UltiMaker Cura 5.6 beta released

[ArunC 24]

The beta release of UltiMaker Cura 5.6 has arrived and it brings prime tower improvements and support for Method series printers! Also, since the last update, the Cura team has released a new plugin that makes use of the engine plugin capabilities unlocked in Cura 5.5. Read on to find out more!

 

You can now slice files for Method series printers in Cura!

 

A year after the merger of Ultimaker and MakerBot, we have unlocked the ability for users of our Method series printers to slice files using UltiMaker Cura. As of this release, users can find profiles for our Method and Method XL printers, as well as material profiles for ABS-R, ABS-CF, and RapidRinse. Meaning it’s now possible to use either Cura or the existing cloud-slicing software CloudPrint when printing with these printers or materials.

 

 

Why did this take so long?

 

Cura allows users to slice files for hundreds of 3rd party printers, so why did it take so long for Method series printers to be supported, which as of the merger, are made by UltiMaker? There are several reasons, but the most relevant is that Method series printers use a different file type than the majority of printers, including S series printers. Most use .gcode files whereas the Method series uses .makerbot files. Enabling Cura to generate .makerbot files was a difficult and lengthy process that took months of dedicated work by the Cura team.

 

Another reason was that we wanted the print profiles for our Method printers to be as well-tuned and as well-tested as the profiles inside of CloudPrint. Since the slicing engine and available settings are different between Cura and CloudPrint, this required a lot of test prints and validation before we got our profiles to where we wanted them. 

 

 

Why use Cura instead of CloudPrint?

 

If CloudPrint meets your requirements, then there is nothing stopping you from continuing to use it. However, there are some distinct advantages to using Cura instead.

 

Local slicing

 

For companies with strict security policies in place, locally installed software that does not require internet access to operate is sometimes preferred over cloud-based software. In cases where CloudPrint is not an option, Cura can now provide a secure local alternative. 

Extensive settings selection 

 

Cura has always provided users with access to a large number of settings and this release extends those options to Method series printers. In CloudPrint, the setting selection was limited to provide a controlled and repeatable printing experience, with the Labs extruder unlocking additional settings for users who wanted to experiment. Cura, on the other hand, gives users unlimited access to over 600 settings for complete 3D printing flexibility. 

 

New features and regular updates

 

Throughout its history, Cura has always been on the cutting edge of 3D printing technology with regular updates introducing new industry-leading features like tree supports, the Arachne slicing engine, and much more. All of which came to Cura first before later being adopted by the wider industry. By incorporating Cura into their workflow, users get access to all of these features, as well as the many future features that will turn up in upcoming releases.

 

 

How do I slice files for a Method series printer in Cura?

 

You can add a Method series printer by choosing the ‘Add printer’ option within Cura. You can then choose ‘UltiMaker printer’ and then ‘Add local printer’

Unfortunately, it’s not possible in this release to use Method series printers with Digital Factory. That functionality will be coming in a later release, however.

 

Once your Method series printer has been added, you can slice with it as you would with any UltiMaker printer. The same ‘Balanced’ and ‘Solid’ profiles that can be found in CloudPrint are available and can be selected based on your requirements. After that, you can manipulate your model on the virtual build plate, select the materials you wish to use, and even modify custom settings or use a plugin from the Marketplace if needed. Finally, you can slice and preview your model before saving the final project file. You will then need to transfer the resulting .makerbot file to the printer using a USB device in order to start your print. 

 

Will there be more Cura updates for the Method series in the future?

 

This is just the first step in a series of updates that will improve the compatibility of the Method series with Cura. In future releases, we intend to introduce additional material profiles, enable compatibility with the UltiMaker Digital Factory, and more.

 

Prime tower improvements

 

 

New settings have been released that let you modify the base of your prime tower. The new settings are:

 

• Prime Tower Base Size

• Prime Tower Base Height

• Prime Tower Base Slope

• Prime Tower Raft Line Spacing

 

You can modify these settings to help improve the reliability of your prime towers. You can also use them to calibrate how well your prime tower adheres to the build plate for increased print success, or to avoid over-adhesion that may damage your build plate. 

 

New engine plugin

 

 

A new plugin has been created by the Cura team that makes use of the improved engine plugin capabilities introduced in Cura 5.5. The plugin is called CuraEngine Tiled Infill Generation and it allows users to select from an expanded list of infill patterns, as well as allowing users to add their own infill pattern by uploading a *.wtk file.

 

The plugin can be downloaded now through the UltiMaker Marketplace. This plugin is just a taste of what is now possible when creating Cura plugins. We look forward to seeing what the Cura community creates next!

 

Additional improvements 

 

The following improvements have also been implemented in the Cura 5.6 beta release:

• Start and end gcode now accepts variables and math that includes variables

• Spanish translations related to lightning infill have been updated (contributed by @Pelochus)

• Additional bug fixes

 

Give us your feedback 

 

Download this latest release to start discovering new 3D printing possibilities right now. Let us know what you think of the beta in the comments below!

[Dadkitess 19]

Thanks for the ongoing work.

 

Do you have some information regarding a focus on getting a proper stable 5.X version ?

 

All the 5.X versions so far are very-very-very slow / picky when it comes to slicing, with very weird behavior or complete refusal to slice a rather normal part.

 

I mean, there barely is no mention about it and yet new updates and added features, which is nice, but it would be even nicer to know if there is some progress about the Cura Core function stability. It's very important. If you're working on it, and I pretty sure you are, maybe you're not able to advertise about any date, but some of us would be glad to ear about it being worked so that we know that you take it as a priority.

[Gero 54]

nice to see that the prime tower is being improved again. 
unfortunately, i still miss the adjustment that automatically places the prime tower closer to the print object. at the moment, the position still has to be adjusted manually using the x-y coordinates. doesn't the cloud slicer from makerbot also adjust the position of the prime tower?

about the plugins, a support painting function would be a great improvement. i'm curious to see what else is coming. 

[Cuq 198]

3 hours ago, Dadkitess said:

All the 5.X versions so far are very-very-very slow / picky when it comes to slicing, with very weird behavior or complete refusal to slice a rather normal part.

 

 

To be fair as far as I'm concerned, if we disregard version 5.5 and this Beta, versions 5.4 are generally faster than the latest version 4.13 and I don't have any particular cutting problems with my configurations. Perhaps you should open one or more issues on Github to explain your problems. They might be due to a particular hardware configuration or to particular types of parts, but I don't think this is a general problem for all users.

[Dadkitess 19]

I am using an alternative version in 4.x, 4.23 IIRC (don't have my PC right now) and it globally never fail at slicing when 5.1 ; 5.2 and 5.3 does fail a LOT unfortunately. With the same STL. I don't remember if I actually tried 5.4 but I read the comments about it, and about the 5.5, hoping from improvement on that topic, but it did not seem OK.

 

And my IT department is quite sensible and won't allow installing all the versions haha, better stick with one and then update every 3-4 versions. I really 5.X arachnee when it works and I tend to avoid using the 4.x version for that reason.

[Cuq 198]

18 minutes ago, Dadkitess said:

I am using an alternative version in 4.x, 4.23 IIRC (don't have my PC right now) and it globally never fail at slicing when 5.1 ; 5.2 and 5.3 does fail a LOT unfortunately. With the same STL. I don't remember if I actually tried 5.4 but I read the comments about it, and about the 5.5, hoping from improvement on that topic, but it did not seem OK.

 

I'm not saying that this isn't the case, I'm just saying that I haven't personally experienced these problems (With my printer and My own Part).

 

The variation in calculation times is very different depending on the shape of the parts, the parameters you use and problems can exist with one printer configuration and not with another. Even between Slicers or versions, if you run tests you'll find differences in favor of one version or another, and this is the same with all the Slicers I know.  

 

If you share one of your parts, other users will be able to compare it with their config. If the problem is specific to your configuration (e.g. graphics card or OS), it will be very difficult for the Cura teams to find a solution.

 

When it comes to software, you can't assume that just because you have a problem, everyone has the same problem. In some cases, it depends on how you use it, which can be unique to your field of activity.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Cuq

[Dadkitess 19]

Well I've been told that this is an issue they are very aware of, so I assume it's generalized, even if in some way, I hope it's not, since CURA is the best Slicer 🙂

 

Unfortunately, most of the parts I can't slice are not shareable, they are confidential and when I try to simplify / adjust them so that I can share them, well, they got slicable haha. But they are definitely not weird or exotic, basic automotive industry shapes.

 

My PC can be part of the issue, though I changed it some month ago and I already had the issue before with the other one.

[Cuq 198]

A rapid general comment on comparison results on calculation times (Or result) .  But it may have its place here, since the problem also concerns version 5.6 Beta .

 

Still in my time tests if I 'm using the part NASA Fabric 12x16.stl :

 

What is the difference between this part and this one ?

 

 

Virtually nothing, same Software version (Beta 5.6 ), Same PC, Same printer, Same settings, Same geometry but in the end  : 

First Project      : calculation time 15 mn 56 s        printing time by Cura 21 h 42 mn.

Second Project : calculation time 1 mn 21 s and  printing time by Cura 22 h 15 mn

 

Difference in the second case the model have been split into individual parts. 

 

So sometimes the result can be totaly different just because the slightest difference in a value or a model feature.

 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Cuq

[ahoeben 1,951]

Prerelease versions of the Sidebar GUI and the Tabbed Settings plugins are available here:

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-SidebarGUIPlugin/releases/tag/v4.6.4-DEV

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-TabbedSettingsPlugin/releases/tag/v1.0.4-DEV

 

Download the curapackage for your version of Cura (the ...Cura5.0-current.curapackage version for Cura 5.6), and drop the file onto the buildvolume in Cura as if you were opening a 3d model.

[alfonsvh 10]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:58 PM, ArunC said:

The plugin can be downloaded now through the UltiMaker Marketplace. This plugin is just a taste of what is now possible when creating Cura plugins. We look forward to seeing what the Cura community creates next!

I can't find this plugin, and get the following error: 

[Cuq 198]

1 hour ago, alfonsvh said:

I can't find this plugin

https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/plugins/UltimakerPackages/CuraEngineTiledInfill

[alfonsvh 10]

5 minutes ago, Cuq said:

https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/plugins/UltimakerPackages/CuraEngineTiledInfill

Yes, I found that page. However, once I sign in I get the message as seen in the screenshot in my earlier post

[Cuq 198]

Are there any other changes in Beta 2 or just what is indicated ? :

 

Introduced Balanced and Solid profiles for 1C cores to UltiMaker Method X and Method XL

 

[Dustin 130]

15 minutes ago, Cuq said:

Are there any other changes in Beta 2 or just what is indicated ? :

 

Introduced Balanced and Solid profiles for 1C cores to UltiMaker Method X and Method XL

 

My understanding this was the only change as a "hotfix" release.

[alfonsvh 10]

On 11/17/2023 at 1:41 PM, alfonsvh said:

Yes, I found that page. However, once I sign in I get the message as seen in the screenshot in my earlier post

@ArunC is this to be expected, or is there something wrong with the Plugin and/or my settings?

[LePaul 322]

On 11/17/2023 at 5:34 AM, ahoeben said:

Prerelease versions of the Sidebar GUI and the Tabbed Settings plugins are available here:

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-SidebarGUIPlugin/releases/tag/v4.6.4-DEV

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-TabbedSettingsPlugin/releases/tag/v1.0.4-DEV

 

Download the curapackage for your version of Cura (the ...Cura5.0-current.curapackage version for Cura 5.6), and drop the file onto the buildvolume in Cura as if you were opening a 3d model.

Is this available yet for 5.6 via Marketplace / Plug ins?

[ahoeben 1,951]

Still awaiting approval from the Ultimaker team...

[Slashee_the_Cow 272]

1 hour ago, ahoeben said:

Still awaiting approval from the Ultimaker team...

Hey @MariMakes, what's the hold up? You said you'd get right on it.

[LePaul 322]

On 12/1/2023 at 5:20 PM, ahoeben said:

Still awaiting approval from the Ultimaker team...

 

It's a great add in , I don't know why it isn't standard in Cura now.  I hate how I loose 1/4 of my viewing area by default