[Noisebridge-discuss] 3d printer extruder temp

[pdbogen at cernu.us]

On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 10:12:13AM -0800, Jean Luc Picard wrote:
> NB is currently equipped currently ONLY with a Flashforge Creator.  We had
> others, but IIRC the members/admins sold them for money for the better
> (current) printer w/ larger platform, LCD/D-pad kit, dual extruders, etc.
> You know, tricked out makerbot clone.  The reprap mendel's still there for
> anyone who wants to hack the planet like it's 2008.

Rgr. Yeah, the Creator does have an uncanny resemblence to the MakerBot 
Replicator on my desk, i.e., the bane of my existence.

It looks like Flashforge has gone so far as to duplicate the same type of 
controller/firmware, which is unfortunate. It makes it more difficult to use 
standard slicing software like my preference, slic3r.

I've had success using Slic3r with the Replicator; I don't know if the 
correspondence between the two is close enough to use my solution whole cloth, 
but it might provide a starting point. Slic3r will need to be told to insert 
special start and end gcode (which is done via the printer configuration tab 
in 'expert' mode):


	start_gcode = (**** Start.gcode for Replicator 2 ****)\nM103 ;disable 
	RPM\nM73 P0 ;enable build progress\nG21 ;set units to mm\nG90 ;set 
	positioning to absolute\n(**** begin homing ****)\nG162 X Y F2500 
	;home XY axes maximum\nG161 Z F1100 ;home Z axis minimum\nG92 Z-5 ;set 
	Z to -5\nG1 Z0.0 ;move Z to "0"\nG161 Z F100 ;home Z axis 
	minimum\nM132 X Y Z A B ;Recall stored home offsets for XYZAB 
	axis\n(**** end homing ****)\nG1 X-141 Y-74 Z75 F3300.0 ;move to 
	waiting position\nG130 X20 Y20 Z20 A20 B20 ;Lower stepper Vrefs while 
	heating\nM6 T0 ;wait for toolhead, and HBP to reach temperature\nM70 
	P5 (We Be Making Things!)\nG130 X127 Y127 Z40 A127 B127 ;Set Stepper 
	motor Vref to defaults\nM108 R3.0 T0\nG0 X-141 Y-74 ;Position 
	Nozzle\nG0 Z1 ;Move above plate\nG1 Z0.3 ;Position Height\nM108 R5.0 
	;Set Extruder Speed\nM101 ;Start Extruder\nG4 P3000 ;Create Anchor\nG1 
	X-137 Y-70 Z0.1 F1000.0 ;Slow wipe\nG0 Z0.3 ;and lift\n(**** end of 
	Start.gcode ****)

	end_gcode = (**** End.gcode ****)\nM103 ;Turn extruder off\nM104 S0 
	;Zero temperature\nM73 P100 ;End build progress\nG0 Z155 ;Send Z axis 
	to bottom of machine\nM18 \n;Disable stepper\nM104 S0 T0 ;Cool down 
	the Right Extruder\nG162 X Y F2500 ;Home XY endstops\nM18 ;Disable 
	stepper motors\nM70 P5 ( We Be Making Things!)\nM72 P1 ;Play Ta-Da 
	song\n(**** end of End.gcode ****)

Also, there's a "gcode_flavor" option that should be changed to "makerware."

Finally, there's a tool called gpx that can convert gcode files into the x3g 
files that the replicator uses, a la:

	gpx -g -f 1.75 -m r2 <input.gcode> <output.x3g>

Any or all of the details of these will probably need adjustment to work 
properly with the creator, if that's a road you want to go down.

Slic3r should lend itself to much higher quality prints. Here's a direct 
comparison of MakerWare vs Slic3r on the same printer: 
https://twitter.com/pdbogen/status/545019704998256640

Buuut, that might be a lot of work just for some 3D printed bunnies. Assuming 
you're using makerware or whatever, you might just need to give up a bit on 
speed and turn the quality setting up, which will do most of the things I've 
mentioned in previous emails.

-- 
             .
Patrick Bogen .
            ...
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