I've been chasing down how to calibrate the "K" factor for Linear Advance now that I've updated the Marlin firmware in my M2E printer. One article I ran across mentioned that OrcaSlicer has an entire suite of built in calibration tools, including for Linear Advance.
I dug around in the OrcaSlicer github site, and there's no mention of Makergear at all, other than two queries about support. It sounds like I may have to set it up from scratch.
I figured before I did that, I'd check here to see if anyone can give me a head start. Does anyone have settings/parameters for OrcaSlicer figured out for the M2?
Thanks!
OrcaSlicer for M2E?
Re: OrcaSlicer for M2E?
check out the facebook makergear group, a bunch of people there are using that slicer.. I am still with S3D 4.01.. every time I try another slicer I end up back with the devil I know.. Good luck!
Re: OrcaSlicer for M2E?
I'm making progress... I have a model I recently printed using S3D, and using Prusa Slicer. It's a small thick walled cylinder with a dovetail stuck on one side. The S3D print came out pretty clean, but the Prusa Slicer one is FULL of stringing, despite telling it not to cross open spaces. I set it up in Orca Slicer, and it was VERY bad. The dovetail bit looked like it was trying to print normally, but the cylindrical sections were a total mess, looking vastly under extruded. I watched a print closely and it didn't appear to be making any attempt to print most of the model correctly.
While examining all of the 300 various printer, filament & process parameters, I saw something called "arc fitting" go by, which was turned on by default. I haven't dug into the details, but it isn't used in the other two slicers, and I didn't recall seeing it enabled when I compiled the Marlin 2.1.2.5 firmware. I turned it off, and BINGO! Now the print looks like it's supposed to. It was still cooling off when I checked last, but at first glance, it actually looks even better than the S3D version. Even though Orca is at least partly based on Prusa Slicer, it looks WAY better than what Prusa Slicer spits out.
Assuming a detailed examination doesn't point out any major issues, I'm going to run through their various calibration prints next. They start with a temperature tower, then adjust "flow" (extrusion multiplier), retraction and finally Linear Advance.
I don't do FaceBook, so I will have to rely on GitHub & Reddit for Orca Slicer help. It's good to know there's a MakerGear group there. I suppose I can have my wife post a query for me.
While examining all of the 300 various printer, filament & process parameters, I saw something called "arc fitting" go by, which was turned on by default. I haven't dug into the details, but it isn't used in the other two slicers, and I didn't recall seeing it enabled when I compiled the Marlin 2.1.2.5 firmware. I turned it off, and BINGO! Now the print looks like it's supposed to. It was still cooling off when I checked last, but at first glance, it actually looks even better than the S3D version. Even though Orca is at least partly based on Prusa Slicer, it looks WAY better than what Prusa Slicer spits out.
Assuming a detailed examination doesn't point out any major issues, I'm going to run through their various calibration prints next. They start with a temperature tower, then adjust "flow" (extrusion multiplier), retraction and finally Linear Advance.
I don't do FaceBook, so I will have to rely on GitHub & Reddit for Orca Slicer help. It's good to know there's a MakerGear group there. I suppose I can have my wife post a query for me.
Re: OrcaSlicer for M2E?
Keep me posted here as you go.. I have stuck my toe in with both Prusa and Ocra.. and keep returning to the devil I know.
This weekend is printer maintenance, I am cutting out and replacing 6" or the 2 wiring harness that move since the cooling fan wire broke last week. Then clean, lube adjust.. One M2 is getting a new heated bed with wambam plate attached to the heater rather than the glass, new hold downs etc. Once all the electrical and mechanical is complete update to newest RepRap firmware and pray nothing breaks!
This weekend is printer maintenance, I am cutting out and replacing 6" or the 2 wiring harness that move since the cooling fan wire broke last week. Then clean, lube adjust.. One M2 is getting a new heated bed with wambam plate attached to the heater rather than the glass, new hold downs etc. Once all the electrical and mechanical is complete update to newest RepRap firmware and pray nothing breaks!
Re: OrcaSlicer for M2E?
I've just finished calibrating Input Shaping and Junction Deviation. Orca Slicer makes it super easy to calibrate for a lot of different things. I've only got a couple meters left on this spool of PLA, and I will be switching over to my normal filament, which is 3DFuel's "Tough PLA+". Then I get to set that up, and re-do a lot of the calibration stuff. Because they are mostly related to printer mechanics, I'm assuming Input shaping and Junction Deviation will not be affected much, if at all. Temperature, retraction and Linear Advance will be filament dependent.
The one caveat about Orca Slicer is that it can crash and delete your presets. As soon as you have a setup that you like, you want to export it so that you can restore it easily if the program trashes it. I'm still getting used to the user interface, but I think it will be worth it. Besides the ease of doing over a half dozen different built in calibrations, it is written to take advantage of the more advanced features in Marlin 2.1. For example, the Linear Advance "K" factor can be assigned to each filament profile. In Simplify 3D and Prusa Slicer, you have to add Gcode to your starting script to set K, and you have to remember to change it for every different filament you use. I think you have to do the same thing for Junction Deviation & Input Shaping, but at least those shouldn't be filament dependent.
I'm not sure if Prusa Slicer support Arcs. To really take advantage of the Arc Support feature, you want to import models in a CAD format like STEP that preserves the native arc data from the model. That way the slicer can efficiently send arc commands to the printer. I think if you start with an STL file that is full of triangles, the slicer has to try to figure out where there are arcs it can take advantage of. I want to try a comparison of printing an STL model without Arc Support, then with Arc Support turned on, and finally a STEP file model with Arc Support active.
The one caveat about Orca Slicer is that it can crash and delete your presets. As soon as you have a setup that you like, you want to export it so that you can restore it easily if the program trashes it. I'm still getting used to the user interface, but I think it will be worth it. Besides the ease of doing over a half dozen different built in calibrations, it is written to take advantage of the more advanced features in Marlin 2.1. For example, the Linear Advance "K" factor can be assigned to each filament profile. In Simplify 3D and Prusa Slicer, you have to add Gcode to your starting script to set K, and you have to remember to change it for every different filament you use. I think you have to do the same thing for Junction Deviation & Input Shaping, but at least those shouldn't be filament dependent.
I'm not sure if Prusa Slicer support Arcs. To really take advantage of the Arc Support feature, you want to import models in a CAD format like STEP that preserves the native arc data from the model. That way the slicer can efficiently send arc commands to the printer. I think if you start with an STL file that is full of triangles, the slicer has to try to figure out where there are arcs it can take advantage of. I want to try a comparison of printing an STL model without Arc Support, then with Arc Support turned on, and finally a STEP file model with Arc Support active.
Re: OrcaSlicer for M2E?
I've been using the whambam pex system for a couple of years now on my m2. it's wonderful. i also use Bambulab's liquid adhesiv and have little problem sticking too much or not sticking wiht pla, lpla, or petg. The wire from the thermister (?) failed about a year ago. it went intermittant so I'd get half-way throgh a print and m2 would quit. After replacing control board twice I realized that machine won't print if it doesn't know the extruder is hot. the gapin the wire was inside the insulation. when I opened it up with a razor blade it looked like the constant flexing in very similaer geometry had work hardened the copper and the strands broke eventually not leaving enough to do the job.
I replaced it with anew MakerGear harness, but am planning to replace the wires with ones having more strands.
I bought a bambulab x1-c with the multiple spool magazine and use it for almost everything now. But I keep the m2 running for pritingn lw-pla for r/c ariplanes. reason is i occasionally get a jam in the extruder and the m2 is a lot easier to clean. trhe x1-c is a bear. I bought slice engineering hot sections for each machine but so far haven't installled them.
I replaced it with anew MakerGear harness, but am planning to replace the wires with ones having more strands.
I bought a bambulab x1-c with the multiple spool magazine and use it for almost everything now. But I keep the m2 running for pritingn lw-pla for r/c ariplanes. reason is i occasionally get a jam in the extruder and the m2 is a lot easier to clean. trhe x1-c is a bear. I bought slice engineering hot sections for each machine but so far haven't installled them.