Why don't you use Cura slicer?
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I put your sample of gcode into craftware (great gcode viewer) and most of the line segments were empty because the extrusion amounts are so ridiculously small (like less than 1um of extrusion). I don't know what your steps/mm are but I would be surprised if you have sufficient extruder resolution to be able to print that line at all, let alone good quality.
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I put your sample of gcode into craftware (great gcode viewer) and most of the line segments were empty because the extrusion amounts are so ridiculously small (like less than 1um of extrusion). I don't know what your steps/mm are but I would be surprised if you have sufficient extruder resolution to be able to print that line at all, let alone good quality.
Not sure what you mean by that. It's a high res file for sure but those extrusion amounts are mostly around 0.08mm (roughly 80 um), which at around 400 steps per mm is 32 steps. It prints fine except when I enable pressure advance.
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I put your sample of gcode into craftware (great gcode viewer) and most of the line segments were empty because the extrusion amounts are so ridiculously small (like less than 1um of extrusion). I don't know what your steps/mm are but I would be surprised if you have sufficient extruder resolution to be able to print that line at all, let alone good quality.
Not sure what you mean by that. It's a high res file for sure but those extrusion amounts are mostly around 0.08mm (roughly 80 um), which at around 400 steps per mm is 32 steps. It prints fine except when I enable pressure advance.
Ooops, yes, my bad, totally ignore that last comment from me.
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Ooops, yes, my bad, totally ignore that last comment from me.
No worries.
So I've just been playing around with OpenScad and Slic3R. Created a very simple cylinder, diameter 100mm, height 0.9mm (3 layers). Sliced it with no solid layers, no infill and just a single perimeter. So basically just giving one circuit 100mm diameter. Initially I set $fa to 0.5 and $fs to 0.5. If I understand it correctly, that should generate segments every 0.5 degrees but limit the smallest segment size to 0.5mm. When I sliced it, the resultant gcode file had a lot of variations between each segment. I then progressively changed $fs in 0.5 steps, rendered and sliced. As the segment size increased, the variations in the gcode became less. When I got up to 2.5 mm segment length, there was no noticeable difference between the individual segments in the gcode file.
So that's very odd slicer behaviour.
If you can find time can you run this stl through Cura https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WIgDLucrZK6HuzopwRnsGSMnyaPR0nD3/view?usp=sharing
It's a very simple hollow cylinder 100mm diameter, single perimeter, no solid layers, no infill. In theory the segment size should be about 1mm. Slic3R shows wild variations between each of these segments. e.g:
G1 X228.900 Y161.126 E0.10235
G1 X229.215 Y163.083 E0.10233
G1 X229.452 Y165.053 E0.10240
G1 X229.540 Y166.038 E0.05104
G1 X229.659 Y168.018 E0.10240
G1 X229.699 Y170.000 E0.10233
G1 X229.659 Y171.982 E0.10233
G1 X229.540 Y173.962 E0.10240
G1 X229.452 Y174.947 E0.05104
G1 X229.215 Y176.917 E0.10240
G1 X228.900 Y178.874 E0.10233
G1 X228.507 Y180.819 E0.10239
G1 X228.282 Y181.782 E0.05104Cheers
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Indeed, with Cura, the segment size is very close to 1mm with approx +/- 1 micron variation in extrusion length per segment. The only exceptions occurred once per revolution where 1 segment was longer than the others so I assume that's what gets left over when openscad divided up the circle. The long segment appeared in the same position on each wall and layer. Here's some of the gcode to compare:
;TYPE:WALL-OUTER
G1 F2400 X34.738 Y35.613 E0.04107
G1 X34.017 Y36.301 E0.04143
G1 X33.289 Y36.97 E0.04111
G1 X32.546 Y37.626 E0.04121
G1 X31.789 Y38.268 E0.04127
G1 X31.019 Y38.895 E0.04128
G1 X30.237 Y39.506 E0.04126
G1 X29.443 Y40.101 E0.04125
G1 X28.638 Y40.68 E0.04123
G1 X27.82 Y41.243 E0.04129
G1 X26.988 Y41.792 E0.04144
G1 X26.154 Y42.32 E0.04104
G1 X25.304 Y42.833 E0.04128
G1 X24.441 Y43.331 E0.04142
G1 X23.571 Y43.811 E0.04131
G1 X22.697 Y44.27 E0.04104
G1 X21.805 Y44.716 E0.04146
G1 X20.914 Y45.14 E0.04102
G1 X20.005 Y45.55 E0.04146
G1 X19.096 Y45.938 E0.04109
G1 X18.177 Y46.31 E0.04122
G1 X17.245 Y46.666 E0.04148
G1 X16.315 Y46.999 E0.04107
G1 X15.375 Y47.314 E0.04122
G1 X14.423 Y47.613 E0.04149
G1 X13.471 Y47.891 E0.04123
G1 X12.518 Y48.149 E0.04105
G1 X11.554 Y48.389 E0.0413
G1 X10.58 Y48.611 E0.04153
G1 X9.616 Y48.811 E0.04093
G1 X8.64 Y48.993 E0.04128
G1 X7.656 Y49.157 E0.04147
G1 X6.679 Y49.3 E0.04105
G1 X5.695 Y49.423 E0.04123
G1 X4.703 Y49.527 E0.04147
G1 X3.714 Y49.611 E0.04127
G1 X2.729 Y49.675 E0.04104
G1 X1.733 Y49.72 E0.04145
G1 X0.741 Y49.744 E0.04125
G1 X-.248 Y49.749 E0.04112
G1 X-1.239 Y49.735 E0.04121Hope this helps.
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BTW, looking at your small sample of gcode I can see that the extrusion rate is the same for all of the segments. So although some don't extrude as much, they are correspondingly shorter and so the rate remains the same.
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BTW, looking at your small sample of gcode I can see that the extrusion rate is the same for all of the segments. So although some don't extrude as much, they are correspondingly shorter and so the rate remains the same.
Many thanks for that. I note that your E values are all lower than mine but that is easily explained by the fact that my default nozzle size is 0.5mm while I believe yours is 0.4mm.
It seems that Cura is doing a better job of keeping the segment sizes all the same. Ref the issues with Slic3R, yes I agree that the extrusion rate is proportional to the segment size but that the segment size itself varies. It seems to do a few segments all one size but then chuck in the odd small one. That's probably what is triggering pressure advance part way round an arc which in turn leads to the problems I've been having, especially with high pressure advance as is needed when trying to print at high speed with multiple extruders running.
It looks like it's time I took another look at Cura. If it handles multi part objects or has some means whereby I can assign different tools (colours) to different sections of an object then it'll be ideal.
Thanks again.
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Hi folks, the Cura thread has popped up again with some interesting news that's actually related to the original intent of this thread.
Just letting you know that Cura 3.3 beta has been released today with a whole bunch of new features (and new bugs, of course). A couple of items you may be interested in are:
1 - experimental bridge settings that let you frig speeds/flows/fans etc. when printing bridges and overhangs. This is one of my efforts.
2 - experimental support eraser - this gui feature let's you position blobs where you don't want support to be created so it's a step towards having full-blown manual editing of support. This isn't my work.
If you try 3.3 beta out and have any feedback, please post on the Cura forum (https://community.ultimaker.com/forum/108-cura-plugins/) or github (https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura) rather than here.
I have written a few notes about the bridging here https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/22195-introducing-the-experimental-bridging-settings/
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Is there a way to change the size of the support blocker or to have it applied to an entire surface? The default setting is very large and leaves an odd rectangular area that is well beyond where I want the support to be blocked. S3D had an option to change the size of the supports or removal of supports. Cura has definitely gone a long way once you turn on all the options.
It would be nice to have options for speed based on a percentage from the max speed, but I can set profiles. The only issue I see with the profile is that it does not define all the speeds. If I set a bridge wall speed, there is no option to change it in the "global settings" tab. I only see an option to "Enable Bridge Settings". Its not a show stopper, but it would be nice to have all the speed settings for every option in the profile settings so the user don't have to dig through the config to set them for each profile.
In the layer view, I don't see an option to show the retraction locations. Maybe I just didn't pick the right options. It would be nice to see the rectraction locations to adjust the settings to optimize if needed. S3D shows the location as a big blob so it makes it easier to see. I really like Cura's option to show the travel path. There is a slider to change layer and to show the motion within the same layer with a separate slider. That is a nice feature.
Its definitely looks like it can compete with S3D.
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Its not a show stopper, but it would be nice to have all the speed settings for every option in the profile settings so the user don't have to dig through the config to set them for each profile.
Well, it's an experimental feature right now and that's why the settings are all in the experimental section rather than being in the sections that they could ultimately end up in.
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Its not a show stopper, but it would be nice to have all the speed settings for every option in the profile settings so the user don't have to dig through the config to set them for each profile.
Well, it's an experimental feature right now and that's why the settings are all in the experimental section rather than being in the sections that they could ultimately end up in.
That was just an example. There are lots of other speeds in the custom or advance settings that is not populated in the profile section.
ie:
Wall Speed- outer wall
- inner wall
Support Speed
-support infill
-support interface
-initial layer speeds
Skirt/Brim Speed
If there was an option to set the speed are based on a percent from a max print speed, it would be easy to change one parameter and have all the other speeds relative to that print speed.
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Ah, I see what you're saying. I guess that the Cura devs don't think that way. Actually, I don't either but that's irrelevant.
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Hi folks, the Cura thread has popped up again with some interesting news that's actually related to the original intent of this thread.
Just letting you know that Cura 3.3 beta has been released today with a whole bunch of new features (and new bugs, of course). A couple of items you may be interested in are:
1 - experimental bridge settings that let you frig speeds/flows/fans etc. when printing bridges and overhangs. This is one of my efforts.
2 - experimental support eraser - this gui feature let's you position blobs where you don't want support to be created so it's a step towards having full-blown manual editing of support. This isn't my work.
If you try 3.3 beta out and have any feedback, please post on the Cura forum (https://community.ultimaker.com/forum/108-cura-plugins/) or github (https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura) rather than here.
I have written a few notes about the bridging here https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/22195-introducing-the-experimental-bridging-settings/
Thanks for this! I use a slightly older version of cura often so i will try the update.
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That is how S3D sets the speed parameters in relation to the print speed. It would definitely be a feature that would make the transition from S3D to Cura a lot smoother. I really like Cura and the option for ironing the surfaces. I'll play around with it and hopefully switch over once I am happy with the print quality. I really like S3D 4.0's new feature with variable infill for thin walls. It makes filling in small gaps a lot smoother and the machine does not have to make quick jerk movements to fill small gaps in the previous revisions. I haven't played with Cura enough to see if there is a similar function.
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Just coming back to say that I've been making an effort to use Cura more with the latest releases and I'm happy to report that some of my prior complaints have been resolved.
The new bridging parameters especially have been a big help. It's not as plug and play as Slic3r, there are a lot of settings to tweak and tune, which is both good and bad. The defaults worked good for me on short spans, but poorly on longer ones. Somehow Slic3r always seems to automatically do well, but with some more testing I think I will have a good handle on it. With the Tweak at Z plugin, you could vary the bridging settings as dictated by sections of the model. It's not automatic, but I appreciate the configurability.
My next favourite aspect of Cura is the per move type jerk and acceleration settings. It's helped shave quite a bit of time off prints while still maintaining quality where it matters. And the time estimates are more accurate.
Firmware retraction support can be added with a plugin now, but it would be nice to have that in the main release.
The variable layer height functionality is there now and works well, though it is more automated than I'd like.
There is still no small perimeter speed setting to help with holes, but I've found using lower acceleration values works well enough to allow for good small hole performance and still allow for higher speeds on straight perimeters.
My biggest complaint right now is GUI performance and slicing speed. Even using the menu tree can be a frustrating experience at times, and certain models with certain combinations of settings can result in very long slice times. Over 30 minutes at times! My laptop is a top of the line MacBook Pro from 2013. A little dated now, but Slic3r chews through the same model in less than a minute. As I said this is likely due to certain settings causing slicing to slow down so much. Optimizing perimeter order, try different line thicknesses, etc which slic3r lacks. So I am getting what I ask for, but even with default settings slicing is slow enough that enabling auto slicing is just asking for frustration.
All and all it's come a long way since my last list of complaints and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. This is in no small part thanks to @burtoogle Good work!
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Hi @Phaedrux , thanks for the feedback. With regard to the bridging capabilities, it's really a work in progress and looks to stay that way for some time yet. I still have several PRs (Pull Requests) waiting to be incorporated into Cura related to bridging and a bunch more that provide various other tweaks and bug fixes. The Cura "guardians" seem to be so busy these days that it takes months for any PRs to even get looked at let alone merged so it's a slow old business.
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I've just uploaded the latest version (3.3.1) and am really struggling to get this set up for multiple extruders. I've managed to create a printer with 4 extruders (actually it's a 3 colour but a mixing one so I use 3 tools which are primarily a single colour and a 4th tool which can be any combination). Anyway, that's by to by - as far as Cura is concerned, it's got 4 extruders and I'll sort out the mixing ratios.
I've created a material under "preferences - materials" which is my default PLA for which I use slightly different settings to the "bundled" filaments. That's no problem but under "profiles - material", there is an initial print temperature and a final print temperature which are lower. I want these to be the same. i.e if I print at 195 deg C , I don't want it to start at 185 deg C. I can't see anywhere else to change this other than for each individual profile which uses that filament, rather than in the materials section itself. Not only that, I can't see how to change it globally. That is to say, using the same filament in all 4 extruders, I have to go into each extruder tab and change the initial, and final print temperatures 4 times. Am I missing something?
The real big pain is setting up a profile. I made a duplicate then started changing settings and doing "manage profile - update with current settings" but here is where I run into problems. I've set layer height to 0.3mm and that's what it says under the "global" tab. However, when I click through the tabs for the 4 extruders, the layer height is set to 0.15mm and I can't find any way to change that. When I edit the profile and click through all the extruders, they are all set to 0.3mm but when I update the profile then go into "manage profile" they are all set to 0.15mm. Why doesn't the global setting of layer height get applied to individual extruders ?
Then there are all the other settings. In print set up. For example, under "Shell" I counted about 30 settings. I can't see any way to change these globally for all 4 extruders. I can't believe I have to set say, wall thickness, 4 times. The same for infill - 24 settings but if I'm in "Custom" and change say the infill percentage, it only affects one extruder and I have to click through all 4 tabs and change it 4 times.
Similarly with speeds. I've gone through all 4 extruder tabs and changed all the speeds to either 60 or 50. Then I update the profile using these settings but when I go into manage profile, it shows me the global speeds are 100, 40, 80, 30 and I can't find anywhere to change them.
Has anyone here used Cura with multiple extruders? If so, can you help?
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- No slowdown when printing bridges.
- Too much options.
The difference between theory and practice is less in theory than
the difference between theory and practice in practice.
Expensive tools cannot compensate for lack of experience.
My stepper motor website: skysmotor.com -
@dalton said in Why don't you use Cura slicer?:
- No slowdown when printing bridges.
- Too much options.
1 - the options are there to slow down the walls and/or skin when printing bridges.
2 - there's lots of options right now because they are experimental! When we know what is useful and what isn't perhaps the number of options can be reduced or set to good default values. However, as what is a good value for speed/flow/fan, etc. differs from material to material so it's unlikely that all of these options can have defaults that work for all materials/printers/models.
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So, actually I am using Cura from the start (which is not so long ago anyway and I started with 3.2.1). I like it more than any other slicer I tried so far (ideaMaker, Slic3r PE, KISSlicer - I wanted to try IceSL but never got it to work due my ancient graphics card
).The only thing I am missing right now is a feature that I found in ideaMaker and liked a lot: change any setting at a given Z-height. Cura allows to change a few settings through built-in post-processing but I would like to have at least the option to change arbitrary settings. One use-case I had in the past was that I wanted to print a model with low infill at the bottom and 100% infill at a specific area that needed maximum rigidity - possibly but not necessarily going back to a lower infill further up.
I know I had other use-cases but I cannot remember them right now.Manuel
Duet 3 6HC (v0.6) with RPi 4B on a custom Cartesian
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