i3v Cura settings

[CoffeeCup]

I think we have work to do to optimize the retraction settings; retraction_minimal_extrusion in particular. I've had to turn retraction off on some prints in order to keep repeated retraction from grinding into the filament. Their default of 0.02mm for retraction_minimal_extrusion seems awfully small; I'm currently trying 0.5mm. Likewise, I've increased retraction_min_travel from 1.5mm to 5mm to reduce the number of retractions. I'm also following their field comment and run retraction_hop set to 0.075mm to minimize ooze smearing across a print during a move.

Printbus what you set your Cura settings at compared to what my settings for Slic3er are here's some observations.
Looking at some settings MakerFarm provides out of the box for Slic3r there is a retract_length and it's set to 1 (mm I imagine). In Cura I see there is a retraction_amount and it's set to 2.

Next in Slic3r settings there is a retract_before_travel setting and it's set to 2. I could not find an equivalent to Cura's retraction_min_travel in Slic3r.

Here's some assumptions I have: Cura's retraction_min_travel means it will retract if it travels at least as far as it's setting 1.5mm (5mm in your case). Slic3r's retract_before_travel means it will retract it's setting of 2mm before each travel.


I wasn't unhappy with the settings that MakerFarm provided out of the box for Slic3er I'm just unhappy with Slic3r's slicing itself. So since Slic3er does not have an equivalent to retraction_minimal_extrusion it seems and their retract_before_travel setting is set to 2 I think meeting in the middle is a good compromise for now.

I'm planning on setting retraction_minimal_extrusion to 1mm. I plan to set my retraction_min_travel to 5mm as you did. I'm curious how has your retraction_minimal_extrusion and retraction_min_travel settings worked out for you?

[printbus]

... I'm curious how has your retraction_minimal_extrusion and retraction_min_travel settings worked out for you?

As mentioned elsewhere, I haven't used Cura for the last 8 months. IIRC, the values mentioned were good starting points. What I can say is that I grew to feel that retraction is part of the settings that are possibly best tweaked for each print, trading off print quality and the risk of print failure due to the hobbed bolt chewing into the filament. Before starting a print, I'd often view the gcode result layer by layer in gcode.ws, looking to see what the gcode was doing as far as print speeds, travel speeds, how often the gcode was switching between print and travel moves, and how many of those transitions would involve a retraction. I'd then readjust settings to resolve anything I didn't like in the gcode result, and slice the part again. Deciding what to change just came with experience.

I'll also add that I learned a lot about slicer settings in experimenting with how to improve my print results for thread MakerFarm benchmark results with Make: 2015 Shoot Out test models. Experimenting is a powerful way to learn.