3d printers 101:
They talk a simple text language called gcode
EG G1 X10 F100
G1 is a move, X is the axis, 10 is the distance in mm, F is the feed rate in mm per minute
There are lots of these gcodes, but you only use them directly infrequently. But it pays to be aware of them
See [
marlinfw.org] for a full list.
To print something you slice it
This takes a 3d file (most commonly a .stl file) and converts its to a gcode file, The gcode file is a large list of gcode commands the printer processes line by line.
Most of the "special sauce" in in the slicer configuration.
There are several free slicers, the most common are Cura and Prusa slicer. Older users use pronterface, which is still useful for sending gcodes to the printer and getting responses back.
Your hardware:
This is a standard Ramps 1.4 shield on a mega2560 controller with a REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER 20x4 character LCD.
One gcode you should be aware of is M503, this shows the settings inside your controller.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2025 11:33PM by Dust.
