Hack for making S3D insert a pause between chosen layers

[yonkiman]

Sometimes we want to pause a print at a certain layer, usually to change filament color or insert a nut/other object so it will be embedded. Normally I find the desired layer in the generated gcode and manually insert a M226 (or M600 for Marlin), but I was trying to figure out a way to do it entirely inside S3D.

The best was I was able to come up with was to have 3 processes, all identical except the middle process has a M226 or M600 in the Layer Change Script. Print with Process 1 until you reach the layer you want to change, then switch to Process 2 for one layer, then switch to Process 3 for the rest of the print.

Has anyone come up with a better way than this?

[B. Falvey]

I do it all through the Machine Control Panel manually. Pause > Jog Controls > +z....ill drop the bed 100mm > retract -100 (filament) > insert filament into extruder > retract +100 (filament). When its done loading the filament, Ill wipe the extruder off and hit Unpause......you may get some oozing, I try to time it to where its working on infill.

Seems like a lot, but I can change filament colors in sub 20 seconds......

[brian442]

There are lots of threads about this topic already. You can use the post-processing script in S3D to easily insert a command at a given layer.

For example:
{REPLACE "; layer 5," "M0\n; layer 5,"}

That would automatically add an M0 command right at the beginning of layer 5.

Search the forum for more info about it

[Geek2Nurse]

Search the forum for more info about it

I hate it when I search the forum for information on something, and just find posts that say, "search the forum..."

*grumble, grumble*

[dkightley]

Well....spare a thought for the guru who gives the answer...and then gives the answer again....and again....and again....and again....and again.

And then gets pissed off giving the answer, and ignore the question the next time its asked. ...or even says "Search the forum for the answer."

[Geek2Nurse]

Gurus were newbies once upon a time...I bet someone helped you out along the way by answering YOUR stupid questions so you could learn enough not to be stupid any more. Sometimes we beginners trying desperately to learn things by ourselves don't know enough of the terminology we need to be able to easily find the concept we're searching for, and "searching the forum" isn't as easy as you make it sound. Some of us are afraid to even ask, because of responses like this one.

Also, if it's true that you've posted the answer again and again, then it's listed in your dashboard, and it would be simple enough to post a link to the last time you answered it, rather than having to answer it again, which would help those of us searching to learn what we're trying to learn.

But never mind. I ended up having to find what I needed in another forum, where the "gurus" were willing to be more helpful, because the only question that came close to what I was looking for in this forum, at least that I could find with my limited knowledge of the terms I was trying to grasp, was this one, which told me to search the forum, which is what I was doing already.

I hope that someday when I've finally struggled my way to being a guru, I'll still remember how it felt not to understand it all, and will remember to be patient with those trying to find their way.

[horst.w]

... and when You have enough time - one or two weeks - you can count how often Doug has written "please attache your Factory-File" although this is provided in the Announcements.
YES! The gurus were also beginners but there was nobody they could ask anything, they have worked hard to learn it themself.
And it seems that some really gurus - I remember to JimC or Keyboardwarrior - have given up to play the wind mill here.
Scoldings and recriminations accelerates the elopements.

The greatest possitive effect you can get is to learn basics - and that you can reache by reading the experiences of others and you will have never fine prints when not able to diagnose yourself faults and phenomena.

Best regards
horst.w
GER
and please excuse my bad English, the last lesson I had more than 55 years ago. But I want to work very hard for the improuvement.

[dkightley]

And just to show there's no hard feelings about your comments.......here's a link for you: https://forum.simplify3d.com/search.php ... use+layers

I'm not going to suggest individual hits...there's six pages of them!

[Geek2Nurse]

Horst, your English is 'way better than my German; no excuses necessary!

Doug, thank you for the link. I've been working on learning this stuff, mostly solo, for over 2 years now. I used to be in the tech industry, but that's many years ago now, and I no longer have any connections to any of it to ease my journey. Nobody around me is into any of this, and none of it existed yet when I was in the field, so I'm completely on my own as far as figuring out how things work and what things mean and how to do what I want to do. A couple of generous strangers have helped me get past some humps I might not have managed on my own, but mostly It's slow and painful with nobody to ask for help when I get stuck in terminology and concepts I've never dealt with before.

So I guess it just rubs me the wrong way when people who probably had the benefit of some type of tech environment to help them get started seem all smug in their superior knowledge and experience and assume those of us who know less are lazy do-nothings looking for a free handout. I've worked damn hard to get as far as I have, and when I'm doing my best to be self-sufficient and search the boards for things I'm trying to figure out, it gets really tiresome when so many of the threads that start out to seem promising end with "search the board for the answers." Nobody who writes that ever seems to stop and think about how many dead-end threads it creates for people trying to find answers without bugging anybody.

I'm done now. Merry Christmas, and thanks again for the link.