From STL to printer

I finally have completed my Wilson TS. Now what to I have to do to print. For example if I have an stl file, how do I prepare it for printing and what steps do I need to take to get it into the printer and printing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Some sort of Slicer (Slic3r, Cura, etc) to slice the file. And some form of a host (Pronterface, Repieter, etc) to send the sliced GCode to the printer.

If it has an SD card reader I recommend you put the gcode on an SD card and print from it without host software. Computers and host software decrease the reliability of 3D printing, an already unreliable process.

Host software can be useful when you're tuning up the machine's firmware for best performance, but dump it as soon as you can. If you're using the slicer right, you won't need to tweak printing parameters during a print.

Cura is easy to use and produces good results most of the time. When you get a little more experienced, try slic3r for the extra control it provides.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Thanks guys. I had some "success" trying Cura. I like the way it all works but my models print like Swiss cheese. Does anyone know the parameters for a Wilson TS to use in Cura?

Quote
the_digital_dentist
Computers and host software decrease the reliability of 3D printing, an already unreliable process.

Your mileage may vary here. I have been 3D printing for over 2 years using host software I wrote myself and have never had a print fail due to the fact that the printer was being driven by a host. I used pronterface early on, but have long since replaced it with host software that I wrote myself. I prefer to use a host program because I like to watch the print progress.

My host software can drive multiple printers simultaneously and I have actually done so with 2 printers and have had no problems with keeping pace.

A lot is going to depend on the environment in which you have the printer. If there is a lot of electrical noise, I guess you can get interference on the USB connection. Having said that, my printer is in a basement that has no special environmental setup. On top of that, the room it's in is lighted by about 10 shop fixtures, each with 10 4 foot fluorescent tubes. These fixtures are notorious for causing electrical noise, but as I stated, I have not had any issues in this regard.