Hello,
I am often printing some models containing a lot of parts.
All the parts together don't fit on 1 bed.
It would be really nice if i could add more beds and align all the models on more beds. This way i could allign the parts the way they need to be printed without clearing the single bed every time.
When i slice the print i just need to save multiple gcode files
I think i have seen this on a short feature video of cura but i can't find it anymore
Since i have more printers from different brands it would be really nice if you could select multiple printers as well, but for a start multiple beds from the same printer would be nice as well
Thank you
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bluebirdsoftware
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:01 am
Re: Adding multiple beds
You have to be careful, especially if you are working with thin layers. My printer (MakerGear M2E) doesn't do auto-leveling. I bought a spare glass build plate, and they are not (quite) the same thickness. Although they are quite flat, they are also not perfect in that regard. As a result:
1) If you change print beds, you will have to re-level the print bed
2) Even if you just remove the print bed, you need to make sure to put it back in the exact same orientation you removed it.
I bought a PRINTinZ build plate that is supposed to be great for PLA. It is VERY FAR from flat, and will take extra care to work with. The thickness varies by over 0.25 mm across the plate, so if you are printing with 0.2 mm layers, a complete re-leveling is essential.
The only way I think you could get away with this is to use MIC6 precision aluminum build plates. They should be consistent enough that you could swap them without re-leveling. Of course, if your printers all auto-level before printing (like Lulzbot's do), it's not an issue.
1) If you change print beds, you will have to re-level the print bed
2) Even if you just remove the print bed, you need to make sure to put it back in the exact same orientation you removed it.
I bought a PRINTinZ build plate that is supposed to be great for PLA. It is VERY FAR from flat, and will take extra care to work with. The thickness varies by over 0.25 mm across the plate, so if you are printing with 0.2 mm layers, a complete re-leveling is essential.
The only way I think you could get away with this is to use MIC6 precision aluminum build plates. They should be consistent enough that you could swap them without re-leveling. Of course, if your printers all auto-level before printing (like Lulzbot's do), it's not an issue.
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bluebirdsoftware
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:01 am
Re: Adding multiple beds
I think you misunderstood what i meant.
I don't want to physically change my print bed, i want to be able to have multiple "beds" in Simplify3d so i can arrange 4 parts on bed 1 and 3 parts on bed 2. When i slice them it generates 2 seperate gcode files so i can print one after the other.
When i need to print 9 files now i need to select the files i want to print on the first gcode, and than remove all those objects and allign the other parts. It would be nice if i saw both "beds" together so i know what the first bed would print like and also the second bed.
I have attached an example how it would look like:
I don't want to physically change my print bed, i want to be able to have multiple "beds" in Simplify3d so i can arrange 4 parts on bed 1 and 3 parts on bed 2. When i slice them it generates 2 seperate gcode files so i can print one after the other.
When i need to print 9 files now i need to select the files i want to print on the first gcode, and than remove all those objects and allign the other parts. It would be nice if i saw both "beds" together so i know what the first bed would print like and also the second bed.
I have attached an example how it would look like:
-
bluebirdsoftware
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:01 am
Re: Adding multiple beds
Image is not visible:
