The Simplify3d Tips and Information Thread

[Geoff]

Try doing that with pronterface and slic3r and having it as a single x3g file :-)

Having a secondary program to slice is actually better I find, they can improve that and at the same time not balls up the printing side.

[curious aardvark]

lol - well s3d still does a lot of stuff that no other program does.
And the prints are extremely good. Much better than makerware.

And you've forgotten that this thread is for flashforge users who can't use repetier or slic3r or cura or any of the other slicers out there. s3d works perfectly and gives a lot of options no other software does. Plus the improvements and developments are pretty quick. One advanatge of a team of paid professionals over people with other calls on their time.

[curious aardvark]

Latest learning curve bump.

Been printing out mini-crossbows recently. Brilliant fun toys.

But if you print them upside down lengthwise you need support.
However if you stand them on end with the trigger section pointing skywards. They print perfectly without needing support.

But when i did this I got this.

lowspeedxbow.jpg

You can see that the printspeed is stupidly slow.

Turns out this was down to the settings in the cooling section.
I turned them off so it doesn't slow down for sm,all areas - I've got active cooling and this isn't necessary for functional prints.

speedupsmallprints.jpg

Result:

xbow-fastprint.jpg

And not only did it print much faster but with the same minor squiggly bits on the trigger-handle-bit as the slow 'quality' print one.

Here's the result of the above speed print.

speedprintedonendxbow_800x545.jpg

I'm getting about 30 feet with my new short target bolts :-)
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:521730

[LakeDuck]

Sorry to change streams but, I have Simplify3d and had been having very good luck,
I switched over to ABS for a part I was printing to make it silver since I had some silver ABS and I could not get it to print a good raft or first layer, tried other ABS and still have the same issues.
I am printing at 220 - 250 (Trying to get it to work), taking speed from 3600 down to 2400, still not much luck, the raft elements dont appear to be adhering to each other and once the model starts to print the head knocks it off and starts a wild ball of filament

[curious aardvark]

what bed temp and what bed covering (kaptop, tape, hairspray etc) are you using ?

Bear in mind that abs needs a hot bed. I generally go 120

And has anyone had any problems maintaining temps on the right head with s3d ?

I've got two heads the same size in now - but having a bastard of time getting it to work with the right head. And no luck at all in getting both to work together - despite doing the same things I did last time I tried both at once.
It's a good job I don't get frustrated :-)

[LakeDuck]

I am running 110 bed with blue tape, in some (most) areas the blue tape is sticking really well the first layer of the raft might be down and look beautiful and then the cross strands of the next layer will not adhere to the edges of the outline
And by the way I am trying ABS from the right nozzle, I have not tried it in the left, but will give it a shot as time permits.

[curious aardvark]

which actual machine do you have ?
The standard flashforge creator pretty much never comes with a level bed.
Which could be causing the problems.

The pro - does.
Difference is the pro has 7mm thick bed and the creator only 3 - which buckles the first time it's heated up. Turns out screwing it in place probaby wasn't the best idea as it doesn't allow any room for expansion and contraction with heating and cooling.

I'm currently heving some weird s3d issues with my right head. Try to narrow it down tonight. But ever since fitting a 0.5 m nozzle - s3d just won't print with just the right nozzle - or hold temps if using both together. Still works perfectly well on my left nozzle.

Makerware works with both (although doesn't know righty is 0.5mm) - so I'm pretty sure it's a weird gcode issue of some kind.

Anyway I'll play some more tonight.

[LakeDuck]

I have the Flashforge Creator Pro Duel,
I am beginning to think it is my filament, printed a 18 hour print yesterday, first 16 hours went well then it started to sputter and pull up material, cleaning the nozzle today to see if it is clogged.

[curious aardvark]

definitely sounds like the filament.

[Geoff]

I have the Flashforge Creator Pro Duel,
I am beginning to think it is my filament, printed a 18 hour print yesterday, first 16 hours went well then it started to sputter and pull up material, cleaning the nozzle today to see if it is clogged.

PLA can form little bulbous shapes through it if you leave it in a damp area (ABS seems to not care at all..)

These bulbous shapes will jam the fillament as it gets fed, most of them will go through after a click or two, but most of them will just stop the filament feeding up, and the gear with shred whatever is inside to a nice powdery fluff.