Project opens but build plate is empty - no models

[brainhobbies 0]

I've only been using Cura for a week, but this could be a large file issue? I spent an hour or so laying out 4 small objects, plus my custom support to join them all together.

I saved my file, and the filesize is 450mb. I have two versions that with different arrangements.

However, when the file opens, there are no errors, just an empty build plate, in both Prepare and Preview panes.

All my printer settings load correctly, but there's nothing to slice.

What could be wrong?

I could attach one of the project files, though they're a bit huge!

(Windows 11, Cura 5.6.0)

[Slashee_the_Cow 443]

Without one of the project files we don't have much to go on so if you could post one that would definitely help 🙂

 

I don't think this forum allows attachments that big (I haven't tried) so you might have to upload it to Google Drive or Dropbox or something and share a link. 

Edited February 21 by Slashee_the_Cow

[brainhobbies 0]

25 minutes ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

Without one of the project files we don't have much to go on so if you could post one that would definitely help 🙂

 

I don't think this forum allows attachments that big (I haven't tried) so you might have to upload it to Google Drive or Dropbox or something and share a link. 

Thanks! I was thinking the same, so I've uploaded to GDrive and here's a shared link.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ESrElPYJKjMT4ERaxhtm-aFP56Le8z9V/view?usp=sharing

 

It's worth noting too that my PC should be beefy enough, with 48gb ram and 2gb graphics card. I don't seem to have issues moving around in Cura and other programs. Saving the file seems fine, though it's empty when opened back up.

 

Hope that helps solve the mystery!

 

Thanks!

[Slashee_the_Cow 443]

Geeze, way to sucker myself into the tough ones. Cura is actually the only program I can get to open the file. It's a good thing the 3mf format is basically a zip file because the 3D model file in there 2GB when uncompressed. Cura is actually the only program in my current arsenal which will open the file, and I suspect that's because it's forgiving and will just open what it can. Every other program I tried throws an error. Based on the various error messages I was able to cobble together, I'm pretty sure the model in there is corrupted. Cura will load a the file as a Cura project but without the model, but since any other program doesn't care about the Cura part of it, they just try to load the model.

 

I hope you have your STL (or something) because AFAIK the model can't be repaired. Based on what I can find out, 3MF uses a custom XML-based model format so I can't just try and change it into an existing format and repair it with the tools I have. Also although it's a text file and can be edited, 2GB is a lot of text to go through when you don't even know what you're looking for.

 

3 hours ago, brainhobbies said:

It's worth noting too that my PC should be beefy enough, with 48gb ram and 2gb graphics card

Either that's a typo or your graphics aren't as good as you think they are (although memory is far from the determining factor) my somewhat ancient GTX 1080 Ti has 11GB of RAM (on top of my 32GB of system RAM).

[brainhobbies 0]

Thanks for diving into this!

 

You're right, the model is pretty detailed, and perhaps the problem is that I've duplicated it 4 times on the bed, plus I'd added some custom supports that I designed in Onshape, though it's a tiny file.

 

In my first version (which also doesn't open, but DID slice successfully) I'd used an "custom supports" plugin to create some supports to stabilise the models as they tended to flick around and wobble on the bed, unless I wanted to print slowly (who wants to do that?).

 

So, I still have the original OBJ files, plus the gcode of the successful slice - all of which open fine in Cura, but obviously I lose my layout. Or in the case of the gcode, I can't edit it (right?). I see it in Preview mode, but can't edit it in Prepare.

 

Based on what you've said, my suspicion is that duplicating the huge model (2gb unzipped) four times has created an unweildly beast.

 

Here are the two models, for your interest:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qHKLyEb7z9PLHjlvpiBv5dtV4RDTOxM1/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y3Jewu6MlU-ljfc-34LfGZuF8OQQfX5J/view?usp=sharing

 

And the gcode for the first slicing, which seems to open fine in Cura.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n6TUp3vSBDPDPNJIifYXyXVW5VXvdLtj/view?usp=sharing

 

Thanks again for your patience - it's been exactly 1 week since I got my first 3D Printer and dove into 3D Printing World!

 

[Slashee_the_Cow 443]

I'm not sure it's a problem with anything you've done, it could just be the file got corrupted (unless you can repeat the problem by doing the same setup and saving it, in which case my first stop would be my last bit about simplifying the model).

 

1 hour ago, brainhobbies said:

unless I wanted to print slowly (who wants to do that?).

I've done some somewhat insane prints that have gone nearly the top of the build volume, and I don't want the bed's movement or vibration from the print head to affect the model, so I have to go slow. Slow print > failed print.

 

Oh, and TPU. The TPU I usually work with I've found prints best at about 20mm/s. But that's just because the filament is so loose and stringy (you can actually grab a bit of filament and stretch it like a rubber band) that it needs to go slow so it has time to set and adhere to the filament around it or else the print head will just pull it along.

 

1 hour ago, brainhobbies said:

Or in the case of the gcode, I can't edit it (right?). I see it in Preview mode, but can't edit it in Prepare.

Correct (unfortunately): Cura can view gcode but it can't edit it like that (I don't know of any programs that can). Small, individual corrections can be done in a text editor but not things like moving whole objects around.

 

2 hours ago, brainhobbies said:

Based on what you've said, my suspicion is that duplicating the huge model (2gb unzipped) four times has created an unweildly beast.

It's not so much about the duplication - it's easy enough for a 3MF file to say "place 1 copy of this model here, place 1 copy there, place 1 copy over there, and the last one here" without having to duplicate the model. 2GB is pretty unwieldy but that in itself shouldn't cause a problem (but unless you have a professional quality machine it's likely far more detail than you could print yourself).

 

You can use a program like Microsoft's free 3D Builder app (which is actually pretty good) on Windows to "simplify" the model, reducing the number of triangles in it, without really affecting the overall look (as long as you don't go too extreme) which will result in a much smaller file which programs are much happier to work with (especially if you don't have a ton of RAM).

[brainhobbies 0]

Thanks heaps again. I'll try laying it out again and see if it'll save. If not, I'll have to try simplifying the model.

 

Glad to know that duplicating a model is not doubling the project file size!