Cura + ThreeDubber on daVinci Jr (Page 2 of 3)

Obviously forgot magic "Add file" button...

Just to clarify. Do i need to add the xyz header and footer to gcode? or does kr15_uk's XYZ Cura files do that automatically?

It's just as kr15_uk said. What I did was install his Cura files above. Then used the Python  threedubber converter on the gcode from Cura with Linux using virtual machine. Stick the resulting 3w file directly into SD card then print from file on Jr.

My main difficulty was getting Python installed and the addition related software. I haven't worked with command line in awhile. I ended up using Linux on a virtual machine rather than my native OS X because I was able to get it going on Linux.

I forgot about the serial and padding. No wonder!

@chorobe - oh yeah, forgot to mention this. I have no idea why it's doing this but prints will always face other direction. Seems to be Jr is built back to front... Also don't rotate your print 180drgree in Cura so you can see it printing correctly if you use Z seam at the back. Otherwise you'll get Z seam right at the front of your print.

If python threedub can't locate a property in your gcode file that says how much filament will be used, it defaults to 1mm and will not give you an accurate result.

I have not updated threedub to work with the newest Cura versions, so that's likely the problem.

What you can do is use 'threedub file.gcode file2.gcode' to translate the file without converting, then manually find and change the filament length property to look like "; total_filament 124.4mm", THEN use it to convert to .3w. That should fix up the estimates.

And yes, rerunning  setup.py will replace the old version.

@chorobe - If XYZWare works for you that's brilliant.
Unfortunately I had fairly unpleasant experience with it. Few issues I can remember of:
1. slicing time for fairly complex STL's could take up to 10min and fail with no reason
2. In general slicing took a very long time
3. to print more than one STL you need to add your STL's, re-save it as one combined STL, quit XYZWare and then reopen it with that single combined STL.
4. Object slicing in general sometimes were completely off.
5. Uncontrollable Z seam placement
6. Travel route were set to fastest which obviously you can't change.
7. Infill settings were limited to honeycomb (now apparently there is a grim option) which is one of the slowest infill types.
8. Slow printing speeds even on setting Fast which is 30mm/s as far as I remember, maybe I'm wrong.
9. Supports. Most of the time unremovable or heavy cutting and filing is needed if you manage to remove supports.
10. In general I had a feeling that XYZWare is more oriented on visually pleasing prints rather than mechanical precision and in my case this is a game changer due to my type of a needs.

Once again, everyone are different what works for one doesn't mean will work for others.
I do prefer Cura because of a control I have with it. For example my wife prefers XYZWare due to it's simplicity.

Of corse Cura is far from perfect, there are few things which annoy me quite a lot, will give few examples:
1. Z seam. Even though I can control it's placement which is very important for my type of the prints it still takes the prize of "most annoying" thing in Cura. On some small objects like calibration cube it is just a big blob. Probably fixable somehow but I haven't figured it out yet. Not a highest priority but very annoying.
2. Occasional hanging in stage "Preparing for slicing"
3. Print time ETA (but I'm pretty sure it's down to the Jr because Cura is spot on with my DIY printer)
+ There are few more small things, I do still believe they've removed "beta" of the version2 Cura too early...

Anyway.

@chorobe - I'd love to hear what exactly went wrong with your prints. I'm curious to know.

Dunno if this is the right place to ask or not... but can adjusting the layer height in cura help reduce z wobble? Because as of the most recent xyzware/firmware I have noticed my prints having VERY noticeable z-wobble.

Also can you go to smaller layers than the Jr supports? Like 0.05mm?

Have you noticed any z banding in your prints? Maybe I am just expecting to much out of the Jr. XD

I mean, its not horrible, but its noticeable on objects that go straight up, like cubes.

I have a feeling it has something to do with the gantry sag... but I guess it could also be the leadscrew having a non-flexing coupling to, not sure if I can help that or not. XD

I'm gonna do some tests... like printing stuff on one side of the bed and the other and see if the banding is the same... and if so... I know its the leadscrew.

Here is a closeup.

@reluttr - The thing that interests me about your photos is that the banding is very regular. It looks like every 8 or so layers you get worse banding in one direction that slowly fades from that side, only to return again.

I get occasional banding that I definitely would attribute more to irregular extrusion, because it only happens where a new layer starts (that is, the bands start as blobs until the extrusion evens out). That in my case is definitely an extrusion/retraction problem.

In your case it's harder to say. I can't tell from the pics, but do the bands seem to be at all spiralling up the side of your print? Or are the layers that seem to be banding actually wider all the way around?

One thought that comes to mind is Z wobble, say from a slightly warped Z axis threaded rod (or some misalignment in its mounts). If your Z axis wobbles slightly, then you'd get the same XY shift every time your Z thread is at the same position. If that's the case though, I'd expect you to have a noticable "spiralling".