What is needed besides Slic3r ?

Just now getting printer, and slic3r. Already have Sketchup.

Besides slic3r to slice and save to SD card, is something else like Repetier host needed? I will only be printing from SD card.

It depends on your electronics. Some electronics are capable of serving a web interface, in which case you don't need an installed host software on the computer.

If you will only be printing from an SD card and you can save to the SD card using Slic3r then NO, you do NOT NEED a HOST software.

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

Ok thanks. Just trying to reduce the number of programs I need. Is for producing identical parts, so once it's printing, it will just repeat.

Depends on your filament supplier!

You have to know the width of the filament when you slice your object.
If you buy another roll of filament and it's width is different it will print differently unless you reslice the object.
For example, recently I printed out an object with a filament width of 2.8 mm.
It didn't come out as well as expected.
I measured the filament and it was 2.6 mm (for a roll of 3.0 mm filament).
So I changed my Skeinforge filament width to 2.6 mm and resliced and printed the object.
Also sometimes the best print temperature varies for different filaments.
I do not put the temperature in the gcode file, but instead set it manually before I start the print (except when I am printing wood filament with temperature variations to simulate wood grain).

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

Quote
rhmorrison
Depends on your filament supplier!

You have to know the width of the filament when you slice your object.
If you buy another roll of filament and it's width is different it will print differently unless you reslice the object.
For example, recently I printed out an object with a filament width of 2.8 mm.
It didn't come out as well as expected.
I measured the filament and it was 2.6 mm (for a roll of 3.0 mm filament).
So I changed my Skeinforge filament width to 2.6 mm and resliced and printed the object.
Also sometimes the best print temperature varies for different filaments.
I do not put the temperature in the gcode file, but instead set it manually before I start the print (except when I am printing wood filament with temperature variations to simulate wood grain).

You can change the filament diameter and re-slice using Slic3r, you don't need Skeinforge. (The OP was asking whether he needed additional programs).

My answer is that no, the programs you have are sufficient, but you will probably find a few additional programs will make life easier for specific tasks such as modifying an existing STL, creating designs that Sketchup doesn't do easily (I recommend learning how to use OpenScad as it is great for parametric design or making dependent or global size adjustments) or slicing an object that Slic3r has problems with but other slicing programs handle better (such as prints that require support). Get them as and when you need them.

Dave

Quote
dmould

Quote
rhmorrison
Depends on your filament supplier!

You have to know the width of the filament when you slice your object.
If you buy another roll of filament and it's width is different it will print differently unless you reslice the object.
For example, recently I printed out an object with a filament width of 2.8 mm.
It didn't come out as well as expected.
I measured the filament and it was 2.6 mm (for a roll of 3.0 mm filament).
So I changed my Skeinforge filament width to 2.6 mm and resliced and printed the object.
Also sometimes the best print temperature varies for different filaments.
I do not put the temperature in the gcode file, but instead set it manually before I start the print (except when I am printing wood filament with temperature variations to simulate wood grain).

You can change the filament diameter and re-slice using Slic3r, you don't need Skeinforge. (The OP was asking whether he needed additional programs).

My answer is that no, the programs you have are sufficient, but you will probably find a few additional programs will make life easier for specific tasks such as modifying an existing STL, creating designs that Sketchup doesn't do easily (I recommend learning how to use OpenScad as it is great for parametric design or making dependent or global size adjustments) or slicing an object that Slic3r has problems with but other slicing programs handle better (such as prints that require support). Get them as and when you need them.

Dave

Sorry for the hijack but what do you use to modify an existing STL?

Sketchup --> STL -->Repetier_Host --->printer

Slic3r is built in (linked) Repetier host

Repetier_Host ----- control 100s of printer parameters
monitor printer --- bed / extruder temp
pre squirt of filament --- remove filament, install filament
pause / restart print
load SD card, see what files on SD card

If you don't need all these functions
--- go to back of the cave -- print off SD card ----- OGH!

Basically we will be using one machine for each color. It will run for a few weeks, making a few identical parts per day. No changes.

Also, the parts are all designed to be easy-printing, with no supports needed.

And all parts will be PET, to eliminate curling.

Quote
Koenig
Sorry for the hijack but what do you use to modify an existing STL?

I usually use OpenScad for small changes. It is fiddly - after importing the STL you have to find the coordinates to add or subtract. OpenScad won't always modify an STL successfully, in which case I import the STL to use as a template and re-make the design from scratch, after which the original STL is discarded and it is a purely OpenScad part. There are other programs for modifying STLs such as "Blender" and "Meshmixer"

Dave

Quote
cozmicray
Sketchup --> STL -->Repetier_Host --->printer

Slic3r is built in (linked) Repetier host

Repetier_Host ----- control 100s of printer parameters
monitor printer --- bed / extruder temp
pre squirt of filament --- remove filament, install filament
pause / restart print
load SD card, see what files on SD card

If you don't need all these functions
--- go to back of the cave -- print off SD card ----- OGH!

If the printer has its own control panel it is easier to print from SD card than Repetier Host. Apart from anything else the printer is then completely standalone and doesn't need a PC for printing, and you don't have to keep alternating between the PC and the printer.

Speaking of going back to the cave - many of us have ditched Repetier/Pronterface long ago and are controlling the printer via Ethernet from a web client ...

Dave

I have seen 3 copies of RH running on one PC running three printers,
while the PC is doing other things
and Teamview to control all remotely.

quote :"Basically we will be using one machine for each color. It will run for a few weeks, making a few identical parts per day. No changes."

So some kind of robot watching prints --- when they screw up with days to print?
Another bot to remove parts and change filament reels?

What ethernet interface? Very few printer have enet.
What Web Client?

I wonder if the assembly and paint robots making cars run off of SD cards?

Ogh! --- must go back in cave!

Each print will be separate, but will be started fresh each day. So, no changes in filament, model, printer, etc.

Quote
RRuser
Each print will be separate, but will be started fresh each day. So, no changes in filament, model, printer, etc.

You should definitely avoid relying on an attached PC then. Here are some options:

1. Network the printers, then you can use a single PC or tablet to upload new.print files to any of the printers, kick off and monitor prints. This would be my choice. The only electronics that currently provides a good web interface and decent upload speeds to the SD card is Duet. You will only need to physically connect a PC or laptop when you want to upgrade the firmware. Smoothieboard also provides a web interface, but it is less well developed.

2. Fit an LCD control panel and SD card socket to each printer. When the printers are working well, you can control them via the LCD panel. You will need to attach a PC or laptop if you need to perform operations not supported by the control panel. You can remove the SD card and put it in a PC when you want to put new print files on it.

3. Use a RPi or similar running Octoprint to drive several printers. Octoprint provides a web interface for controlling the printers. This has the disadvantage of having a single point of failure. I would also want to satisfy myself that Octoprint will be able to deliver gcodes to all the printers fast enough, especially if they are using 8 bit electronics with a slow USB connection without flow control. One advantage is that Octoprint supports a webcam - I don't know if it supports one per printer though.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2015 02:25AM by dc42.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

If you run an RPi2, sure, you can run multiple Octoprints on a single board. Multiple Octoprint instances do support multiple webcams as long as you can create multiple mjpeg streams for them to consume. Octoprint only needs an URI for the mjpeg stream.

Yes the printers have an LCD; I thought it would be assumed that they did. There will be almost no changing of files; each printer will be making the same part each day once they are printing properly.

To modify STL you can import in Blender
[en.wikipedia.org]
[www.blender.org]
or FreeCAD (that is parametric and manage STEP files too):
[en.wikipedia.org]
[freecadweb.org]

To fix STL best is MeshLab:
[meshlab.sourceforge.net]
Slic3r has some minor fix function too.

If your control panel and display on printer let you change parameters like temperature and printing speed while printing, you should avoid using a control PC, best is autonomous printing.
At least a remote monitoring on a RPi like Octoprint:
[octoprint.org]

RH does not run on processors other that x64/x86 and it is not opensource so my dislike

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2015 04:48AM by efa.

How about firmware debugging? I see on some forums that some people have compilation errors and they need to check the log for errors. Would this not need a computer connected, or does the log go on to the SD card too?

to build the firmware you need the PC, like in embedded developing. OK with a Raspberry you can cross-build or build on the RPi itself, this a particular case. In general developing the printer (sure firmware is part of the printer), need a PC. To controlling the printing, depends on how much intelligence onboard.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2015 09:31AM by efa.

Quote
cozmicray
I have seen 3 copies of RH running on one PC running three printers,
while the PC is doing other things
and Teamview to control all remotely.

Sure, but you still need one PC and all the printers within a USB cable length - and all the USB cables as well. Then the operator will be running between PC and printer for setting up etc. For production type work an SD card and standalone printer (with its own control panel) would be the preferred way to go AFAICS.

Quote
cozmicray
What ethernet interface? Very few printer have enet.
What Web Client?

I have the Ormerod with the Duet controller. Any web client can be used - the Duet firmware acts as a web server.

Quote
efa
to build the firmware you need the PC, like in embedded developing. OK with a Raspberry you can cross-build or build on the RPi itself, this a particular case. In general developing the printer (sure firmware is part of the printer), need a PC. To controlling the printing, depends on how much intelligence onboard.

Modern 32-bit firmwares such as RepRapFirmware and Smoothieware are designed to be downloaded in binary format, so that ordinary users never need to compile or debug them. All the configuration is done using a file on the SD card. With RepRapFirmware, at present ordinary users still need to attach a PC to the USB port if they want to update the firmware.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

RRuser expicitely asked "How about firmware debugging?", so I assumed he had to modify the sources for his customizations.
Uploading a binary blob is for mean users

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 04:22AM by efa.

Quote
efa
RRuser expicitely asked "How about firmware debugging?", so I assumed he had to modify the sources for his customizations.
Uploading a binary blob is for mean users

RRuser wasn't talking about his customizations, he was talking about having seen other users post about compilation errors. The point being that with e.g. Marlin, you need to recompile the firmware just to change settings, and if you get the config file wrong then you may get compilation errors. The firmwares I was referring to don't require you to recompile them to change settings, which is why a binary blob is the appropriate download for almost all users (i.e. everyone except software techies who want to change the source code).

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 04:30AM by dc42.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

So, when Marlin needs changing, will I be able to do and and load it to a Ramps board when I only have Slic3r?

Nope, that needs the Arduino toolkit (or IDE) as well. Not needed to print, but required to update/modify any Arduino based firmware. Also free . . .

- Tim

the Arduino IDE runs on a PC or on RaspberryPi

Quote
efa
the Arduino IDE runs on a PC or on RaspberryPi

PC

Dave

was not a question: the IDE run on both a PC or RPi

Try capitalization and punctuation . . . we would have gotten that the first time then . . .

- Tim