Which Software to use for Makergear M2?

[Rhragnarok]

Hello Everyone!! I just placed my order for my Makergear M2 last night and it said this morning that it shipped!! I am super excited but I am not sure about 1 thing.

Which software should I use? My experience up to this point on 3d printing has been importing .stl files into MakerBot Desktop to create .x3g files which I then load to an SD Card and put into a Flashforge Creator Pro. It then gives me a list of files to print from. No complicated software or buggy issues at all.

I saw that Simplify3D is the "suggested" software for the Makergear but being in software development and having almost 20 years experience using 3d software professionally I am very picky about what I use. I prefer to be able to try out software before I use it. I couldn't find any free trials for Simplify3D anywhere.

So I tried out Pronterface last night (keeping in mind I dont have the printer yet) just to get familiar with the process and the software and it made NO sense to me.

I tried loading an .stl file that I had made into it and it's just throwing a bunch of errors in the console.

Here is what I was doing
File > Open
Select my .stl file and click Open
Now what happens is in the bottom left corner it says "Slicing..."
And in the console it says...

Slicing C:\Users\name\Documents\Work\Dropbox\Project\Parts\Export\file.stl
Running Slic3r/slic3r.exe C:\Users\name\Documents\Work\Dropbox\Project\Parts\Export\file.stl --load config.ini --output C:\Users\name\Documents\Work\Dropbox\Project\Parts\Export\file.gcode
Cannot find specified configuration file (config.ini).

Loading file: C:\Users\name\Documents\Work\Dropbox\Project\Parts\Export\file.gcode
Exception in thread Thread-5:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "threading.pyc", line 808, in __bootstrap_inner
File "threading.pyc", line 761, in run
File "printrun\pronterface.pyc", line 1368, in load_gcode_async_thread
File "printrun\pronsole.pyc", line 886, in load_gcode
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: u'C:\\Users\\name\\Documents\\Work\\Dropbox\\Project\Parts\Export\file.gcode'

And nothing ever happens.

I would expect it to read in my .stl file and give me a 3d render of it in the viewport which I can then use to move it around my print bed to place and rotate it before I "make" it and get ready to send it to the printer.

Does anyone know what's going on? Do I just not get what this software is supposed to be doing for me?

I downloaded it from this website http://www.pronterface.com/ usign the "Windows & OSX binaries" link.

These .stl files were exported from Maya 2014 and work great in Makerbot Desktop.

Thanks for your help!

[insta]

Before you can use slic3r you have to set up a profile or seven for it. In Repetier, click "Configuration" under the slicing tab, when slic3r opens go drop whatever settings ednisley will surely chime in with. Then, you should be able to slice and carry on.

S3D is worth the price if you could afford an M2, and if you really hate it they have a 2-week money back policy.

[charles.yates]

There's a config file for slic3r which comes on the SD card with the printer - you should be able to use that when it arrives.

I've been using repetierHost and slic3r here and getting very good results.

[ednisley]

I would expect it to read in my .stl file and give me a 3d render of it in the viewport

While it's possible to do both slicing and arranging by having Pronterface invoke Slic3r, I treat them as two distinct operations, primarily because I find that synchronizing multiple versions of multiple programs more trouble than it's worth. I think you're discovering why I think that way.

Slic3r lets you orient and position the model on the platform before slicing it into a G-Code file. Pronterface sends whatever G-Code it gets from that file to the printer.

I use Slic3r to convert STL files (created by OpenSCAD) into G-Code files. The configuration file (which your setup seems to be missing) is how you tell Slic3r the parameters to use when slicing, so the first step would be to set up Slic3r correctly. The configuration file (actually a tree of separate files) depends on your printer, plastic, and preferences, so one size definitely does not fit all.

With th G-Code file in hand, Pronterface also requires a configuration file that defines things like the printer's bed shape and size, serial data rate, USB / serial port, and so forth. When you have that configured correctly, it will inhale the G-Code file and send the commands to the printer.

I tend to iterate between OpenSCAD and Slic3r until the preview of the threads paths looks good, export that G-Code file, and load it into Pronterface for printing. I run OpenSCAD and Slic3r on my desktop PC with big monitors, export the G-Code to the file server in the basement, toddle downstairs, load it into Pronterface on the laptop next to the printer, and start printing.

S3D requires about the same amount of configuration as Slic3r + Pronterface (because it does mostly the same things), but comes with an M2 setup that should come close to what you need. I've spent enough time crawling around in the Free Software programs for various printers to recognize what's going on, but I'll admit it's daunting for a newcomer; the payoff (or liability) is that you will understand how the entire 3D printing process works.

[Rhragnarok]

So what you're saying makes sense. But I am still having one major issue here. Have you used MakerBot Desktop? If so, then you would know that in it you have FULL control using a series of well designed UI tools to orient in all axis, scale in all axis and place in all axis your objects on the platform for printing.

So if I bring in a object that I modeled in Maya and the side I want down when printing is facing on +Y, then I can rotate my object 90 deg on the X axis to make it that orientation in MakerBot Desktop. From what I can tell, in Slic3r I can only rotate it on the Z axis. Is there a way in there to rotate it on any axis I want?

Also, not really digging that the preview viewport is only a plane graphic shape representing my object as opposed to a fully rendered 3d viewport that I can pan and roll around in. It feels like I am using some crappy 3d software from the late 90's.

I just noticed that MakerBot Desktop does allow me to export .gcode files. So if I can't get Slic3r to work I am probably going to try matching the settings for my M2 in that and see if printing from there works or not.

Kinda bummed about this whole pipeline currently. I know it will get better as I learn more about it, but for the price of the M2 printer I assumed it would come with a easy to use fully integrated software that makes is super simple for the beginner but give freedom to the advanced user to really get into the details.

[insta]

Kinda bummed about this whole pipeline currently. I know it will get better as I learn more about it, but for the price of the M2 printer I assumed it would come with a easy to use fully integrated software that makes is super simple for the beginner but give freedom to the advanced user to really get into the details.

You are on a seriously old version of slic3r or something. 1.2.9a-stable has a 3D viewport, with a right click menu to do all those operations. It actually gives me the full power of what Repetier-Host allows. I print with SD cards, so I don't need the host software to run the printer. You should also print with SD cards (and perhaps pick up a Viki from me if you don't have one...) because it's more betterest.

The only reasons I don't use slic3r are speed and crashyness. I do like that I can run it from the command line, but I don't think that's applicable here.

Simplify3D has been a lot faster, and more stable, which is why I use it now.

[wmgeorge]

I had been using Cura before I switched over the MakerGear M2 and I loved it. But Simplify 3D does all you need, I am sure you would like to write your own software or modify as needed but do you really want just to learn 3D printing and get on with it? ... Sometimes its better to simplify (pun not intended) your life and get on with the 3D learning curve.

[ednisley]

Is there a way in there to rotate it on any axis I want?

As jsc pointed out to me after I used an incredible obtuse way of doing exactly that, just right-click and follow the menu: that was my something new for the day!

MakerBot Desktop does allow me to export .gcode files.

Make sure that it can export Marlin-flavored G-Code; Makerbot has been hanging from their own totally incompatible branch of the G-Code family tree for a very long time.

It feels like I am using some crappy 3d software from the late 90's.

Perhaps from the early 15s?

You might not be happy compiling Slic3r from the source code, due to its frequent breakage, but they have frequent snapshots. Version 1.2.9 has most of what you seem to be pining for, although perhaps not with quite so much glitz.

I know it will get better as I learn more about it

Exactly.

If you approach 3D printing from the standpoint of "This is total crap, because it doesn't work the way I want", then that's how it will be. If you approach it as "Y'know, many folks use this crap successfully. Surely, I can learn how to do that, too", things might work out better all around.

It's been that way for me, anyhow...

[insta]

Oh that's a stage of learning anything new. There's always the approach of belligerence followed by the sheepish retry later. I did it when I tried Cura for a while after using slic3r, and again after using Simplify3D.

Rhragnarok: I'd be happy to slice a file for you in Simplify3D if you wanted to see how its GCode compares to slic3r's.

[devo]

Hey all,
Just started using my M2 and trying out cura because of the slic3r slow file processing, but I'm just guessing what my print speeds should be based on some settings from slic3r. I think they are a bit high, as the printer sounds like it is going shake itself off the desk. Any recommended starting points for perimeters, infill, travel, etc? I'd like to stick with cura, as the time savings over slic3r are huge.
Thanks,

Devo