Stock SDv2 ...restarting from scratch (Page 1 of 2)

The first thing I would do is dump Pronterface and start using Repetier-host. I believe most here do.I tried Pronterface but care for it.lol as for the "Twang " I try to get  them to play the same note like tuning a guitar.

As he said Slic3r doesn't have something equivalent to "Lash" module of Skienforge.

Check my post here: http://www.soliforum.com/post/76214/#p76214
You can do that with a special command 'M99 Xmm Ymm Zmm Emm' with a custom firmware. You can save the change to the EEPROM (forgot the command for that)
Since it's an unofficial firmware, you can maybe post here yourself and also ask the Slic3r developer to reconsider closing the feature request. https://github.com/alexrj/Slic3r/issues/2431

As for now you can use Repetier Host + Slic3r + the unofficial firmware which has that "backlash compensation" command.

EDIT: So that "unfixable" backlash is not that exclusive to Solidoodle 4 huh?

I did not like Pronterface when I 1st got my 1st gen SD2 with deluxe option. so I used Repetier host instead which has been updated several versions now as Slic3r has. Skienforge has been a dead end since SD2 came out and I could never get it to work other than it trying to destroy printer a couple times (and support dont exist). so I have been using RH and Slic3r over 2 years now. no backlash circle issues like some complain of on larger SD printers the last year of production. so Im sure its a slack of quality control at Solidoodles assm line and shipping from what I have seen in posts.

n2ri: Yeah, was never exactly a 'fan' of Pronterface, just used it because I got it working and never really tried to change for a while.  But knowing I'm going to have to do a complete reinstall soon anyway, plus learn another whole machine's foibles, decided I'd try again.  Also got rid of most of my vertical banding but that was related to some tweaks to the Z-axis nut holder not slicer related.  As for support I prefer to design my own when needed, part of the part files.

redbarret:   Yes, I'm aware they're related issues (infill not contacting innermost perimeter, and perimeter circularity fail).  One of the Skeinforge settings is for the proportional 'overhang' of the infill strings to the perimeter strings, which helps make up for it, while the lash helped with the actual outer profile.  Doesn't seem to be an equivalent in slic3r I can find for the infill overlap.

I did open my marlin.pde and it does have the hysteresis.h and .cpp; although it might be a very slightly earlier version.   Will play with the settings a little on some test ring parts and see if I can reduce the flats to the point I don't care anymore, otherwise might have to reflash to the FW you indicated and try again.  I'm not the type to harass developers and suggest what they should do...I'm just not *that* into it, I guess.  Don't feel I have the right as a free user.

Anyhow, thanks again for the suggestions.  Does seem like the newer installer was way more painless than I remember my first go-round being.

You read an awful lot into a one-word choice.  Should I have just said I'm not into making feature requests and take things as they come, since I'm not that into it, and just happy there's free software out there for the taking?  After all I was working just fine if a bit inefficiently before...just decided to re-evaluate my options on a lark. 

I apologize profusely but insincerely for not moderating my linguistic selections to avoid the slightest implication of malfeasance whatsoever on your behalf or on behalf of any other individual reading this forum.  Text-only interaction being low bandwidth and without body language or tonal nuance by its nature invites such misinterpretation, therefore I shall remember to keep all future postings as banal, insipid, and vacuous as possible so as not to risk your jumping to future conclusions, because your reaction is, of course, my utmost responsibility to control.

Um, nah, not really.

You might just look over my history here and at the old outdated google group.  Despite the low post count, I been there done that for a while.  Not as "into it" as some of you young earnest bucks (buckettes?  I really shouldn't assume but the leap to perceived insult makes me think bruised male ego, not that it matters). I really don't need 'eddicating' about how github, Sourceforge, or that newfangled internet thingy in general works, and I don't have a trollish history either.  I didn't take offense at your continual effort to 'enlighten' me....or for that matter even mention it before now when you got 'tetchy' to point out that two can play, if desired.  I suggest you untwist your panties and enjoy your Xmas with family and friends, because I plan on doing the same, at least if I can get this cheesy skull with internal brain to print out in clear so I can glom a bunch of them over Xmas lights on the tree. :-)

Back on subject, have been playing around using RepetierH and Slic3r now.  Still not entirely satisfied with the circles but they're good enough that I'm probably the one seeing it; wife and friends to whom this is still just my geeky toy won't know the difference and instead will simply berate me for my morbid Xmas ornament joke.  The speed benefits over Skeinforge are worth it so I'll stick for a moment.  Did have to reflash FW - I had the first generation attempt at hysteresis (Lawsy fork?) which did an absolute offset based on position, so circles would 'walk' (loose concentricity, not circularity) with too high an offset depending on where they were on the plate (tested with rings at center vs. centered in quadrants on the plate).  Later version seems to have removed that error.  [Edit - and I now see I'm revisiting your recent discussions about the code  being present but not active or correct in another thread, so that was also good reading, thanks.] 

Settling in at a Y0.08 or so ....still tiny flats but the 11:00/5:00 'distortion' of circular profiles seems sufficiently moderated I'm not going to mess with the X right now.  Just play printing at the moment.  Kicking up the solid infill thread thickness (115%) helps with it mating up to the perimeters as well.

So guess I joined the 'grown-up' age and am leaving Pronterface behind.  Sniffles at my misspent youth.

I asked for general help, the suggested install package in use today, not to have things explained to me in itty bitty wordies.  If you fail to see the difference, well, then no wonder you also fail to understand why your oh-so-helpful 'suggestions' don't get accepted on Github by actual developers who've seen the arguments before, ad infinitum.  (Think I even made some of those arguments a couple years ago, too...I learned, maybe you can too.)

Off with you, boy.  I also attempted to get us back on subject** and even thanked you in the same post, and made clear jokes to take the sting out of it, but you want to just see one part and play one-upsmanship, then just go ahead and reply again so's you can 'win'. This lurker's been around long enough to think people can make their own judgements about me and you both, based on posting history and offline conversations w/ many of them.  I'm really not too worried about what direction that judgment will go, even if I am giving you back a little today.  And if I'm wrong and someone else is offended, why then I'll offer them my sincere apology.

Merry Xmas...do hope you get that chip taken care of so as not to ruin your holidays. 

[**Speaking of which, just noticed something new I've never seen in 2ish years of using this dang thing...one of my 2 Y-carriage front belt mounts, the one on the left facing the machine's front, looks ass-backwards - the geared wheel is 'inboard' of the bushing, making it off parallel since the one in the back, where it meets the smaller belt from the Y motor, has the toothed gear 'outboard'.  The 'right' belt is far more parallel to the machine frame (and ortho to the rod)...though it too is mounted the same way.  Starting to wonder if perhaps that might have a hair to do with my circularity issues all along.  If so, egg on my face.  I'm mid-print and have to dismount the case to get at it, but just might try a flipsee (or move the backside gear to improve the orthogonality of the belt to the rods) and see if I can't get back to the type of circles I had using the Lash assistance in Skeinforge.  Will report back if so, and have one hell of a laugh at my own expense.]

I did start over about 9 months ago. I had one of the first SD2 and it ran fairly well but I had more mods then print jobs. Anyway, the unit finally breaks down, I sent it in and it was too old for them to repair, so I wound up getting a newer referb of the larger SD2.

Short story long, I hate using the SD with windows. Windows 7 in this case. The drivers were always funky and sometimes for no reason the usb would beep like it got disconnected and ruin my print.  I  said screw it and installed ubuntu 14.4, installed the linux install package. upgraded Slicer to the latest version and RepetierHost to the latest version.

I had a little trouble with the print settings, but finally got it all worked out and I am making the best prints I my history with this product.  I print on glass clipped to the bed with hair spray. I print everything in .2 with my filament diameter measured for each color and I run the slic3r filament multiplier at .75 instead of .6 like the SD wiki recommends.

I also slice my jobs using a single core, even though I have dual cores on this old Pc. the single core slicing is slower but it just seems to come out better on the tricky jobs.

I also ran it through all the calibrations for the belts, filament length and bed.

So that's what I would do. Eliminating windows 7 was my best move and has saved me hours of time.

LOL back - you might have me wrong.  I only got so deep into it because beyond a certain point parts worked, the 'pain' was manageable...not because I'm some sorta expert.  I leave than mantle for the people like Lawsy and Ian...and I'm darn sure my starting settings all came from Ian's blog advice and I never strayed far from that...there were some things that had to be done to run Skeinforge in RH vs. in Pronterface but for the life of me I don't remember them, something about measuring the home point differently or having to create your own homing.gcode that's called in the Home module?  If you search Ian's blog (seems to be live still, though nothing new there since the Filawinder stuff) you might find the same settings / video posts I referred to.  But FWLIMBW, I'll try on the questions.

  This one's easy.  Cause it does? (Sorry, couldn't resist...) Gotta be just horribly inefficient coding, but I had the same issue.  Something that slices in minutes in slic3r, even back then, could take hours on SF.  Guess because it's all 'modules' being called one after the other instead of a coherent executable?  Maybe not even all compiled code but interpreted in Python?  It does seem to need an open Python window to run (and closing that window not SF or PF will crash it).  Got me.

What was your first layer height set at? (Bottom module).  I had 0.5 'additional height over thickness' and altitude 0.06(mm).  I never did try printing on the kapton, went straight to the glass bed.  And I'm not even using good borosillicate tempered stuff, I'm talking a jagged-cut piece I trimmed down from big-box sheet glass.  Yep, I've shattered a piece or two from thermal stress.  Oops.

  Um, lost me with these... never seen that behavior.  And that's *all* you'd get after slicing?

I was running it thru PF not RH, so things were much different, but I'd have to launch the SF window from PF's "Settings > Slicing" menu, then make all my selections in the various modules, Save (button at bottom of SF), then use the "Skeinforge" button at the bottom of its window to load my STL.  After forever, it pops up two ugly graphical windows that weren't very interactive but at least you could see if it sliced sort of (you could see status in the Python window of course as it went).  Then close SF, and loaded the file using the Load file button in PF.  Maximize and minimize again and it would show the print lines on the bed, hopefully, then I'd ramp up temps and print.  Damn after typing that amazed I put up with it all so long. :-)

Probably cause RH was configured to use either and wasn't theirs to muck with, aside from providing settings files I guess?  Anyway, there is help on each module, if outdated...the little question-mark button takes you to an outdated webpage, and a bit of searching found others.  I basically only ever used Bottom, Fill, Lash (backlash), Cool, Comb (just a checkmark - no other options), Speed, Stretch, and Temp.  RARELY I'd use Scale (which is pretty self-explanatory) or Raft, and I did have Oozebane (LOVE that name) active with some settings but those were probably just out of box.

  yeah, I guess I just stuck with what worked because after the inevitable "what have I gotten myself into" first few months, I didn't want to re-fix what wasn't quite broke.  Only recently realized I was also seeing way better prints from some of the others I got into buying their own machines (various flavors, some SD some not) at work.

Anyways, I can try to help w/ specifics - maybe spit out my settings somehow if you really wanted to give SF a go? - but Ian's blog is without doubt the place to start. He da man.

[Late Edit: Found the post on Ian's blog, if it helps...it's pretty old but what you're describing sounds like a major config error of some sort, so maybe it points you in the right direction: http://solidoodletips.wordpress.com/201 … keinforge/ ]

I got an older dell E521 off of craiglists for 30$ and use that as my primary lab machine. My "lab" is just a small corner in the basement.  I also bought a few Dell 755 mini's from our local computer recycle for 30$ and use those all over the house for mythtv machines. Thats why I moved from my win7 gaming rig into a dedicated linux shop pc.

I also keep an old Acer Aspire 1 notebook and run ubuntu 12.4 with the official SD repitierhost software for any traveling I do with the SD2 and as a backup.

I am not a linux snob or anything and still use windows, I just found that by eliminating windows , I also eliminated all the strange little issues that kept popping up.

Dude, get over yourself.  You're clearly the only one offended not amused.  See you spit all over wardjr for having the audacity to suggest you do a search several days ago in another thread, and he had to mollify you.  Sorry I'm not the mollifying sort - your taking offense is and was your issue, not mine.  I explained my intent but that just wasn't good enough was it?

Yes, I'm using the hysteresis code included FW - set so low it may not be doing much, but I'm using it.  FWIW I clearly knew about it before, since I had the earlier version installed, but you did point me to a slightly newer one so thanks for that  (also thanked you before, but you keep not seeing that somehow). 

All that said, I definitely did not need "github" and "419 forks OMGe11eventy!!" and how feature requests work explained to me...you honestly can't see the huge dose of patronizing expertise, from your two months experience, you are dosing out with what little help there really was?  Again, your issue, not mine, but I don't mind pointing it out.  Maybe one day it'll sink in that when someone pokes fun at themselves in the same thread as poking at you, it wasn't meant harshly.  Then again, so far it hasn't.

You took offense for no good reason to one word ('harass'), prior to which we were having a quite useful discussion, and just won't let go since I didn't walk it back to your specifications, clearly just can't stand someone poking funsies at you with my own itty bitty wordies, can ya?  I've not been offended yet...just curious how far you're going to stretch this wounded expert helpfulness schtick and not see you're being wound up.

Noticed yet?  Because I'm getting kinda tired, and it's time for another margarita.  My sabertooth skull printed - Slic3r is a little more finicky to make a good adhesion with than SF, but I got it to stick after one false start...sure that was all because of you too so thanks ever so much.

[p.s. "dogmatic" wasn't me...sure you're not so irate at me because you're conflating me with someone else who also got yer goat?  Nice word though.  I can see myself using it....just not recently.]

Suggesting it doesn't sound snobby at all...It's definitely worth considering - I'd probably have way less problems using an older machine as the dedicated 'print connection machine' and little else, even if I wanted to run the CAD software elsewhere, vs. having my Plex / Gaming / CAD / SD and a new beast all running off the same CPU.  Then again...I use the 'need for power' as justification to upgrade specs on the new beasties when I do (infrequently - current beast is like 4 now) let myself build again.  Shhh....don't tell the wife.  I bribed her with the Lenovo Yoga 3 so I've got a pass right now and I don't want to spoil it! :-)

Agreed.

RH seems to be working fine, and I can get SF working in it as well if I feel I must get back my lash settings, since I'm not convinced the hysteresis 'fix' in the FW is really doing much even with the M99 prefix. (Or, at least in a dry run, Skeinforge sliced gcode seemed to move my extruder and bed to match what I was seeing on the screen....I haven't actually heated and attempted a real print this morning since I have other honey-do's on the list for today.) 

So at the very least thanks to everyone who suggested RH; certainly much more user friendly than Pronterface as a printer interface. 

Ggalisky:  I'm on RH 0.85b from the SD website download package.  You suggesting I not upgrade from that point?

n2ri:  I don't know if it's worth trying but I ported over all my SF settings from pronterface in a profile (actually it was just available, since SF inside RH uses the home users/<username>/.skeinforge/profiles location just like SF did under Pronterface).  Instead of using what looks like Solidoodle's profile setup (Solidoodle ABS 0.3mm) you might try loading in this one and see if it works for you?  I haven't looked thru it vs. SD's (tedious in the extreme) to see if there's any setting that jumps out at me as different, but this is the profile I had active when slicing, and after which the dry run machine behavior was as expected.

Just unpack the zip to your users/<username>/.skeinforge/profiles/extrusion folder, and make sure to select it as the active profile in the Skeinforge area of the RH slicer page, and set SF as the active slicer.  You might also want to hit the 'Configure' button and find the "Lash" module and un-check it, if you're pretty satisfied with your machine's tensioning, or else you'll see some oddness that I kinda need but you don't....for me a simple single-wall box will look like it's got pretty bad over or undershoot at the corners in the graphical view, but will come out pretty clean in reality, that was my old circle fix. 

Try a dry-run after slicing and see if it gives you the same weird behavior you mentioned before....?  Oddly SF, while still way slower than slic3r for the same file, is way faster running behind RH than it was behind Pronterface.  Go figure...maybe Pronterface was competing for resources since it also seemed to get all its machine status monitoring thru the Python window (??)

Anyway, thanks again to all; been kind of fun to get back into this.  Poor machine was feeling lonely (and dusty as heck...those rods need a serious de-cat-hairing and re-greasing....)