Author Topic: Got it working with Simplify3D!  (Read 4223 times)

ssstraub

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Got it working with Simplify3D!
« on: March 29, 2016, 06:29:37 pm »
I moved from the Cube software to KISSlicer using the settings posted here with decent success. High quality, but man what an awful slicer interface. Never really been super happy with it.

I tried Cura which has a pretty decent UI, but was not able to get the settings nailed down to the point where it would match KISSlicer.

So I bought Simplify3D with the thought that I could use their return policy. It was a struggle, but I was finally able to get pretty close to KISSlicer in quality so I can have my cake and eat it too.  ;D I am using thefoxsmart.com cheap-ass PLA at 235 for the first layer and 195 for the rest. I also added an amazing ZebraPlate on top of the glass build plate. I don't have to mess with tape or glue anymore! Seriously I just hit print and it sticks every time. I did properly level the bed first.

Here's my workflow:
1) Attach ZebraPlate to the glass using printed clips.
2) Slice using Simplify3D on Mac. Using a FFF profile (machine settings) adapted from a profile posted for CubePro/CubeX over on the S3D forum. (Attached here)
3) Run through s3d2cubex.py. This only takes a few seconds. (File attached here and original post here).
4) Switch to Windows and compile using CodeX utility. Did you know someone made a Mac version of this? I tried it and it works, but it's just the Windows version emulated on Mac and it is dreadfully slow. Would not recommend this.

Step 2 is required because S3D unfortunately does not support the outdated BFB style printers like the Cube, so someone came up with a python script to fix the flowrate that has to be manually set for this printer throughout the print. Most printers these days do this automatically and it's not required to be explicity declared in the G-Code. If you use the script I attached, you're probably going to have to play with the FeedFlowRatio to find a setting that works for you. The author used 0.006 and my machine works better with 0.021.

The only remaining issue I see in my many calibration prints is there are some zits/blobs on the outer shell that I believe to be related to retraction. It's not always clear which settings in S3D can be used by this printer, as again, it does not fully support BFB style. S3D has the option to randomize the starting point of each layer so I just leave that on to minimize this problem.

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ssstraub

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Re: Got it working with Simplify3D!
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2016, 07:33:15 pm »
In the CTRL-V2 test, KISSlicer on top and S3D on the bottom. This shows one negative of S3D; It won't print walls smaller than your nozzle size. Most slicers are willing to fudge this and print it anyway even though it will be wide, but S3D aims for accuracy and simply refused to print them at all.

The Benchy tug boat is hot of the press. You can see a bit of blobbing on the surfaces. If anyone figures out better retraction settings for S3D I'd love to hear it. I'm not sure how much more I'll tweak this before moving on to a better supported printer.



spegelius

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Re: Got it working with Simplify3D!
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2016, 09:26:25 am »
Nice. I'd love to try S3D, but the price seems bit too much at the moment. Not that it wouldn't be worth it', especially as it's usable uf/wen i uprage the printer, but as i've already spent largeish amounts of money towards this hobby, not just yet :).

Interesting bit about that python code that adds extrusion values to the g-code. I wonder if that would work with Slic3r as it doesn't support BfB style either? Need to check that.

About retraction: AFAIK Cube sets those values to these values in the header:
M227 P100 S100
M228 P0 S100

I't possbile that S3D overrides M227 later in the g-code, KS and Cura do it so one needs to pay attention to those values.

ssstraub

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Re: Got it working with Simplify3D!
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2016, 10:20:24 am »
Thanks I will have to check that in a file sliced in both KISS and S3D.

The other thing I should have noted is I think the above examples were all printed at 30 mm/s (slower on first layer and outer layers) with 0.2 layer height.

ssstraub

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Re: Got it working with Simplify3D!
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2016, 09:36:49 am »
I was able to cut out step 4 of my workflow. The Python script still runs, but now it's automatic using the post-processing automation in S3D.  8)

spegelius

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Re: Got it working with Simplify3D!
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2016, 11:46:40 am »
I bought S3D also and it does work very well. The manual support tool is a must for some models. I also updated my Cubifier python script to process the Makerbot style g-code so Cube understands it: https://github.com/spegelius/CubePostprocessor.