int3man
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 5:24 pm

Newbie Questions

Hi All I bought a FlashForge Pro at Garage sale prices. Once I leveled the table correctly I got it to work. Now when I print a part it is smaller that the part I drew in Solid Works. This kind of defeats the purpose of having a 3 d printer if the parts are not to Scale. In Replicator I have to go in and manually set the scale 25.4 mm to one inch.

I can not see this 3D Software before I buy it. Not wanting to get a pig in a poke is this a problem that 3 D software will help me avoid? Also I have seen some printed parts where the surface finish is to die for. Mine looks chunky and the G Code is not generating revolutions but stops and starts from the same side of the part and that leaves a line of chunks.

Sorry for the non technical descriptions. Just tired of throwing monies in a hole and hoping for the best.

Also what does FFF stand for? Apparently is is not Far From Finished!
JoeJ
Posts: 1435
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:52 am

Re: Newbie Questions

I use Simplify3D with my flashforge creator pro. It's allowed me to have a lot more control over my prints than the stock software. It's is lightyears ahead of ReplicatorG, so that's what you're using right now, I would strongly suggest upgrading ;)

The software has several options that can help with scaling issues and over-extruded bumpy surfaces. It has everything you need to get things dialed in perfectly, whereas the software I was using before did not allow adjusting many of these options, so you were stuck with poor prints.

They already offer a 2-week money back guarantee, so you can easily try it and make sure it works well. There's a lot of FFCP users here, so feel free to ask if you need help!

PS - You can read about FFF here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_fil ... abrication
int3man
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 5:24 pm

Re: Newbie Questions

Thanks JoeJ, I'll surf / lurk a little more and then try between Xmas and New Years; I have some time off and can dedicate a day to using it.
magicwiser
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 11:35 am

Re: Newbie Questions

I was in a similar position as you in that I got my FlashForge Pro real cheap so I didn't mind splurging on this software. Long story short, I could never go back to replicatorG or anything else. In particular, when I create an object in AutoDesk Fusion 360 and export it to an .stl, it always rotates it for some odd reason. But with S3D, you have the option to automatically carry out certain actions when loading. Thus, I don't have to constantly rotate my objects, S3D does it by default. Similarly, there are options to automatically scale your parts during import as well.

All in all, if you pull the trigger, you will never regret it.
int3man
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 5:24 pm

Re: Newbie Questions

O.K. Thanks! Lastly I just "upgraded to Sailfish Dual" Replicator. Seems the same to me, the novice. My parts do not have a finished surface on the top and bottom as they are printed. The Raft leaves residue on the part and I can see the Triangles visible through the top and bottom of the part. Is there a way I could send someone a file and they print it? I was hoping to use printed parts in lieu of machining aluminum but I would not show these parts to any one. I selected 3 layers to get a good skin all the way around but only 2 faces are presentable. I have seen pictures of parts on the internet and they are dead smooth.

Also my I.D. holes are still coming out .020 undersized, is this something that I should expect and plan for by changing my dimensions or is it an artifact of this software. Will Simply 3D cure all my ails?

Thanks for taking your time to answer my newbie questions.
Attachments
I expect this to be smooth as the sides.
I expect this to be smooth as the sides.
I expect this to be Smooth under the raft material.
I expect this to be Smooth under the raft material.
CompoundCarl
Posts: 2005
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:23 am

Re: Newbie Questions

S3D has a feature called a brim that works much better than a raft. It's going to create a much better bottom surface, so that will definitely help.

They also have options for size compensation of some of your dimensions are slightly oversized (i.e. holes are too small). So you could use that feature to adjust the sizing.

If the top solid layers are not solid, then you should try more top solid layers or you may also be slightly under-extruding. If you're new to S3D, you might want to check out their great troubleshooting guide, since it has some great tips (including one for this exact issue, see below)
https://www.simplify3d.com/support/prin ... top-layers

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