2 months, still no first print

[andyww 0]

If I had not seen video evidence I would not be convinced these really work. I am going to give myself this weekend to get this working or bin it.

At first I had a problem with the controller board. This was replaced after a very slow support process.

Fitted the new board. I have reinstalled all software, version 35.

Followed the software setup instructions exactly, although there is uncertainty. In the Gcode section there is an edit which must be made for "the first batch of Ultimakers". There is no info on how to tell if you have one of the first batch. Maybe this is the problem.

Anyway, nothing worked at all until I uploaded new firmware. I asked Ultimaker which version I should use at first but didnt receive any intelligble reply, si I selected Marlin RC2. No "release" firmware shows in the list, only RCx and "old" firmware. Why?

Anyway, all control panel functions work. I can extrude from control panel.

Downloaded the thin-wall test box.

Gcode generates but gives two errors. Dont know if this is a problem. How can software generate errors which it then detects itself? The whole thing seems flaky.

Start build. For some reason the Gcode is generated again. Find that the Z platform does not home before the build. Why not?

Manually home the Z platform.

Start build. The first thing that happens is the Z platform goes down and then extusion happens into thin air creating a blob of material on the platform.

Then the platform homes again and the head plunges into the blob.

Then it moves in the box shape, moving the blob which has now stuck to and blocked the print head.

So, I try again this time removing the blob before the main print starts. This time no extrusion is taking place at all. The head is moving and the extrusion gear is moving at a very tiny rate, much more slowly than I would expect to output any material.

Thats as far as I have got. tried all this many times, reinstalled software, tried RC1 firmware (which actually does totally different things, the extrusion seems to go crazy and dump masses of random piles of material before the head moves in the box pattern).

Any help would be welcome but I am starting to give up....

Oh and the noise from that crappy fan is driving me round the bend...

[IRobertI 520]

The good news is that this all sounds very fixable. I'm thinking this is purely a software issue and it's not surprising that you're having problems considering how fragmented it all is at the moment.

My recommendation would be to try out a software package that Daid here on the forum has put together, it's called Cura and is aimed at fresh users just like you. Basically what it is is a front end to a tweaked and improved version of Skeinforge where the hard work has been done for you. It also incorporates a firmware updater and a few other things (I don't run it myself so I don't know all the specifics). From what I've read from other users you're very likely to get up and running with this.

Don't give up, you'll be a very happy camper once you get it up and running (and if you still feel like tossing it out I'll gladly pay the shipping and have you ship it to me instead )

edit: And yes, that tiny fan is a cheap POS, either put up with the noise or replace it not much else to say about that...

[andyww 0]

Thanks for your advice. This software sounds like its very useful. I was reluctant to try owing to likelihood of introducing more possible problems into the mix. I did try though, and it did.

Cant get it to generate Gcode at all.

The log displays:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "app_main.py", line 51, in run_toplevel

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\cura.py", line 70, in

main()

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\cura.py", line 53, in main

profile.loadGlobalProfileFromString(options.profile)

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\util\profile.py", line 192, in loadGlobalProfileFromString

(key, value) = option.split('=', 1)

ValueError: expected length 2, got 1

CMD window:

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\gui\preview3d.py", line 382, in OnM

ouseMotion

self.yaw += e.GetX() - self.oldX

AttributeError: 'PreviewGLCanvas' object has no attribute 'oldX'

C:\Users\warnea\Downloads\0.5mm-thin-wall.stl 0

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\gui\simpleMode.py", line 273, in On

Slice

profile.loadGlobalProfileFromString(oldProfile)

File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_RC3\Cura\util\profile.py", line 192, in load

GlobalProfileFromString

(key, value) = option.split('=', 1)

ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack

Unknown M code:103

Unknown M code:101

Unknown M code:103

Unknown M code:101

Unknown M code:103

Unknown M code:101

[IRobertI 520]

Hopefully Daid will chime in with an actual answer, but in the mean time, did you look at this link directly above the download link?

https://github.com/daid/Cura/issues/106

 

[andyww 0]

I did find that link and this cured the problem. In fact Cura is excellent and IMHO Ultimaker should include it with every machine and pay a license fee, to include in the product price. The software installation via the Ultimaker software setup guide is a mess and does not work.

In fact the problem I had with the "official" software is pretty much the same as an issue covered in another thread in this section, to which there is no definitive solution.

[frodeheg 0]

Agreed, I gave up the "official" software after two days and went straight on the Netfabb train and didn't regret it for a second... however I am afraid of trying Cura because then I might regret going to Netfabb ;-) ...I have heard lots of good talks about Cura. (I guess I will try it eventually)

[IRobertI 520]

They each have pros and cons, no reason you can't use both man

And I'm glad you're back on track Andyww.

[Daid 306]

I did find that link and this cured the problem. In fact Cura is excellent and IMHO Ultimaker should include it with every machine and pay a license fee, to include in the product price.

A license fee for free software?

Note, I'll be releasing RC4 this weekend to address this issue and another issue which has been plaguing people with some types of ATI video cards. (Like my laptop)