printing multiple materials with one extruder

[ohms]

Hi, I am trying to print with 2 different materials on the same part so I made a process for each one starting at corresponding layers, but I don't see a way to pause the print in order to change the filament. I saw there are multiple script tabs, but I'm not sure how they would work when combining 2 or more processes. will the first layer height be ignored for the 2nd process? and I'm not very familiar with g-code to begin with. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

[CompoundCarl]

If you are using a single extruder printer and just manually swapping the filament, then you probably don't need to be using 2 processes. Just create a single process that will print the entire part. Then look at the preview and change it to "preview by layer" mode. Find the layer where you want to change the filament. Let's say it's layer 100. The software has a neat feature that allows you to insert custom commands at this layer, and also has a special command that paused the print (the "M0" command). So exit the preview, go back to your process settings, and add the following line into the "Additional terminal commands for post-processing" section on the Scripts tab.

{REPLACE "; layer 100," "G28 X0\nM0\n; layer 100,"}

Now when you re-slice and print, that command will make the printer home the X axis and then pause right when it reaches layer 100. You can use the machine control panel to change the filament and then just click the Resume button in that same window when you want the rest of the print to continue.

I've used this many times with great success. You can even pause at multiple locations if you want to use 3 or 4 colors. For example

{REPLACE "; layer 100," "M0\n; layer 100,"}
{REPLACE "; layer 200," "M0\n; layer 200,"}
{REPLACE "; layer 250," "M0\n; layer 250,"}

[ohms]

Thanks for the help. This makes sense, but the reason I was using multiple processes is because I was going to try and print with different materials that require different settings such as temperature and retraction. Sounds like I could do what you suggested even having multiple processes though.

[CompoundCarl]

Ok, that makes sense then. And yes, you can still use the same technique for multiple processes.

[ohms]

will this show in the sliced preview? I was about to try this so I copied and pasted {REPLACE "; layer 100," "G28 X0\nM0\n; layer 100,"} on the first process changing only the number, but when I play the preview, it doesn't show the tool head homing on the x axis. It just goes to the next layer which is in the 2nd process

[CompoundCarl]

Once you click "Save Toolpaths to Disk", that's when all of the post-processing commands run (since many times, those commands rely on having the actual file on the hard drive to run scripts, etc)

So if you wanted, you could export the file, then go to File > Preview G-Code File and select the file to see what it did