New User/Da Vinci Mini

[ssimak]

Hello,

I just entered the world of 3D printing with the da Vinci Mini 3D printer. I was happy to see the Simplify3D had a profile for the mini as I think it is relatively new. One problem:

When I first tried to print my model (over USB), I got the error message
"XYZ Printing .3W fies can only uploaded the da Vinci brand printers."

However, I gave it a second try, and it uploaded fine. I am printing now, so we'll see what kind of results I get. Is there a setting I need to tweak?

Thanks!

Steve

[brian442]

I know this used to happen on one of my old XYZ printers pretty frequently, since the machine has some really cheap electronics and cables, and thus had pretty unreliable communication. If you read on the XYZ forums, it's pretty common that people encounter errors uploading files to the machine and have to try 2-3 times to get it to work. You could try to use a higher quality USB cable and see if that helps, but if the problem is the cheap electronics in the printer, it's going to be hard to fix.

[ssimak]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the quick reply. That definitely could be it. It's not a big deal if I have to hit the print button twice. I will start reading through the XYZ forums as you mentioned. A bigger issue is getting the first layer to adhere to the print bed, but I have found several potential solutions. Thanks to Simplify for a great solutions page for that and other problems.

Best,

Steve

[ssimak]

Hi All,

FYI - I thought I would post an update in case anyone else encounters this problem. As I mentioned previously, when I first hit the "Print Over USB" button, I got an error message. When I hit it a second time, the file uploaded to the printer and printed. What I noticed is that when I hit the button the first time, I also got the message that the printer was now connected. (Perhaps I missed this in the instructions).

So now, if I go to the "Machine Control Panel" and hit the "Connect" button, the software connects to the printer. Then, when I hit "Print Over USB" it works the first time. I also noticed that even when the print is done and the printer stops, Simplify3D still thinks it is sending date to the machine. If I hit "Disconnect" from the "Machine Control Panel," then the software stops sending data. I should add that when I use XYZware, it connects to the printer fine each time. Thanks.

Cheers!

Steve

[Hillwoods]

I am also experiencing problems with Simplify3d and the Davinci Mini W.

I can start a print, after uploading the printer starts. But when the printer has started I can't control anything trough Simplify 3D. The program keeps saying "Starting Build..." And at the machine control window it stays at 0%, and even the emergency stop or the live preview will not work. When I want to stop printing I must press the main button on the machine for 5 seconds and after that I need to restart the software to send a new task to the printer.

Is this a known problem and is there a solution for this?

[SierraQ]

I wonder if the current software allows anything other than printing. It seems that this is a common problem for all Simplify3D users with XYZ printers. That's a pity and I hope there is better support in the future. It must be possible because I can manually control it via XYZ's software. There seems to be ZERO feedback from XYZ printers getting into Simplify3D at present.

To summarize the common problems and solutions:
Objects won't stick
Instructions say use a glue stick just prior to printing if room is below 77 degrees F. This is VERY good advice. Also use support material or a mat if your object has a small base. I use painters tape and a glue stick and have no more issues with the base coming off.

File not supported error when printing
Just hit the print button again.

Software in in limbo in between prints
1) Open control panell (ctrl P), press Emergency Stop or Disconnect, then Connect again
2) In addition, press the physical button on the printer (which will be orange) once, it will turn green
(These actions basically "acknowledge" the finished print similar to how you do in XYZware by either clicking the "finished" button or pressing the physical button on the printer.)

[brian442]

My XYZ already gives feedback about printing progress, bed and extruder temperatures, and a few other things. What other feedback are you looking for?

Also, keep in mind that the XYZ firmware doesn't include support for some things like jogging, so that's why it won't work in S3D.