Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

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Gwhite
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Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by Gwhite » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:29 am

I'm just getting started with a new M2. When I first set it up, the "getting started" software walked you through loading filament, and sent the printer an extrude command to get the filament fed into the extruder.

I want to switch spools, and the Wiki says to "retract the filament". No indication ANYWHERE as to whether this is a software command, (and if so, where to find it) or brute force yanking the filament out. I searched all over, and couldn't find anything on the LCD interface, or in Simplify3D, so I heated up the hot end, powered it off & yanked.

Now, I want to put in a new filament, which means I need to tell it to extrude some amount once I get the hot end up to temperature. Without firing up the "getting started" routine again, I've got no apparent way to do that, short of learning G-code.

How do people deal with this? These are really basic operations, and I can't find any useful info on how to do them in the MakerGear or Simplify3D forums, the Wiki, etc.

From what I can tell, it should be possible to write a couple macros to do this in S3D. The last time I did G-code, it was on a paper-tape driven CNC mill 40 years ago, so I'm a bit rusty.

Can somebody point me to a good reference on basic G-code commands for the M2, or take pity on me & throw together a few commands I can get started with?

Thanks!

(Apologies if I seem a little testy. This has been a very frustrating evening...)

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sthone
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by sthone » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:30 am

Patience is a virtue when it comes to 3D printing... your not going to be able to do everything you want to the first night of running it's definitely a learning experience.

I can't help you with the LCD as I've never used one but what your looking for in S3D is the Machine Control Panel (which is under the Tools Tab) or you can hit Ctrl P to bring it up.

Click the Jog Controls tab and from there you can Extrude or Retract the filament.

Take a look at Jin's Unofficial Simplify3D Documentation Page to learn more about S3D.

Another great Resource is the S3D Forum... This is a great thread to bookmark.

RepRap G-codes in general
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Gwhite
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by Gwhite » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:22 pm

Thanks! I found the jog control after I posted my query. Once I figured out the magic word, I could find more info. I may still try to make a couple macros at some point. With 3 to play with, I think an install filament (heat & extrude), remove filament (heat, retract, cool down), and reset Z=0 might be handy.

I think I've got a slicing issue with S3D that I will try to chase down today. I was printing several items of different heights, with the shortest in between two taller objects. I got an XY shift in the tall parts right about the final height of the shorter stuff. I suspect S3D smacked the nozzle into one of the short parts when it thought it had clearance but didn't.

I'd still like to find a good G-code reference. Does the M2 use pretty much industry standard codes, or are their subtleties that require an M2 specific reference?

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sthone
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by sthone » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:51 pm

Gwhite wrote:I suspect S3D smacked the nozzle into one of the short parts when it thought it had clearance but didn't.
Remember plastic expands as it cools so the last layer it printed could raise up just enough to cause problems during travel.

Try enabling "Retraction Vertical Lift:" from the "Extruder Tab"... this will keep the nozzle from running into the other parts on rapid moves.
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zemlin
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by zemlin » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:43 pm

Gwhite wrote:I'd still like to find a good G-code reference. Does the M2 use pretty much industry standard codes, or are their subtleties that require an M2 specific reference?
Lots of reference pages out there. The M2 codes are pretty standard. I'm no expert, but so far the general reprap lists have worked fine for me.
http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code --- oh, I see sthone has already linked to this list in an earlier reply.

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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by ednisley » Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:00 pm

sthone wrote:plastic expands as it cools
Uh, no: plastic contracts as it cools.

Shapes with overhangs curl up around the edges as the infill cools and pulls the perimeters inward. I just finished adding fins around a ball shape to anchor the perimeter: looks weird, but prints fine.

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sthone
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by sthone » Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:31 pm

:? yeah what ed said :oops:
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Gwhite
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by Gwhite » Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:02 pm

zemlin wrote:
Gwhite wrote:I'd still like to find a good G-code reference. Does the M2 use pretty much industry standard codes, or are their subtleties that require an M2 specific reference?
Lots of reference pages out there. The M2 codes are pretty standard. I'm no expert, but so far the general reprap lists have worked fine for me.
http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code --- oh, I see sthone has already linked to this list in an earlier reply.
I took a look at that page, and it looks helpful, but when you get into the details, MakerGear isn't listed at all, and the machines that are listed are rather variable as to whether they support some commands. For example, I'm trying to figure out how one resets the Z height after you change a nozzle/hot end. G29 looked potentially useful, but apparently the only printer that supports it is Machinekit.

From my digging around, it looks like MakerGear uses some flavor of "Marlin". Is it safe to assume that if the RepRap Wiki says Marlin supports a command that the M2 will work with it?

Thanks!

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insta
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by insta » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:38 pm

You can assume that :)
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Re: Filament Extrude & Retract Macros for S3D?

Post by ednisley » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:46 am

Gwhite wrote:Is it safe to assume
Verily, it is written: Hell hath no fury like that of an unjustified assumption.

Marlin comes in many versions and not all versions have all features: make sure that the (relatively old) Marlin version on your printer supports the (perhaps relatively new) commands you want. IIRC, the changelogs on the Marlin GitHub repo give hints as to what features / commands appear in each successive version, but (also IIRC) there's no single chart with commands vs. versions.

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