KISSlicer problems

Looking for some help to resolve my KISSlicer problems because I really want to try it out.
I use Repetier Host as my print software but I understand other people use it quite successfully so it must be something I'm doing wrong.

Here is a sample of some Gcode generated just now by the latest version of KISSlicer.

What I see in Repetier Host when I slice with slic3r:


What I see when I slice with KISSlicer:


Thanks for any advice.
richgain

On the face of it, it looks like there are errors in the STL that SLic3r may fix in the background, and that KissSlicer doesn't...

FWIW, I think I read in another thread that for KissSlicer, you want to run it through an STL repair utility like netfabb prior to import.

Indeed a quick google search for "KissSlicer netfabb?" coughs up the following as hit #3

[PDF]
KISSlicer Quick-Start Guide
www.kisslicer.com/files/KISSlicerQuickStart.pdfFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
With pro version you can upload multiple stl models. The stl file must be correctly oriented before loading it to kisslicer. Free Netfabb is a nice option to correctly ...

Hey, richgain, thanks for trying KISSlicer!

The first thing I would try is putting the startup code that works well with your printer (from the top screenshot, the lines from "G28" through "M83") into the [G-code]->Prefix text box.

The next thing would be to disable the Z-Settle (set it to 0) on the [Printer] tab. I know some G-code parsers (well, at least Axon) have issues when the Z values aren't monotonically increasing.

Finally, if you could help me configure Repetier Host to match your setup, I can see what I can do on this side to get it working.

thanks,
Jonathan

In Kisslicer in Prefrences/Advanced Settings the G-code tab I had to change:
Firmware Type to 5D-absolute E
File Extension to gcode

Thats it I think, Using Repetier-Host v0.36 I realize there are newer versions but It is working great for me and all the software is stable.

Firmware is marlin on RAMPS 1.4

Looking at your file is seems to have an extra file extension .kss.gcode
Should it just be .gcode for an extension?

I'm using the Mac version of repetier Host, but here is a Grotux sliced with the latest Kissslicer in the latest Repetier Host Mac.
Note I don't generate comments in the gcode and I do know that older versions of Repetier did have issues with GCode comments.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2012 07:17PM by Polygonhell.

@xiando - I ran the stl through netfabb Studio Basic 4.9 and it's perfect. No errors to fix.

@gulf - interesting, I always use relative E, so I selected the '5D relative E' profile for Firmware type.
BTW, I always add a bit more info to my gcode labels to tell me which slicer it was produced by, which printer it's for etc. to help me keep them organised. That's why I have "KSS.gcode" as my file extension.

@lonesock - thanks Jonathan, you hit the nail on the head! I compared the two files and the missing command in the header was:

;use relative extrusion
M83

I had just assumed that choosing the Relative E profile would put that command into the gcode but it wasn't there. Is this a bug?
Adding the command manually produced the following result.


I must have had support turned on but it's now starting to look much more like what I expected.

richgain

Does the model look correct in the KissSlicer preview window if you show paths?

Yes, it does. There is no difference in appearance in KISSlicer, with and without the M83 command.
In Repetier Host, the paths are only visible if I add the M83 command.

KISSlicer generates the paths, so what is shows is the goal (regardless of absolute or relative extrusion or anything else...all that comes at a later stage when the paths are translated to actual G-code). Usually the relative E is chosen if that is the default mode of the firmware, so typically you don't need to set that in the prefix.

Repetier, on the other hand, doesn't know what the paths should look like, it tries to figure that out from the G-code, so it needed the signal that KS was using relative E.

I'm glad this is coming along...good luck!

Jonathan

I'm having an issue with KISSlicer where whenever I slice an object and go to print, there is some sort of Z offset of about 0.1 to 0.4, KISSlicer does amazing print quality (from what I heard) and it would be nice to get it to work properly, images of my settings [imgur.com]