Can't export print file--taking too long. Ideas?

[WayTooManyHobbies]

I've seen the same thing - newer versions of Makerbot Desktop seem considerably slower than the older Makerware. If it's an option (meaning if you don't have a 5th gen machine), you might get faster slices by using the most recent version of Makerware - there's a link to it in one of the other threads on this board.

If moving to an older version isn't an option, you could try Matter Control's beta x3g support. Alternatively, there's a way to use Slic3r with Makerbot machines (full disclosure - I have only tried this with a Replicator 2X). The method is documented here - http://www.3duniverse.org/2014/01/05...forge-creator/.

Good luck!

[tigerprinter]

I've seen the same thing - newer versions of Makerbot Desktop seem considerably slower than the older Makerware. If it's an option (meaning if you don't have a 5th gen machine), you might get faster slices by using the most recent version of Makerware - there's a link to it in one of the other threads on this board.

Interesting. When you say you've seen the same thing, you mean you've been experiencing this problem too? Have you been able to generate x3g's for any stl's over a couple hundred KB? I don't think Makerware is the problem because it's happening only on the computer, the firmware doesn't seem to be a problem.

If moving to an older version isn't an option, you could try Matter Control's beta x3g support. Alternatively, there's a way to use Slic3r with Makerbot machines (full disclosure - I have only tried this with a Replicator 2X). The method is documented here - http://www.3duniverse.org/2014/01/05...forge-creator/.

Good luck!

I actually gave that slic3r tutorial a try yesterday but the x3g files it put out for some reason couldn't control the motor movement in my printer at all. I'll play with it some more though, thanks for the suggestion.

[WayTooManyHobbies]

Interesting. When you say you've seen the same thing, you mean you've been experiencing this problem too? Have you been able to generate x3g's for any stl's over a couple hundred KB? I don't think Makerware is the problem because it's happening only on the computer, the firmware doesn't seem to be a problem.

Makerware is the name of the older desktop slicing program - it doesn't refer to the printer's firmware.

I have seen that problem on both large and complex jobs. The newer Makerbot Desktop software slices more slowly than the older Makerbot Makerware software. I commonly work with STLs that are megabytes in size, and it does seem to slice them eventually. Cura and Slic3r can often slice in minutes what takes Desktop an hour.

What kind of printer do you have? Is the model proprietary, or somewhere on line? If it's available, I can try slicing it in the older version to compare times.