Quote Originally Posted by BLKKROW View Post
So I am new to 3D printing and recently obtained a 3D printer for free. I am prototyping the printer for a company that will remain unnamed.

It has "The Replicator 7.5" firmware and prints in .x3g files. So I have been working with replicatorg and using the Slic3r gcode profile within replicatorg.

I wanted to know if there was another freeware program to help me generate gcode for the machine and convert it to the proper .x3g file. I know there is the Makerware software but I do not like the simplicity and that you can only select a few settings when printing.

I have been looking into the Simply3D software and wanted to know if it is worth the $140.00 pricetag? I do like usingSlic3r over Skeinforge within replicatorg for the fact that it has a lot of settings but is a lot more simple then skeinforge.

So far I have only had 1 successfull print, it was a design that I made and printed. A simple cylinder with a hole in the middle, so now I am playing with the gcode settings to help me print more complicated prints. I am getting frustrated and just trying to refine my techniques for generating gcode and trying to find what my machine likes but I find with replicatorg it really is a hassle.

This is one reason why I was looking into Simplfy3D. Does anyone know if it would work with the .x3g file, I noticed they accept the Replicator series of printers which is what mine is modeled after.

Also does anyone have a good link or two to different calibration techniques for the extruder? I have googled and come up with 10 different techniques.
I would not go with Simplify 3D. Sometimes people can simplify things too much, and I feel in their case that's what they did.

http://www.simplify3d.com/support/faq/

The software currently supports the 2 most common 3D printing file formats: STL and OBJ files. STL is the most common (and recommended) while OBJ is used more for graphic design. Thingiverse typically uses .stl files and virtually every CAD program is capable of outputting to this format (although some packages such as Google Sketchup may require an additional plugin).
Makerware and ReplicatorG are all I've relied on and have gotten me thus far, so that's all I can suggest really. Makerware has alot of features Repg misses, like the print preview so you can see what it will look like with supports etc.

You could try Cura, but not knowing your machine exactly I couldn't say if it would work, as far as I know they wont connect to replicators, only Ultimakers and a couple of others.