My .gcode model not printing

[aflock07 0]

Hello,

I am on my 3rd print ever with my new Ultimaker 2. I was able to print two things that were already on the included SD Card. Then I modeled something in Google Sketchup and exported as a .STL and brought my design into Cura. Then I saved to the SD Card using the the SD button at the top. When I load the SD Card into the machine and select my design, I notice that my file shows up but the machine has "no information" regarding the print time. Then I hit print, the print platform goes up and it says "Print Finished" and the platform goes down. The file must not have any content, and I don't know why. Please help.

Thank you,

AF

[xisle 34]

Did you choose "Eject" or "Safely Remove Hardware" before moving the SD card from the PC?

[aflock07 0]

Yes I did each and every time.

[nallath 1,120]

Try another SD card. It sometimes happens that they stop working (usually caused by not safely removing them).

[gr5 2,168]

Before saving to SD card did you look at your model in slice view to make sure it actually has something to print? Sketchup tends to make non-solid objects (such as infinitely thin walls or boxes with 5 sides but no sixth side.

[aflock07 0]

GR5,

Yes Sketchup creates nothing but infinitely thin walls, but I believe you can create an interior wall and an exterior wall which makes a solid shape in a given model. For me it's the easiest program for modeling, however if you have something better for optimizing custom .STL files I could really use some suggestions.

[gr5 2,168]

If you are good at sketchup I suggest you stick with it for now. It took me 6 months before I was as good at DSM as I was at sketchup and it was a painful 6 month transition. (dsm=design spark mechanical). The problem with sketchup is it creates models with holes or infinitely thin walls but you can of course create more walls and triangles until everything is sealed up water tight. DSM, solidworks, and other more modern cad programs won't let you create non-3d objects so it's not an issue for most modern cad programs. Sketchup is great for visualization though!

Anyway other tricks you should know if you are using scketchup: look at your model in Cura with xray mode on. ANything in a shade of red is a problem - it means an infinitely long line eminating form the camera is passing through an odd number of walls but with 3d objects it should always be even.

Also the first checkbox in "fix horrible" settings often makes a sketchup object with a small hole in it closed back up. But it can also fill in holes that you *want* open so if you use it, double check in layer view that nothing gets filled in that shouldn't.