What software am I going to need?

I'm about to pull the trigger on a Prusa i2 and thought I'd start looking into software. I will be drawing in AutoCAD but I don't know what I need to get a drawing into gcode or what steps are required in between.

Thanks,
Ryan

openscad is a good free cad application, it also converts files to stl. from there you would need a slicer application that converts the 3d mesh from stl to sliced data in gcode. for simplicity i would recommend repetier host


[www.openscad.org]

[www.repetier.com]

Yeah, Repetier Host with Slic3r or Cura. I peronally use Cura since Slic3r just doesn't work with a lot of STL files I throw at it. From Cura I load my files on an SD-card and print with my printer without it being connected to a computer (standalone). If you use Cura, you don't need Repetier Host + Slic3r.

My drawing is done in the Beta version of Rhino on the Mac. Rhino for Mac is currently in development so the beta versions are free to use.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2014 09:18AM by Ohmarinus.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

OK so to summarize that.... I open my CAD drawing (DWG or DXF?) in Openscad and save it as a STL file then use Cura to convert it to gcode?

don't forget, you can repair stl files with [modelrepair.azurewebsites.net]
it makes stl's easily print with slic3r

That's right, but before you crunch it into G-code, it would be worth running it through Netfabb (free d/l available) just to check it is manifold.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

Autocad can export to stl directly - no need to use openscad for that. Just make sure you have your units set correctly. If you're models are too small by a factor of 25.4, it's a good bet that autocad is expressing everything in inches, while your printer is expecting millimeters.

Quote
jbernardis
Autocad can export to stl directly - no need to use openscad for that.

Didn't know that. Thanks!

I have a few more questions... Do i need to draw in my own supports for odd shapes or will the software figure that out on it's own? For example, say I wanted to print something the shape of the letter "T". When the printer tries to print the first layer of the horizontal piece of that "T" shape it will be prining in thin air unless it builds something up underneath. Also will the software tell me if a part is unprintable or point out and problem areas?

[edit]Nevermind, I think I'm answering some of my own questions playing with some shapes in Cura. Looks like there could be some tuning to get the printer dialed in judging by all the settings.[/edit]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2014 10:50PM by Ryan_M.

Quote
Ryan_M
OK so to summarize that.... I open my CAD drawing (DWG or DXF?) in Openscad and save it as a STL file then use Cura to convert it to gcode?

A drawing is a 2D representation. 3D printing requires 3D models. A 2D drawing and a 3D model are two totally different things.

And for the record, OpensCAD can import DXF 2D profiles, but not 3D models saved in DXF/DWG format. No open source CAD software can, because 3D data in DXF/DWG files is saved in a proprietary and undocumented geometric modeling format called ACIS. Only commercial CAD software can open those.

Ok I used the wrong terminology. I will be modelling in AutoCAD.

As jbernardis pointed out, AutoCAD will export directly to stl so I won't need to touch OpensCAD. I exported some of my drawings (er, models) to stl and pulled them up in Cura and that software seems really nice! At first glance it looks easy to use and seems well laid out. Obviously I can't speak for the efficiency of the tool paths yet but so far seems like fantastic software. I like how you can view the layers and rotate around to see how the part will be built up, as well as the supports - this is how I answered my own questions above. Can't wait to get my machine now!

While you are starting it would be worth trying some of the other printer host programs.
I really enjoy Repetier Host and it slices really well with Slic3r and even has the cura slicer built in.