Dual extrusion print quality problems...

[RodLaird]

Dear Forum,

I am using a Replicator 2X and find S3D wonderful - for single extruder printing. I am finding however, that in dual extruder mode I am getting very poor prints. The reason is that the extruders pause while remaining in place on the print before changing. This is presumably for retraction - but has the effect of creating a big melt blob at the change point. This completely ruins small prints. And significantly marrs largert ones.

I am finding the dual extruder mode therefore pretty much unusable. Is there some setting to force the extruder off the print (i.e. moving to one side) during the retraction pause? I have looked but see nothing obvious. This simple change would at least create clean prints for me.

There is also a lot more cross extruder contamination than with the Makerbot slicer, which creates big "wipe walls". Is there some feature in S3D that can deliver similar results? Again, I have looked but see nothing analogous.

Many thanks to any forum members who can provide some insight.

and Happy New Year too!

[mameman]

did you get any answers or resolution on this?

I was running dual under makerbot desktop and that was behaving as i would expect and simply switching between the 2 without missing a heartbeat. Under simplify3d I am also getting a pause when it switches to the other extruder and then again once its moved to the new location and begins to extrude the 2nd filament (in this case PVA).