Interface, profiles, size and geometry tray bugs

[Dreed34]

Hello, little interface problems since the V5 update, and with my profiles, which worked very well in V4.
Let me explain, I have three printers, an Ender 3v2, a CR10 Smart and a FLSun SR.
Every time I changed profiles to V4, the tray changes to the profile (size and geometry tray) respectively, now I only have the Ender 3v2 tray and I can’t make any changes to the tray size or geometry on Simplify3D version 5.

Is this normal and I have to wait for an update or is it a bug that has not yet been reported ?

[S3D-Jason]

So you are saying that you have 3 profiles in the "Select Profile" drop down list? Or are you saying that you have 3 separate processes?

If you are saying you have 3 processes, I would start by saving those processes into the S3D profile database. Just double click on each process and click the Save As New button. After you've done that, you can delete all of the processes except for 1. If you then double click on that 1 process and use the "Select Profile" drop down at the top, the build volume should be updated correctly.

[Dreed34]

Thank you for your prompt and accurate response.

I did the test by removing all processes from the bottom left list and left only one.
The update of the tray is done well, but as a result, I have to delete the processes every time, to re-import them as soon as I need them (unlike S3D v4 or I could just double click on the process I needed for the tray to update in the GUI).
So I confirm that your solution works, but that was not my way of working before the V5 update, in any case at the moment, I will apply this procedure, in the meantime better, if it is planned in the list to make evolution of the software.

Thank you again for your response.

[jbeardon]

This is the same 'issue' the guys at TH3D pointed out and it is extremely frustrating.
I have several factory files that contain 3 processes. Each of those factory files can be printed on 3 differently sized printers.
Bed size in each process is set differently (and have their own fff saved) so I can switch easily between the different printers within the same factory file.

This was working within V4 but the behaviour has changed and the bed size does not change when going in and out of a process.

While I could set all 3 processes to have the smallest print bed, I do not wish to do that!

Many of us (with multiple printers) have based our workflows around having processes within a factory file dedicated to individual printers/fff files. Whilst this may not have been the intended methodology, it does not change the fact that's the way we have been using it for years and you are alienating establised long term users by introducing such a fundamental change in operation.

That, together with a break in the link between processes selected within the main window and those selected when clicking the prepare to print button is beyond frustrating - it's completely broken an established workflow.

[S3D-Jason]

I can certainly understand that everyone has their own way of using the software. Just wanted to try to recommend what I think will work best with the latest V5.

I have about 20 different profiles loaded on my S3D install, so if I kept all of those as processes I think I would find that very annoying. For many prints, you need to create separate processes to do things like sequential printing, different settings for different modes, or variable settings zones. So then you would have to keep track of the 20 original processes for the different printers, and the 5 new processes you might have added for the print. It feels like that's going to be much more difficult than just using the intended profile database to store those 20 printer configurations. Then you will only see 5 processes in the list on the left which are the 5 processes you are using for that current print.

I think several of the tools in S3D also assume you are following this same approach. For example, there are all sorts of new profile management tools in V5 that only work if you save your printer configurations into the profile database. If you are storing them as processes you can't use any of those new features. Things like the Variable Settings Wizard and Multi Extrusion Wizard all expect that you are following this approach too. So you're going to be sacrificing a lot of features in the software if you try to store all the printer configurations as processes instead of using the profile database.

[Dreed34]

Hello, and thank you again for your different answers and rapidities of answers !

Sorry, but if I understand the concept implemented in the S3D V5 version :
I choose a printer profile in the manager, for example my CR10 Smart, with in it a maximum of 5 processes, for example, a PLA process with these own settings, another PLA+ process with these own settings, a TPU process with also these own parameters, etc...
Then if I have to change my printer for my printing, I change my profile, in my second example, my FLSun SR and the same with these 5 maximum typical processes.

Did I understand the principle of the concept implemented since the V5 ?

If that’s it, it’s just a different way of working, but, if that’s not it, then I still don’t understand how the V5 works

[S3D-Jason]

Typically, if you need different material settings then you would save those using the material dropdown list. You don't need to create a new process just to have custom material settings.

Here's an easy way to get things configured for V5. Load your CR-10 Smart processes, then double click on the first one and choose Save As New. This will save the CR-10 Smart profile into the S3D profile database. That is the intended system for permanent printer configurations that you want to retain.

If you want to add custom material settings for the CR-10 Smart profile, click Edit Process Settings, select the CR-10 Smart profile using the "Select profile" drop down list. If your profile was setup correctly, you should already see a drop down list towards the top left of the screen called "Auto-Configure for Material". This is where you can add custom settings for each material.

[jbeardon]

I've only just revisitied this thread as I was hoping the described issue would have been given some love in 5.0.1 but alas.

Jason - I totally get what you are saying but, I am unsure that you fully understand.
In my workflow, I have all of my profiles for different printers saved within the profile database as you have recommended (as I had in V4).
I am not actually managing profiles via processes. But, I may well have a factory file for a particular model that could be printed on different printers.
In v4, I could have a separate processes in the factory file for each of those printers, or say grouped processes for 'top/middle/bottom' for each of those printers.

If I selected one of the processes (or one of the groups), the bed within SD3 would change to the size of the printer and would use that size to generate the print - now it retains the size of the first process which is a massive change in behaviour.

So, for those prints that could be printed on different printers, would have to maintain separate factory files instead of achieving everything within one file. I can obviously adapt but it is creating work and IMHO unneccesary complication.
I really hope you will re-think this as for myself and the type of printing I do as a business, it almost renders S3D unusable.