The Simplify3d Tips and Information Thread

[curious aardvark]

Okay there are a an increasing number of us makerbot clone users getting this software. Figured we could use a thread to pool settings, tips, work rounds etc.

My first question - how do you stop it spitting a length of filament into the case before a print ?

It's obviously the equivalent of makerwares sticking a length to the bed - which i prefer as that seems to collect any bits.

So is it changeable at all ?

So first interesting thing.

I'm currently printing a peice with a bit of overhang that was warping a lot with makerware. Same p[art isn't warping at all with simplify.
Only thing I can think of as the temp settings are the same is the type of infill.
Honeycomb on mw and linear on s3d.
I did knock a few mm off the length of the overhang - but that by itself wouldn't make the difference I'm currently seeing.

Ah - forgot to set the layer to 0.3 - it's doing this one at 0.2 - that would probably make the difference.

[Dargonfly]

Yes, the plastic spitting is annoying. Because I have had cases where it curls upwards and becomes a clog in front of the nozzle (I didn't check it) and a few minutes into the print I had created just a big ball of PLA.

For some reason it doesn't do this when I'm printing in ABS. Will compare my ABS and PLA profiles when I get home.
But for now; I don't know how to turn this off. Probably in one of those advanced tabs,, but that's too advanced for me.

EDIT:
There's this in the Starting G-Code:

G1 E25 F300 ; purge nozzle

Process Settings -> Scripts -> Starting G-Code

I assume you can just delete that line (going to test that now)

[curious aardvark]

Ah that would work - because the initial outline it prints clears the nozzle anyway.

Well currently printing another plug at 0.3 and it didn't curl !

I can see that it's adding infill at the edger of each layer - which makerware doesn't do. I think that's what's keeping it from curling.
So far I'm impressed :-)

And i remember someone replacing that purge code with the code makerware uses to draw the line on the edge of the bed.
Think that was on the simplify3d forum.

[Serena]

Yes I hate that line it drops in the beginning! Sometimes it won't completely break off and it will drag a trail of filament into the print. I've been standing there ready for it and grabbing it by hand off the extruder before it goes over to the bed. But it never occurred to me to see about changing the code. That would be most helpful. And save me from possible burns.

Other than that I've had good experience with it. If something needs supports you can't beat it. I had a piece where the design came with supports and when I removed them I tore half the wall off. So I removed the supports in blender and closed up the mesh (I'm still learning Blender so I won't tell you how stinkin long it look me to close that tiny hole!) then printed the piece using the automatically generated supports in S3d and they broke away clean like they'd never been there. Huge difference.

[jimc]

hi guys, i have been using s3d every day for over a year now and try to help out on their forum best i can. i can answer many questions but since i dont have a makerbot or one of the clones i dont have much input on things directly related to that. same goes with dual extrusion. other than those things though i know the software really well.

as already mentiond the whole starting sequence is done in the starting gcode section. the default sequence is SUPPOSED to purge the nozzle and use the edge of the bed to scrape the string off the nozzle. works well for me but i am using abs or pet all the time.

[Geoff]

I'm close to getting it running, once I do Im going to pull it apart and see how well it does, I have parts that need precise scaling and Makerware is always a little small.

[indy3der]

Currently I'm using Makerware, but a few things I'd like to be able to do are:
1. vary the infill at different points in the part (currently, I'm designing support into parts and then printing at a fairly high infill %)
a. Can Simplify3D vary the infill in an XY fashion, or only per layer (z-direction)?

2. With some recent experiments in part adhesion, can you vary the temperature profile for different layers (hotter bed temp to start, then lower after a few layers, or vice versa)

I realize this is about Simplify3D, but does Slic3r have this same capability? Simplify3D seems to be a great program, but I'd prefer if I had some sort of 30 day free demo. $140 is a bit steep to pay for something when you don't know if it will do what you want it to do.

[Dargonfly]

Currently I'm using Makerware, but a few things I'd like to be able to do are:
1. vary the infill at different points in the part (currently, I'm designing support into parts and then printing at a fairly high infill %)
a. Can Simplify3D vary the infill in an XY fashion, or only per layer (z-direction)?

You can vary the infill % (and all other settings) on a layer basis. The only way to make differences in X & Y direction would be to manually split the part in your 3D modeling software of choice.

2. With some recent experiments in part adhesion, can you vary the temperature profile for different layers (hotter bed temp to start, then lower after a few layers, or vice versa)

You can vary all temps per layer - which is really easy to do!
Just note that when you start at 230 degrees and then make a drop to 200 degrees that the temp will drop gradually (duh) and then dip below 200 (to probably 190) before it starts picking up the temp again. But small decrements (up to 3 degrees) create almost no dips at all in my experience.

I realize this is about Simplify3D, but does Slic3r have this same capability? Simplify3D seems to be a great program, but I'd prefer if I had some sort of 30 day free demo. $140 is a bit steep to pay for something when you don't know if it will do what you want it to do.

Cannot comment on Slic3r, but if you have more questions about Simplify3D than you can ask them here!
(Damn, I feel like I should get paid by Simplify3D for advertising their product so much...)

EDIT: I meant 'cannot comment on Slic3r' (because I know nothing about that program), English is difficult~!

[curious aardvark]

lol yeah - it's not the easiest software to use.
The idiot option has NO variables or things you can tweak and the advanced has everything.
There really ought to be a happy mediium option.

But that said - it does look like a piece of software that's still evolving. It has a section for add in's - much like cura.
The only one it comes with says 'convert image to 3d'.
I did try importign an image and then nothing happened.

I really need to get the manual on to my kindle for leisurely perusal.

Also i had three things on the bed - made an x3g and it only printed 1.
So how do you select multiple models for simultaneous printing ?
I@ve tried all the obvious and standard selection things and so far haven't been able to select more than one thing at a time.
(yeah i know, read the bloody manual lol)

[indy3der]

Dargonfly, thanks for the answers.

I guess Makerware is sufficient for now, but it seems every time I print something, I'm learning something new. I'll continue to build parts with my own supports, but the custom temperature profiles is a nice feature. I do like that while I'm in a "learning" stage, Makerware has limited options with the interface.