Problem getting a platform to display in 5.1.0

[bellzw 0]

So, I include

        "platform": "BIBO_platform.obj",

in my definition.json, put the definition in \resources\definitions, put the extruder definitions in \resources\extruders, put the obj file in \resources\meshes, and add the printer, but do not see the platform.  The obj file was made with FreeCad 0.21.1 and Windows 3D Builder is happy to display it.  

I tried adding printers that had obj and 3mf files in \meshes and saw the platforms.  Thinking there might be a problem with the obj file, I renamed it to FelixPro2_platform.obj, and added Felix Pro 2 dual, to see if the same occurred with a different printer definition, and much to my surprise, it displayed under the print volume.

 

The displacement is because of a platform_offset in the Felix Pro 2 Dual definition that I didn't remove.

 

Any ideas regarding why it doesn't display under my BIBO print volume?  After several hours looking for differences between my definition and others, I'm stumped. My definition and the obj are attached.  Any help will be appreciated.

BIBO_platform.zip

[Slashee_the_Cow 491]

2 hours ago, bellzw said:

put the definition in \resources\definitions, put the extruder definitions in \resources\extruders, put the obj file in \resources\meshes

You should put custom definitions, meshes, etc., in the Cura configuration folder so that they will be carried over to newer versions. Anything added to the Cura installation folder will just be ignored.

 

Works fine for me in 5.6.0 though:

Well, it did after I fixed your profile:

 

[Slashee_the_Cow 491]

Heck, because I have too much time on my hands... works in 4.13.1:

(It was this or downloading Cura 5.1... I only have so many different versions of Cura installed for testing at once)

 

So either the problem is your definition file is invalid (like I had to fix above, but that would prevent you from adding the printer at all and would warn you the profile is corrupt) or... ㄟ( ▔, ▔ )ㄏ

[bellzw 0]

@Slashee_the_Cow: You are indeed correct that the comma didn't belong.  I appreciate your sharper eyes.  Looking through my history of the definition, I realized that there used to be a "first_start_actions" : ["MachineSettingsAction"] after the extruder trains (with no comma at the end of that line).  I removed it during my search for the differences between a definition that displayed the platform and my BIBO definition and neglected to remove the comma.  It's always something.  An online JSON syntax checker detected the error, but Cura 5.1.0 didn't issue any warnings via the user interface.

 

I corrected the syntax, and replaced the file in \definitions, but the platform did not appear until I closed Cura and restarted.  Now it seems to be working.

 

The first_start_actions line was in the BIBO definition that ships with Cura.  Can you tell me what MachineSettingsAction is/does?  It's not in my definition now, and Cura seems to be slicing models correctly.

 

Do you know anything about the platform_texture png?  Size, black background, white background, etc?  Most are png, but a couple are jpg.  How does Cura know where to put the image and how to size it?  I did notice that some of the files in \meshes are in the XZ plane, while others are in the XY plane.  At least one of them, Anycubic Chiron, has a plane surface in the XY plane and a surface at 45 deg w.r.t. the XY plane and Cura puts the Anycubic logo on the top of the tilted surface and the bottom of the build plate.  However, the Hellbot Hidra Plus, has its image seemingly on the top surface.

 

[Slashee_the_Cow 491]

13 minutes ago, bellzw said:

The first_start_actions line was in the BIBO definition that ships with Cura.  Can you tell me what MachineSettingsAction is/does?  It's not in my definition now, and Cura seems to be slicing models correctly.

Doing a "search all files in the Cura installation folder" it only pops up a few times in the Cura code - if I had to guess it's an old thing you had to do to get it to actually apply the machine settings and override the defaults?

The comment where it's implemented is:

Quote

This action allows for certain settings that are "machine only") to be modified.

It automatically detects machine definitions that it knows how to change and attaches itself to those.

  

It does appear in a few newer profiles, but always the same thing. Really more of an @ahoeben question, but I hope I'm at least on the right track.

 

29 minutes ago, bellzw said:

Do you know anything about the platform_texture png?  Size, black background, white background, etc?  Most are png, but a couple are jpg.  How does Cura know where to put the image and how to size it?  I did notice that some of the files in \meshes are in the XZ plane, while others are in the XY plane.  At least one of them, Anycubic Chiron, has a plane surface in the XY plane and a surface at 45 deg w.r.t. the XY plane and Cura puts the Anycubic logo on the top of the tilted surface and the bottom of the build plate.  However, the Hellbot Hidra Plus, has its image seemingly on the top surface.

I wish I could help you there but the most experience I have with those is getting rid of them (I don't need a giant "Ender" logo on my bed). I know some model formats (like OBJ but not STL) do support texture mapping so it could be worth having a look at those in a program that supports textures (i.e. not most CAD software), but until someone who actually knows what they're doing steps in and provides instructions I would just try and learn by example.