Printing Sequential Replicates with Different Settings

Hi all,


Just wondering if there is a easy way to print replicates of an object with different settings for optimization experiments.

Say I have a small cube, and I want to print it at 190C 200C 210C 220C or whatever to figure out optimal print temp for a filament. Currently, I think I'd have to generate a G-code that prints 4 of these cubes in sequence, and then manually go into slic3r and add temperature codes between each object.

Mashing G-codes together gets more complicated if I want to test various speeds, infills, or retraction values etc.....

So I'm wondering if anyone knows of a more automated way to do this (script or 3rd party program)? As far as I can tell Slic3r doesn't support this at the moment, and I'm not sure how difficult such an implementation would be.


Thanks!

You don't mention what version you're using, but the experimental branch of Slic3r does currently support this.

Under Print Settings, then Output Options there's a checkbox for Complete Individual Objects, which will print the objects sequentially, and then the only thing you have to manually modify in the G-code would be to input the temperature-change commands each time Z goes back to the first layer height. Do make sure you set the extruder clearance values correctly to prevent collisions with already-built parts.

For speeds, infills, retraction values, and such it's even easier, and you don't need to print the objects sequentially. Lay out your plate, then click a part you want to vary from default settings, then right click on it and choose Settings. From there, you can choose alternate extruders or use the plus in the lower section of the window to add specific settings to change.

Under the Plater tab, when you have one of the objects on your plate selected, you can click Settings to choose specific settings for only that object. The thing is, it's pretty silly to try and print objects side-by-side at different temperatures, because the hotend would have to change temperatures four times every layer, the print would take forever, and the nozzle would drool like crazy as the temperature changes were happening.

What most people do is print a tower, with a temperature change every fifty layers or whatever, and then they compare different segments of the tower. This makes it so you only have to change temperatures four times instead of four hundred times.

The way I would do the temperature changes is: open up the gcode, search for Z20, Z40, Z60, Z80, or wherever you want to do the temperature changes, and add in the line M104 S200 (S205, S210, etc.) which will change the temperature.
There are many calibration towers to choose from: [www.thingiverse.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2015 02:00PM by kre8.

Quote
IMBoring25
You don't mention what version you're using, but the experimental branch of Slic3r does currently support this.

Under Print Settings, then Output Options there's a checkbox for Complete Individual Objects, which will print the objects sequentially, and then the only thing you have to manually modify in the G-code would be to input the temperature-change commands each time Z goes back to the first layer height. Do make sure you set the extruder clearance values correctly to prevent collisions with already-built parts.

For speeds, infills, retraction values, and such it's even easier, and you don't need to print the objects sequentially. Lay out your plate, then click a part you want to vary from default settings, then right click on it and choose Settings. From there, you can choose alternate extruders or use the plus in the lower section of the window to add specific settings to change.

Thanks,

I've been looking at the experimental branch of slic3r, but I guess the settings were kinda hidden for changing infill. I knew there was a setting for sequential printing already though. But that'll save me a bit of work in gcode mixing for changing infill and whatnot.

My printer also isn't currently functioning, should have it up in a bit though. so I guess I didn't look too hard

Quote
kre8
Under the Plater tab, when you have one of the objects on your plate selected, you can click Settings to choose specific settings for only that object. The thing is, it's pretty silly to try and print objects side-by-side at different temperatures, because the hotend would have to change temperatures four times every layer, the print would take forever, and the nozzle would drool like crazy as the temperature changes were happening.

That's why I was talking about sequential printing, i.e. the printer will finish the first object, change temp, then start the next one and finish it, to the next..... and so on. This way there would only be 4 temp changes in your example.

The issues with 'tower' calibrations is if one of the lower layers temp's warp a lot it can cause big issues, and it's hard to tell what exactly screwed up the print half way.... is it something with your first temp or somewhere inbetween. Or maybe it's because you're too far above the heated bed, or your printer has a mechanical issue higher up, or who knows what.

Also if you want to compare the layer adhesion strength, or any other sort of actual mechanical analysis (crude as it may be), you kinda need the different temperature prints to be separate objects for testing.