Largest gcode file?

What's about the largest gcode file anyone has run?

Looking at setting up a machine with a .1mm nozzle for .01mm layers.

Rough calculation of what I am getting at .05 layers, looking at 500mb+ gcodes for .01mm layers.

Models I am printing at half scale are pushing close to 2 million lines of code at .05mm, about 50mb.

I'm not aware of any G-code file size limitations.

Another question your plans raise: how long do you want for the print to finish? 2 million lines of G-code with each line printing only 0.1 seconds (that's fast!) result in a print time of over two days already.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Current model sliced at .05mm, runnning 10mm/s infill, 5mm/s perimeter, runs around 22 hrs. Simpler model than where I am headed.

Estimate full scale about 44 hrs. Sliced to .01 layer we'll say 200 hrs for a print. Maybe able to speed that up, would depend on final surface quality at this layer thickness and how subsequent layers affect previous layers.

Time is not an issue, going for detail, not speed, would be on a second printer with a SD card. I don't mind a 10 day print, surges in the power grid may be an issue though.

Attached current level of detail with .25mm nozzle, and .05mm layers, I want to see fingernails at this scale.

SF must have showed penultimate gcode lines, printing gcode is 1.54 million. I will easily be at 5 million + lines of code at scale on more complex models than the one I'm testing.

Soooooo, 5 million x (.05/.01)= 25 million lines of code at scale and .01 layer. THAT'S CRAZY!! Resulting in a file size of 800MB to 1GB. Hopefully I can get there!

I think a major problem going for a .1mm nozzle and .01mm layer is going to be filament diameter consistancy. I don't have the highest quality ABS right now and I see the diameter variations with my .25 nozzle at .05 layer

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2012 11:24PM by Dirty Steve.

Except for the fun of doing it, why are you wanting to do this ?

I mean, if you really have a need for it, there is probably other technologies out there able to achieve that level of detail in waaaay less time than that.

The only gcode file-size limitation I can imagine is coming from the file system used to store it. On our usual FAT microsd cards, that's 4Gb I believe. If you're printing it over the wire, depends on your OS/FS of choice.

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Most of my technical comments should be correct, but is THIS one ?
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, always double check what people write.

Currently thinking this idea is beyond the structural capabilities of abs, I'll be hitting 1gb gcode even with .05 mm layers.

I guess half the thickness of a piece of paper will have to do.........