Getting my Flashforge Creator current

[printer_smog]

Bought it direct through Amazon seller a couple years ago. Firmware is 7.3. I make most of my designs in Blender, export STL, clean up in Netfab Studio Basic 4.9, load in Repetier Host 0.9C for slicing and preview with Slic3r 0.9.10b, export gcode, convert to x3g with ReplicatorG 0040, copy x3g to SD card and print. What a pain.. Looking for a better way!

I like the way Slic3r works vs. Skeinforge, especially for fill, skits, etc., but there was no preview. Repitier Host has a preview and works with Slic3r, but has issues with the gcode export requiring a minor edit before exporting. I work around it and get things done, but it sure is a hassle. What should I be using today?

I want to dual extrude and have the kinds of features available in Slic3r for fill, skirts, support, and so on, and a good preview of the extrusion path. Dual extrusion also, which I've yet to make work. I looked at Simplify3D but don't like the dongle requirement, or the $140 price tag. Is there better firmware? A better way of getting from STL to extrusion?

Any advice appreciated!

[jdg56]

I'm very interested in the edits you make to your gcode to get it to compile in replicatorg. I want to look at slic3r or Cura as alternatives to skeinforge, but run the gcode into replicatorg for printing, as per another recent thread.

Can you document the changes you make?

Thanks in advance,

John

[printer_smog]

The actual per-job edit is to add the "T0" on this line:

M109 S110 T0; wait for bed temperature to be reached

If I don't do that the bed doesn't heat properly before printing.

There's also pre- and post- g-code as follows:

Pre:

M103 (RPM off)
M73 P0 (enable build progress)
G21 (set units to mm)
G90 (set positioning to absolute)
(**** begin homing ****)
G162 X Y F2500 (home XY axes maximum)
G161 Z F1100 (home Z axis minimum)
G92 Z-5 (set Z to -5)
G1 Z0.0 (move Z to "0")
G161 Z F100 (home Z axis minimum)
M132 X Y Z A B (Recall stored home offsets for XYZAB axis)
(**** end homing ****)
G1 X-110.5 Y-74 Z150 F3300.0 (move to waiting position)
G130 X0 Y0 A0 B0 (Lower stepper Vrefs while heating)
M6 T0 (wait for toolhead, and HBP to reach temperature)
G130 X127 Y127 A127 B127 (Set Stepper motor Vref to defaults)
M108 R3.0 T0
G0 X-110.5 Y-74 (Position Nozzle)
G0 Z0.6      (Position Height)
M108 R4.0    (Set Extruder Speed)
M101         (Start Extruder)
G4 P1500     (Create Anchor)

Post:

M73 P100 (end  build progress )
G0 Z155
M18
M109 S0 T0
M104 S0 T0
G162 X Y F2500
M18

Here is a full working file that can be brought into repg and saved as an x3g for the printer.
http://myfilehost.nfshost.com/bracket.gcode

Here is a brief video of the workflow demonstrating the process from STL through saving as a X3G file and some of the frustrations.
http://myfilehost.nfshost.com/20150307_flashforge.mp4

[curious aardvark]

well you can buy simplify3d.
Pretty much does everything slic3r does and a bunch more besides.
I mostly these days print direct over usb. But it exports to x3g as well - hell it'll even upload the x3g file direcrtly to the sd card in the printer.
Takes a while as it is still a serial connection. But I've done it and it works.

The other alternative is to try the utility created by klic-n-play.

http://knp3d.com/software/#knp3dconverter

It's designed to work with slicer - not sure if they've modifiec slic3r or not.
http://knp3d.com/software/

I've got a knp printer coming soon(ish) so I'll definitely try this with it.
Far as I can tell the knp machine is a flashforge creator pro equivalent. Again - I'll know more when i get it :-)

But there's a couple of alternatives for you anyway.

Just tried the slic3r knp convertor on my flashforge creator and it doesn't work.

That said I'm not that au-fait with slic3r, so maybe didn't set the heads up properly.

There's no dongle with s3d - just a serial number. I think you're limited to one machine at a time - but you can definitely move it around if you need to.
Yeah it sounds expensive, but it really is an excellent piece of kit. I get significantly cleaner prints than from anything else I've tried, it slices very fast. While makerware (you didn't mention that - have you tried it with proftweak ?) is still slicing some models s3d will be halfway through the print.
In particularly it greatly improves the flatness of overhangs, so with a dual extruder you don't get the bloody curl on a thin edge you do with makerware that the heads can catch on.

The ability to change infill, layer height etc at any point during a print is also useful.

In short - given the huge number of machines it's compatible with And it's definitely superior print output - I looked on it as a long term investment.
And it's definitely worth the money.

[printer_smog]

All good info, thanks. I'm left however with the sense that not much has changed short of buying a proprietary product. That's not out of the question, but seems like a step back from being an open process and you never really own the product when it's locked by DRM. As soon as s3d goes under your software will become useless.

I was really hoping to hear that we had updated firmware to take the G-code directly, or some other efforts on the firmware front to make the process a bit more transparent and requiring fewer obscure hacks to make it work.

Okay, well we stay as-is I guess. It's not unbearable, but I'm reluctant to introduce anyone to the process or the product until things improve.

[curious aardvark]

Well makerware does a reasonable job.
But I know what you mean.
That said s3d is an investment. And as it's compatible with just about every machine out there it's not going to be obsolete if/when I get a different machine.

The alternative, I suppose, is to install a new motherboard in the machine.

For the money though you really can't beat the flashforge and equivalent machines, so being limited to rep-g or makerware is a pretty small price to pay and even if you factor in the added cost of s3d - you still have a very cheap and capable machine.

[LCBozo]

I have both a knp3d and a Flashforge Creator. The knp3d converter works fine on my Creator(?). I converted the knp3d to Bowden, and upgraded the Y axis motor. The Bowden works fine except it's speed limited (mostly PLA) due to the extruder skipping steeps on higher extrusion speeds.

My original knp3d (bought on sale) had multiple problems. The MB soldering job was, to say the least, amateurish -- it failed! The 24v power supply was (I determined) varying output, and I think was the root-cause of the printers failing. To their credit, the knp3d customer relations guy eventually sent me a new printer, which has been working fine for several months. It is definitely an updated printer compared to the one I originally purchased.

I recently purchased the Flashforge Creator from a guy selling them on eBay for $339 + $34.27 shipping. It's a non branded Flashforge, as defined by several clues, namely "Flashforge 3D Printer" embossed on the build platform plastic supports.