Post Processing stopped working

[billyd]

I've been using the same post processing script for years without issue.

I was having trouble with retraction lately so I checked the gcode, firmware retraction was not getting put in the gcode because my post processing script wasn't running. Have no idea how long this has been happening as most of the time the generic retractions work ok with normal material, but not with PA6-CF20.

I tried running as administrator didn't fix it. I am on win 10 pro

Here is my script for running Firmware retraction:

{REPLACE "G1 E-0.5000 F1800\n" "G10\n"}
{REPLACE "G1 E0.5000 F1800\n" "G11\n"}

It's simply not executing.

I've attached the process fff as the factory file is too big.

[parallyze]

Here is my script for running Firmware retraction:

{REPLACE "G1 E-0.5000 F1800\n" "G10\n"}
{REPLACE "G1 E0.5000 F1800\n" "G11\n"}

It's simply not executing.

This setting would make me believe you're using absolute extrusion:
<relativeExtrusionDistances>0</relativeExtrusionDistances>

Can you check the gcode files created if they are indeed using absolute extrusion values?

[billyd]

Yes I am using absolute extrusion, I've never been able to get relative extrusion to work with S3D. At any rate the issue is the post processing script is not being executed, the issue at hand.

[parallyze]

Yes I am using absolute extrusion, I've never been able to get relative extrusion to work with S3D. At any rate the issue is the post processing script is not being executed, the issue at hand.

Code: Select all

{REPLACE "G1 E-0.5000 F1800\n" "G10\n"}
{REPLACE "G1 E0.5000 F1800\n" "G11\n"}

Your post processing script is looking for "G1 E-0.5", which represents a relative move to it's current position regarding the retraction settings in your profile. But if you're using absolute extrusion this won't show up in the gcode as E is increasing all the time... and retracts show up with (current e value - retract length).

If you were to send a G1 E-0.5 in the middle of the print at e=500mm with absolute positioning the extruder would travel back all the way to -0.5. But you're looking for a relative command like "whatever E is, please retract 0.5mm from that".

Hence my suggestion to check the gcode - if e is increasing, how is your post processing script supposed to find occurrences of "G1 E-0.5"?

[billyd]

The code is correct. I've been using this script for years and haven't changed a thing. What happens is I export the gcode to a file. And when the file is opened, the retraction settings I use in the process are shown instead of G10 or G11. They appear in the gcode exactly as I have them in the script. G1 E0.50000 F1800 or G1 E-0.50000 F1800. I use these values generically just so they can be found by the script. They handle the issue you are concerned with automatically, for example every time there is a retraction:

G92 E0.00000
G1 E-0.50000 F1800
G1 X73.733 Y52.046 F18000
G92 E0.00000
G1 E0.50000 F1800
G92 E0.00000

What should be happening after the script runs is the following

G92 E0.00000
G10
G1 X73.733 Y52.046 F18000
G92 E0.00000
G11
G92 E0.00000

But instead the original code remains unchanged.

[billyd]

Just went back and checked with a factory file from 5.0.0 (when the post process script worked) and sliced it with 5.1.2 and it doesn't work. So this bug's been around for awhile, at least since 5.1.2 was released. Just noticing it now, because my generic retraction settings without firmware retraction work well enough with ABS that I never noticed it. Just hadn't looked at the gcode.

[parallyze]

The code is correct

G92 E0.00000
G1 E-0.50000 F1800
G1 X73.733 Y52.046 F18000
G92 E0.00000

Ahh, that explains it... I didn't catch the allowed zeroing option inside the fff. A piece of gcode would've been helpful as I'm not
using v5 and can only look at the profile in a text editor (or crippled options in v4)...

If the lines from above are from your gcode file - did you maybe miss this tiny detail?


Your post processing script is looking for:

Code: Select all

"G1 E-0.5000 F1800"

while the output is using this:

Code: Select all

"G1 E-0.50000 F1800"

As I don't have v5 I can't check if that gcode is using 5 or 4 (like v4) decimal places...

[parallyze]

Ah, here we go:

viewtopic.php?p=72001#p72001

"our new 5.1 software also includes additional digits for the extrusion distances"

So from 5.1 on you'd have to add the additional 0 in your post processing script. I wonder how many people
didn't notice something going wrong since that change.... ^^

[billyd]

Thanks good catch! Yes I didn't see it until I used a filament that didn't work with my stock retraction settings. I also was wondering why I couldn't get a retraction tuning tower to ever improve lol. It was ignoring the change to firmware retraction settings and executing the gcode lol.

I finally looked at the gcode file and I was like what the! There's no G10's or G11's!

[S3D-Taylor]

Hi! A better way to accomplish this is to use the Retraction scripts instead! This way, there's no need to change the post processing script every time you change the retraction distance or retraction speed.

Pre Retraction Script
; replace [retract_distance]
G10

Post Retraction Script
; replace [prime_distance]
G11