How To: Use S3D to Automatically Pause for a Color Change

[Jules]

You can make your single extruder M2 act (kind of) like a dual extruder, and change colors wherever you want in a print, at a specific layer. The software does let you break up a print based on physical height measurements if you create separate processes, but you can also easily make the machine pause and give you time to swap out the filaments.

Note: This is one specific application of the print pausing work of sthone and the thread below, I'm just giving it a separate title so we can find it more easily.
How To- Pausing a Print at a Specific Layer. (Simplify3D)
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2132


Okay, so to pull off a color swap:

1. Import your file, click on Prepare to Print.
2. Make sure Preview By Layer is selected. Start clicking through the layers using the little arrows or the slider until you determine the correct layer for the color change.

Make note of Layer 5, that's the last solid top layer for the body, (you'll start to see the text). You will want to insert the pause code for the color change 1 layer higher. (Layer 6).

3. Save the Toolpaths to Disk.

Use the SD card that came with the machine, or your own SD card. (You will need a card reader on your computer, or an adapter if you don't have one.)

When you label the file you will have to follow the rules set up below or the machine won't see it:

Maximum of 8 characters, no spaces in the file name.
File extension has to be .g (not .gcode, the default)

4. Find the file on the disk, and double click to open it in a text editor. (I use Notepad.)

5. Click on CNTRL +F to open the Find dialog in Notepad.

6. In the dialog box, type in "Layer X". (X being your layer number.)
Cancel the Find dialog.

Copy the code below, insert a blank line immediately after the Layer line that you found, and paste the code into the file.

G91 ; set relative positioning
G0 Z60 ; raise Z (drop bed)
G90 ; set absolute positioning
M84 S0 ; disable idle timeout
M25 ; Pause SD Print
G92 E0 ; zero extruder

7. Save the file. (File > Save). Eject the disk.

8. Now you can carry the card over to the machine and start the print from the SD card. (In Simplify3D.)
Machine Control Panel > Print from SD Card

9. When the machine pauses for you to make your color change, you will use the Jog Controls in S3D to:

a. Retract the existing filament
b. Load the new filament
c. Extrude enough of the new filament to make sure that your new color is coming out (catch it with tweezers or hold a sheet of paper under it)
d. Clean the tip of the nozzle with the tweezers

10. In S3D, on the Machine Control Panel, click on the Pause Current SD Print button twice to start the print again.

You can insert as many pauses into the code as you like, to create multiple color objects.

If you want to try it with the file shown above, I'll attach it below:

Stop Sign Bookmark.zip

(110.46 KiB) Downloaded 440 times

Update: Haven't tested this yet, but apparently, if you are printing over USB, and want to pause the machine manually, drop the bed, change out the filament (quickly, because you won't have disabled the idle timeout), and raise the bed back up; if you send a manual G92 E0 code, it will automatically correct the loading/unloading extrusion before resuming. (per apk )

[sthone]

Didn't I do one of these How To's already?

It should be mentioned if your are running through Octopi... you need to replace the "M25" command with "M0" to get the pause to work correctly.

[Jules]

Didn't I do one of these How To's already?

It should be mentioned if your are running through Octopi... you need to replace the "M25" command with "M0" to get the pause to work correctly.

Yes, you did, in better detail, which is why I put that note in the write-up at the top. (This is just a summary of a single subset of your work.)
(And the main reason for it is to get something with Color Change into the title so I can find it again. Didn't want to have to ask you to duplicate it or use your stuff without permission.)

If you feel it's treading on toes though, you can have insta delete it. (i can't kill it once there is a reply)

[sthone]

If you feel it's treading on toes though, you can have insta delete it. (i can't kill it once there is a reply)

Not at all... I was just messing with you (I didn't read the fine print I don't have my glasses)

I just wish one of them would get stickied so I don't have to search for it every time I need that code.

[Jules]

If you feel it's treading on toes though, you can have insta delete it. (i can't kill it once there is a reply)

Not at all... I was just messing with you and I didn't read the fine print I don't have my glasses

Good, I guess.....'cause it felt uncomfortably like I was wasting my time while I was doing it - your write-up does cover more. (But i'd already said I'd summarize it so i plowed on through. And it turned out to be longer than i wanted as well.)

Sigh....anything to avoid having to tackle the taxes. But you just can't escape. (Oh $#%&@$%#$....we've got major rains forecast for the next 3 days and i need to get going on that. )

[Jules]

I just wish one of them would get stickied so I don't have to search for it every time I need that code.

Amen!

[sthone]

Sigh....anything to avoid having to tackle the taxes.

I feel your pain... I sat down the other day to start going through the tons of paperwork I have to do mine and I decided my time would be better spent designing a paste extruder but yeah needless to say we can't escape the inevitable.

[insta]

get this crap outta here, y'all



I sticked the other thread, this one can fade into obscurity now...