Cura 14.07 Printer Head Size

[michel-streurman 0]

I want to use Cura on my Velleman K8200 printer which is a RepRap/3Ddrag printer based on Marlin/Sprinter firmware.

Since this is my first time actually having to input exact information about my printhead my question is: how and where do I take these measurements:

head size towards X min

head size towards Y min

head size towards X max

head size towards Y max

gantry height

I've been googling for some hours (possibly using the wrong keywords) but haven't found any information about where and how to make these measurements.

the other information I could easily deduce or get the info from the firmware but I cant find these measurements.

 

[IRobertI 516]

If I'm not mistaken all measurements are taken from the nozzle tip. So, for the first one, measure the size of your head from the nozzle tip towards the direction in X to where your machine homes.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

There's a tooltip when you mouse over these settings which describes what they mean.

Gantry height is the vertical clearance between the build plate and your x-y gantry (on the Ultimaker, these are the 6mm shafts which hold the head).

If you print two objects - one after another - then the first object must be shorter in height than the gantry height. Otherwise, the gantry would crash into the first part while printing the second part.

 

[eldrick 64]

If you print two objects - one after another - then the first object must be shorter in height than the gantry height. Otherwise, the gantry would crash into the first part while printing the second part.

 

That's just a simplification of the issue for the unskilled.

If you place multiple parts in a diagonal line across the build-plate so the gantry and head never intersects earlier parts after printing them, you can set the gantry height to an artificially high value, to ignore it, without problems.

I place pieces along a diagonal from right-front to left-rear, to avoid conflict when the head homes after finishing the print. I can fit 3 to 4 small but tall pieces on the build plate that way for sequential printing.

 

[gr5 2,072]

@michel - none of those settings are important as long as you only print one STL file at a time. It's when you want to print multiple objects "one at a time" that these numbers have a purpose - it allows Cura to figure out which order to print them in and if it can do them one at a time or if it has to print them all at once.

 

[IRobertI 516]

@gr5: Wouldn't it also be needed to make sure placement and size of object does not go out of reach of the nozzle? If the head size is specified too small and you place a part near the edge of the build plate cura will think that it can print there when in fact it will hit physical limits in the real world.

 

[mikk36 0]

No, you limit the build area to prevent that.

 

[IRobertI 516]

Right, not quite sure what I was thinking there... I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, I'll blame it on that

 

[Poida 0]

Slightly off topic - I don't get any tool tips. I used to get them in version 14.x, but in 2.x I get nothing, nada, diddly-squat! Is there a switch to turn them off that I have inadvertently ticked perhaps?

BTW - LOVE the new version!

[nallath 1,117]

Slightly off topic - I don't get any tool tips. I used to get them in version 14.x, but in 2.x I get nothing, nada, diddly-squat! Is there a switch to turn them off that I have inadvertently ticked perhaps?

BTW - LOVE the new version!

Nope. They should pop up after a bit of time if you hover pretty much anything.