Simplify3D - What am I doing wrong?!

[electrichammer]

Hi All,

I have recently purchased a Qidi Tech printer which has been great, except I cant seem to get it working correctly in Simplify3d!

I started to notice any parts that I printed that need to fit together always seemed to be about 1mm to big/small to fit together.

I then printed a 0.4mm wall to measure and sure enough its printing at about 1mm.

Now in Makerbot software I print the exact same file for the 0.4mm wall and it prints spot on!

This means its got something to do with Simplify3D. Anyone experienced this before?

Pictures of settings in below post

Thanks

[curious aardvark]

check the extrusion width. by default it's set to around 0.5mm extrusion width - and the slicer cannot print something thinner than the extrusion width.

What you need to do is get your digital calipers (the most essential part of any makers toolbox) amd measue the diameter of the extruded bead - the bit that comes out when you load filament.
put that measurement in the extrusion width in simplify 3d and don 't try and print anything thinner than that.

It tends to vary with different filaments and print temps. With good pla mine is actually bang on 0.4mm. And to be honest I never change it.
But by default s3d has it a good bit wider - I think it's the root cause of a lot of niggly problems people have with s3d.

It's in the extruder section on the right.
You have manual and auto settings. On mine auto sets it at 0.48. I have it on manual at 0.4.

[electrichammer]

Thanks,

I have checked that and tried setting it to 0.38mm and still prints the 0.4mm wall at about 0.8mm. The thing I cant work out is Makerbot software can print the exact same file at 0.4mm so i know the machine can do it.

Heres the current settings in Simplify3D.

[electrichammer]

I feel like i have played with a ton of settings that could alter this and still am having no joy! Googling it seems to be a common problem.

I just don't get how a free software can get it pretty much bang on with no playing with the settings and a $150USD software can't! I really like all the other features in Simplify3D and the print preview but this is a big let down! Might have to put in for my money back if I cant figure this out.

[NitroXpress]

Hi,

what do you mean with "printing exactly the same file" ?
The same G-Code file, or the same .stl file ?

Which filament diameter are you printing ?

[curious aardvark]

well the other approach is to get the profile from makerware and duplicate the settings and see if that works :-)

Just click customise profile - open it in notpad NOT proftweak and either print it out or copy and paste into another file.

You might want to have a top and bottom layer as well.

Also you CANNOT set the extrusion diameter lower than the nozzle width. 0.4 is the lowest you can set it on a 0.4mm nozzle.

Hot plastic does not shrink.

If you set impossible settings, s3d will probably default back to standard settings.
So you'll get the standard 2 bead width.

The only way to get a single bead width is to have the bead diameter set to the same width as the nozzle.

Otherwise i wither won't slice it at all or it will have to use two beads - hence the 0.8mm wall thickness.

[Alibert]

S3D will ALWAYS print thin walls as two perimeters. I have taken this up with them and still no update that will print a thin wall with a single perimeter.

The trick to get a single wall test cube is to have a solid cube, then set the infill to 0% and 1 perimeter (and 0 top layers). That way S3D will print a single perimeter wall test cube.

It is a kludge and pretty much the only gripe I have with S3D...

[curious aardvark]

well that makes sense. :-)

To be fair, how often are you ever going to want a 0.4mm wall ?

[NitroXpress]

S3D will ALWAYS print thin walls as two perimeters. I have taken this up with them and still no update that will print a thin wall with a single perimeter.

The trick to get a single wall test cube is to have a solid cube, then set the infill to 0% and 1 perimeter (and 0 top layers). That way S3D will print a single perimeter wall test cube.

It is a kludge and pretty much the only gripe I have with S3D...

Agree 100%

[NitroXpress]

To be fair, how often are you ever going to want a 0.4mm wall ?

For perfect calibration it is imperativ to print single walls.