Simplify3D is a great slicer program that has the ability to perform with a wide range of printers....but for me, and I suspect for many new users, it has an enormous weakness - a horribly confusing way of storing and retreiving print settings. A scenario to illustrate what I mean....
A new user follows the instructions to get a "Process" that supports their printer and prints at 0.2 mm in PLA. They spend several hours doing test prints to get the print quality just how they want it. It's perfect...so they give it a Process Name of "PLA 0.2mm" andthen want to save it so they can move onto printing in ABS. Where's the "Save"? After realising its not "Save" but "Export", they export the profile into an .fff file and move on...
Later on, they want to load the "PLA 0.2mm" print profile back in. Where's the "Load"? Silly them...it's "Import"...and the list of possible process to import includes a long list of default printer profiles in alphabetical order with the "PLA 0.2mm" profile they want at the very bottom of the list. So, having negotiated this starnge list, they import the profile. In the Processes list it's not called "PLA 0.2mm" as they expected it to be, but its "Process2".
The above actually happened to me some months ago, but I'm now wise to this strange way of saving and loading profiles. But, can something be done about this strange way of storing and using profiles. Why not separate the "default" processes for different printers from saved processes, and make the mechanism of loading and saving exactly that. The terminology "Exporting" and "Importing" imply a means of passing data between different programs.....and the current export/import loses the process name, which to me is a duplication. Why have separate process names AND a save/export names?
Has anyone else been through this experience???
[ADDED] A better way of saving/loading profiles
Doug Kightley
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
Re: A better way of saving/loading profiles
Yes, it's called Export/Import because it actually creates a file on your hard drive when you export it. There is a "OK" button that just saves the profile in memory, so these buttons do different things. I think it would be more confusing if there was an OK that saved it in memory and a Save that exported a physical file.
Naming aside, after you have a profile (say it's PLA_medium.fff), you could use that profile in a number of ways. For example, you might setup 2 different processes for your part, one for the bottom 50mm and another process for the top (see this tutorial if you haven't done this before: https://www.simplify3d.com/support/tuto ... f-a-model/). In this case, you will have 2 processes that might be named "Upper Process" and "Lower Process". Both of these could be using the PLA_medium.fff profile as the base settings. That's why I think the profile name is not identical to the process name. You need to allow different naming for each.
Naming aside, after you have a profile (say it's PLA_medium.fff), you could use that profile in a number of ways. For example, you might setup 2 different processes for your part, one for the bottom 50mm and another process for the top (see this tutorial if you haven't done this before: https://www.simplify3d.com/support/tuto ... f-a-model/). In this case, you will have 2 processes that might be named "Upper Process" and "Lower Process". Both of these could be using the PLA_medium.fff profile as the base settings. That's why I think the profile name is not identical to the process name. You need to allow different naming for each.
Re: A better way of saving/loading profiles
I agree, the load/save, import/export functionality is confusing at best and is complicated by the fact that some parameters are preserved with a profile in memory and others require exporting the file, editing XML by hand (but not in Mac's textedit because that borks the files), and then reimporting it.
Combine that with either having to delete a ton of default profiles or continuously wade through them, this is a huge area for improvement by S3D.
My thoughts:
- Default profiles are available to be activated or imported from a list of defaults. Perhaps it asks what your printer is on first run and then you don't have to wade through all of the profiles.
- All parameters saved with a "save defaults" button. Bonus points for a "save defaults as..." button as well.
- Separation of materials setup from the machine file.
- four materials is a relic of the days before we had all of these cool new printing materials.
- Make it so I never have to edit an XML file by hand. I can do this but, really, should I have to?
Combine that with either having to delete a ton of default profiles or continuously wade through them, this is a huge area for improvement by S3D.
My thoughts:
- Default profiles are available to be activated or imported from a list of defaults. Perhaps it asks what your printer is on first run and then you don't have to wade through all of the profiles.
- All parameters saved with a "save defaults" button. Bonus points for a "save defaults as..." button as well.
- Separation of materials setup from the machine file.
- four materials is a relic of the days before we had all of these cool new printing materials.
- Make it so I never have to edit an XML file by hand. I can do this but, really, should I have to?
Re: A better way of saving/loading profiles
doug, after you get s3d all setup for your printer you can remove all those default processes from the list so you only have your own processes in the dropdown list. there is a remove button there. select all of the default ones that dont apply to your printer and get rid of them. no need to sort through all that every time. dont worry, they aren't permanently gone. you can get them all if needed at some point.
Re: A better way of saving/loading profiles
Adding to this; a way to define profiles and then switch between material types (or even have them as a separate dropdown list) would be great too; otherwise everytime I want to switch between left and right extruder profiles I'm going back to a blank slate.
So TLDR: Independant extruder profile dropdown list (for quickly setting material extrustion/temp settings) and a second dropdown for the head profiles / layer height / custom other variables would be great.
So TLDR: Independant extruder profile dropdown list (for quickly setting material extrustion/temp settings) and a second dropdown for the head profiles / layer height / custom other variables would be great.
Re: A better way of saving/loading profiles
The profile saving/loading system was completely overhauled for version 3.0. It is now much easier to save and create new profiles. You can use the "Update profile" button to overwrite the current profile with the changes you have made. You can also use the "Save as New" button to save the current settings as a new profile with a new name. You also only see the profiles you care about, so you don't constantly have to wade through the giant list.
