Filament change pause (Feature request)

How about a PAUSE/Filament button?

While displaying the objects on the buildplate, it would be nice to scroll vertically through the layers, while having the option to push the new PAUSE button on specific layers.

After slicing, at runtime, the printer will reach those layers and :

- pause printing and set the pause button (if present in the runtime software like Repetier or Pronterface)
- remember the absolute coordinates
- home the axes to prevent drooping on the object
- give the user the ability to change filament

On pressing the resume button at runtime, by the user,

- the head will prime the extruder for 10 mm
- return to the coordinates
- resume the print.

how about this ?


Currently, I am sitting at the printer, waiting for a specific hight to be reached and than pause manually.....
Sometimes (often) I am to late in my garage to catch the right moments.

Thomas

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2016 03:59PM by Replace.

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www.3daybreaker.blogspot.com

Orca V4.4 rebuild to Ramps with Mk8 and E3D, as well as a Rostock Delta Mini and an OLO in backorder :-)

Not all firmwares have gcodes for a gcode initiated pause and, for those that do, it's a simple enough implementation you really don't need the slicer to support it. What firmware are you running?

I am running the Repetier Host.

When I have the object in mind, I kind of know where I would like to change the color.
So I want some help to initiate the pause (including the home) baed on the side view of the object.

Also, I want to have it done autonome, so it will even pause when I am not in the nabourhood.
On a 6 hour print, the color change for the last 2 minutes is easily missed.....

example:


This object has multiple changes and I am forced to sit at the printer all the time to manually pause on sight.
(btw, this is just a 10 minutes print)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2016 12:41AM by Replace.

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www.3daybreaker.blogspot.com

Orca V4.4 rebuild to Ramps with Mk8 and E3D, as well as a Rostock Delta Mini and an OLO in backorder :-)

Repetier-Host is not a firmware, but its documentation suggests it supports some host-based not-exactly-gcode that may help. It also increases the likelihood you're running Repetier firmware.

You can leave Slic3r open after you generate the gcode and use its preview window to show the layers and get the Z dimension you want.

Open the gcode in a text editor.

Immediately after the Z move that puts the machine on the layer you want a new color you can add a G1 with X and Y parameters that move the head away from the part. Use the appropriate temperature commands to cool the filament below its melting point and pass a G4 with a P parameter in seconds to wait a bit for it to get there. Then add a G1 that completely unloads the filament (with a large negative E parameter if you're in relative extrusion coordinates or an E parameter much smaller than the last one in the gcode if you are in absolute. You have to do this programmatically because, if you're running Repetier firmware, it does not appear to have a way to disable a single motor selectively and if you disable them all you'll have to re-home. Next, wait for current moves to finish with M400 and pass @pause (the host-managed pause command).

At the pause you'll remove the filament from the extruder drive and seat the new filament against the hobbed gear and hit resume.

Then you want the machine to go back to printing temperature with the appropriate command for your firmware and extrude the length of the Bowden tube plus enough to purge the hot end with G1 E something. If you're in absolute extrusion coordinates you'll need G92 E0 on each side of the extrusion. Do a G1 E-* to retract the distance you're using during printing and a G4 P* dwell to give you a comfortable amount of time to pull the extruded purge material off the extruder. Then it will resume on its own unless you decided to use a second pause to handle the extruder.

While having Slic3r do it would be nice, it is very quick and easy to modify the G code yourself. Just load the G-code file into a text editor such as "Notepad", and then do a search for the layer you want it to pause. e.g. if you want to pause at a height of 5.25mm, search for "Z5.25" which will find the place where that layer change takes place (must obviously be an exact multiple of your layer height + first layer height). Then copy & paste your pause code. In your pause code, you can change to relative XY moves to move the head away from the print and back again, or push and pop the position if your printer supports it. This will allow you to use the same set of commands for every place you want to pause. Or move to an absolute position before the pause and then copy & paste the last XY move after the pause command. You should maybe also switch off the hotend heater before you pause so that the plastic is not left cooking in the nozzle should you not get to the printer for a while.

Alternatively your pause code could retract filament, lift Z (relative) 30mm and switch off the heater before pausing, which should leave the printer ready for you to manually change the filament without damaging the print. Then after the pause move Z down relative by 30mm and change Z back to absolute. There is no need to heat the nozzle or unretract after the pause because you'll be doing that manually when you change the filament.

Dave

Sorry for my mistake, yes I am using Repetier a firmware (and Repetier host on runtime).

I wil do some testing with the after editting of the pause function, while waiting for Slic3r to build this feature

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2016 04:24PM by Replace.

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www.3daybreaker.blogspot.com

Orca V4.4 rebuild to Ramps with Mk8 and E3D, as well as a Rostock Delta Mini and an OLO in backorder :-)

Why dont you just intall repetier firmware or Marlin, the latest version of both of tehm has the filament change option, and it shows in the LCD screen .