Reading G-Code - Material & Time

[sgt_strife 0]

It seems that the material and time estimator is off. When I switch from 20% dense to 50% dense is doesn't show a change in material usage.

I figured I'd bypass the estimating and go straight to the G-Code. But I'm not sure what the units of measurement they are using.

example:

Time: 5455

Material: 10588

Pretty simple question, can anyone lend a hand?

 

[gr5 963]

When I switch from 20% dense to 50% dense is doesn't show a change in material usage.

That's very strange. Is it even slicing? Do you see the progress bar zip quickly to the right?

The material usage estimate is not an estimate. It is the exact amount commanded by the extruder stepper motor. It's only possible to use less material if the filament is slipping or skipping backwards.

The time estimate is getting much more accurate lately - usually within a few percent. But if you change your acceleration settings on your printer, Cura won't know this. Also it is making a guess on your retraction distance, acceleration and retraction speed.

 

[Titus 170]

I've had problems in Cura 14.06 and 14.06.1 where it wouldn't actually do anything with the changes I made in the software. Only rebooting both Cura and the UM seemed to work.

14.07 seemed to have fixed that.

 

[Daid 278]

I've had problems in Cura 14.06 and 14.06.1 where it wouldn't actually do anything with the changes I made in the software. Only rebooting both Cura and the UM seemed to work.

14.07 seemed to have fixed that.

 

That's magical. As there is no real difference between 14.06 and 14.07 except for firmware and some minor things.

 

[sgt_strife 0]

That's very strange. Is it even slicing? Do you see the progress bar zip quickly to the right?

 

It doesn't "zip" to the right, it looks like it's trying to figure it out. But regardless, I do notice a difference in the g-code. Can someone please tell me what the g-code units of measurement are for time and material?

 

[sgt_strife 0]

I've had problems in Cura 14.06 and 14.06.1 where it wouldn't actually do anything with the changes I made in the software. Only rebooting both Cura and the UM seemed to work.

14.07 seemed to have fixed that.

 

This problem is with my 14.07 Cura software.

 

[gr5 963]

It doesn't "zip" to the right, it looks like it's trying to figure it out.

Sounds like you managed to crash the slicer then. Maybe you have too many polygons? You might want to reduce the qty of polygons. Do you have like millions of polygons? Or more like thousands?

Daid who wrote Cura posted a partial answer up above - you might want to read it again.

 

Can someone please tell me what the g-code units of measurement are for time and material?

I don't really understand your question. gcode doesn't have any time in it as far as I know. It has feedrate (F command) which is the speed of the 4 steppers in mm/minute (not mm/sec). If you have a UM2 then it ouputs E values in mm^3 and if you have UM Original it outputs in mm of filament at the feeder.

 

[sgt_strife 0]

Sounds like you managed to crash the slicer then. Maybe you have too many polygons? You might want to reduce the qty of polygons. Do you have like millions of polygons? Or more like thousands?

Sorry, I meant it takes time to think about it, not just rush across the screen. It still makes it, but you can tell it's figuring it out, not just rushing.

 

I don't really understand your question. gcode doesn't have any time in it as far as I know. It has feedrate (F command) which is the speed of the 4 steppers in mm/minute (not mm/sec). If you have a UM2 then it ouputs E values in mm^3 and if you have UM Original it outputs in mm of filament at the feeder.

When I save my g-code and then open it up, at the top it says

 

Time: 5455

Material: 10588

Material (2):

Etc....

I'm trying to figure out that units the time and material are in.

 

[Daid 278]

Sorry, I meant it takes time to think about it, not just rush across the screen. It still makes it, but you can tell it's figuring it out, not just rushing.

When I save my g-code and then open it up, at the top it says

 

Time: 5455

Material: 10588

Material (2):

Etc....

I'm trying to figure out that units the time and material are in.

 

seconds and mm^3