There are two types of stl files - one contains ASCII data (its just clear text) and the other is binary. I'm guessing you have a binary file and the plugin only supports ASCII. Netfabb basic (the version you can download) allows you to save as either, so maybe you can load it with that, save it as ASCII, and see if the plug in then works. Btw there are several programs that allow manipulationby jbernardis - Reprappers
If you are using 2 extruders, there is no place to connect the fan without adding a bit of circuitry. If you are using only 1 extruder, then the fan connects to the middle output - D9 I think - between the bed and extruder 1 connection point. With the fan, be careful of the polarity.by jbernardis - RAMPS Electronics
Through looking at both the Marlin documentation and the code itself, it seems as if there is no way for host software to retrieve either of the speed multipliers: feedmultiply and extrudemultiply. I have both an LCD panel and my own self-written host software. I can change the value of feedmultiplier via either. When I change via the host software, the LCD notes the change and immediately disby jbernardis - Firmware - mainstream and related support
I'm using 6mm aluminum as a bottom plate, with no top plate. However, I'm also using the Helios heat bed from panucatt. It's twice as thick as the MK2, and so is better able to stand on its own. I have absolutely no problems with this arrangement, and, in fact, this bed reaches ABS temps in half the time that my MK2 did.by jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
What traumflug says is correct. To pronterface, your device is named /dev/ttyACMx, but to the arduino IDE it's named /dev/ttyusbx. I don't know why it does this, but it works anyway.by jbernardis - Experimental
So you,re only lifting half of your layer height. I have no idea why 90 degrees isn't working. That's exactly what the doc says to do.by jbernardis - Skeinforge
In marlin you need to disable max end stops. There is a #define that is commented out - uncomment it.by jbernardis - Reprappers
What do you mean it doesn't work? What are the symptoms? What is the setting for your hop height/layer thickness ratio? Finally, do you really need this? Most people have this turned off.by jbernardis - Skeinforge
How many teeth in your pulley?by jbernardis - Firmware - mainstream and related support
Three is the normal amount - 1 for each axis on the minimum end (usually). RAMPS has headers, x axis minimum, x axis maximum, y minimum, y maximum, z minimum, z maximum respectively, so make your connections to the first, third, and fifth header.by jbernardis - Reprappers
I just built a new printer and used the Helios heat bed from panucatt.com. It's a great design and it's working really well. The board is twice as thick as the MK2, and comes with its own insulating material. I purchase a 230mm by 230mm by 6mm aluminum plate from speedymetals.com, drilled through it in the appropriate places, and mounted the bare Helios with springs and M3 bolts (it actually eby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
Perimeters IS the number of "layers" perpendicular to the face. If you have 2 perimeters, the printer will go around the perimeter twice, one bead inside the other. I don't know about slic3r, but skeinforge has a skin plugin; I assume slic3r has something similar. This allows you to have multiple vertical perimeters (i.e. one on top of the other) within the same space as a normal layer. Thisby jbernardis - Slic3r
It's always a good idea to have a "G92 E0" statement at the front of your gcode. You can get this in skeinforge through the start alteration file. This command resets the E axis. Basically what it tells the firmware is "Whatever your current position is - consider that to be 0". That way your first extrude command will be relative to 0 which is probably what you want. Without this command,by jbernardis - Skeinforge
Ditto my experience with the PVA glue. I mix mine 4:1 and it works great. I clean the bed with nail polish remover which seems to dissolve the glue just fine. Further, if the printed object shows too much PVA residue, I just wipe it with a paper towel that is BARELY moist with the nail polish remover, and it takes it right off. I have been extremely happy with this solution. BTW, PVA glue =by jbernardis - General
Ditto on my "always-on" fan that I have pointed at my extruder thermal break. I just tapped it off of the power connector that goes into the RAMPS board. Which one doesn't matter since it is before the breakers. I just have to consider the overall capacity of my PSU (which is 30 amps).by jbernardis - Reprappers
As I'm going through this process, I'm realizing that the entire upper part of the frame does nothing except provide rigidity to the Z axis, and it seems to me as if the move to 10mm rods provides quite a bit of rigidity already. I agree the upper frame can be greatly simplified, but I like the aesthetics of the prism shape. I'm not sure what I'll end up with at build height, but the switch toby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
This is the direction I was thinking of. Attached are two stl files. I worked this out in openscad. One stl file contains the lower corners with the angle of the upright changed from 60 to 70. I worked out the trigonometry, and calculated that at 70 degrees, the 330 mm uprights will be 104.266 mm apart at the top, so I designed the new apex and ztop pieces in the second stl file. This is jusby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
One other thing - even if the end stop is working, the printer will not move any closer to that endstop than your initial position unless you home the axis. In other words, if you do not home the X axis, you can move in a positive X direction or in a negative X direction until you get back to your starting position, but no further. The problem is the printer does not know where home is when itby jbernardis - RAMPS Electronics
Doesn't moving the two uprights to under the middle of the two top bars put them between the X smooth rods? I'd need to revisit my extruder mount because right now I'm parallel to the axis which means the stepper hangs a bit outside the frame at the x=200 end. It's always somethingby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
Usually when an axis moves in one direction and not the other it is an end stop issue. I know you think you have the end stops configured correctly, but what does the firmware think. There is a g code command that let's you query end stop status (at least with marlin). I think it's M119, or somewhere in that range. Enter it and see what the firmware reports. It might be something else, but tby jbernardis - RAMPS Electronics
Interesting. I printed something similar that I found on thingverse, but haven't gotten around to installing it yet. I wasn't 100% happy with it so maybe I'll print yours instead. The important word in the previous paragraph is "printed". Yes - I'm up and running, or should I say limping - but I am printing. I decided to go back to my old x carriage because it was much more open, and that maby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
I'm using marlin too. I thought there were two different values for x and y steps/mm. This implies to me that the pulleys can be different - unless there is another parameter I am not thinking of.by jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
I'm actually using all of your parts for the x carriage and the extruder, including the gears. One thing that might be different though is the diameter of the pulley I am using on the X axis. Mine's quite large - just barely fits in the cutout in the X end. The net result of this is that it raises the belt itself which might be responsible for the gear hitting it. I could easilty switch to aby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
OK - today I finished basic assembly of my printer, and rough wired everything just to see how things were working. Still a far way from actually printing, but I've made significant progress. I have had some issues though: 1) the quick-release X carriage. When I mount the extruder at a 45 degree angle and use the quick mechanism, the large gear hits the X axis belt. Not just brushes it eitheby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
Those are crazy moves. It seems to me that with such wild errors, that the only way the print could NOT get mis-aligned as you say in your first message would be if the gcode was produced that way - as if your slicer was doing that - but I can't imagine why that would be. Do you have any older gcode files laying around that had previously produced accurate prints? It might be interesting to seby jbernardis - RAMPS Electronics
That's the right spot. Hold it in place with a wrap of kaptan tape. Be careful not to short the leads.by jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
Firmware is the software that runs on the control board on your printer. For example on the arduino if you have a RAMPS board. Firmware updates are changes to that software. Either you make a change locally to change a setting, or the firmware author has issued a change. In either case, you need to upload this new software to your printer. There are several ways to do this, but the most commoby jbernardis - Reprappers
I used to have issues with lifting too, but now when I print PLA (which is 99%of the time) I use PVA cement on the glass. This is basically white glue (elmers) and I dilute it 1 part glue to 4 parts water. I wipe it on the glass with a paper towel - it dries in a few seconds if the bed is hot. One coating usually lasts a few prints. One thing - I never put glue on top of glue. I used to, butby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics
I tried to make ABS juice with nail polish remover from a local supermarket, but it wouldn't dissolve. I went to Home Depot and bought actual acetone, and it dissolved just fine. I think nail polish remover has other ingredients that dilute the acetone. Try getting the real stuff.by jbernardis - Reprappers
M109 - its waiting for your hot end to reach temperature. Did you preheat it beforehand? If not you'll just have so wait for it to heat up. There should be a cryptic message appearing in the log showing the temps, and you can watch it increase. Things should start moving when it reaches 200 degrees. I prefer to heat things up before hitting print. This allows me to do some last second extruby jbernardis - General Mendel Topics