190C, make sure the Final Printing Temp is 190C

 

I'm not sure what broke in this version.  (But they managed to break support brim too!)

Edited September 3, 2023 by LePaul

[Slashee_the_Cow 482]

29 minutes ago, LePaul said:

I'm not sure what broke in this version.

In 5.4? Lots. Use 5.3.1 unless you really need something which is in 5.4 (and if you do need to use 5.4, double check what it's outputting).

[LePaul 354]

7 minutes ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

In 5.4? Lots. Use 5.3.1 unless you really need something which is in 5.4 (and if you do need to use 5.4, double check what it's outputting).

Yes, the tree support are way better but without the support brim, it's a bit risky on my bigger models