Simplify3d basic guide

Discussion about Simplify 3D software
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Neotko
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Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

If you start using S3D you MUST read the guide they posted when the 3.x version was launched.

https://www.simplify3d.com/support/prin ... eshooting/

It's a bit of a copy of the 3DVerkstan Knowledge Base
http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23 ... ting-guide

But the interesting point it's that it also (if you read it fully) explains many of the options of Simplify3D with some visual input. It's a must to understand how to tune many of the S3D settings.

EDIT 11/2/2016
Since the Basic Um2 / Umo plus profile it's just crap. I decided to finally do a 'general purpose' profile so at least your S3D prints ok.

Umo Plus and UM2 - Neotko basic profile:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k43zh2f2x18tj ... 2.fff?dl=0

Note that the default (machine) starting sequence it's different on this profile, since I prefer to home the head, then the bed, then move down the bed 15mm, then extrude 9mm of filament to purgue, and then it goes to print.

And the ending gcode it will retract a total of 3mm.

This profile it's ready for 2,85mm users (I use 1.75) so probably the Coasting/wipe, should be higher on others.

Also this setup will retract A LOT (as it should). To disable many retractions, edit the profile and go to ADVANCED - and activate 'Only retract when crossing open spaces'. Also activate the 'Avoid crossing outline for travel movements' this second option it's like combing of cura, but on S3D you can specify how much, or less, you want your head to move around the print area.

EDIT 18/04/16

Like many thinks on S3D, the documentation it's... well. short to non existant

GROUPING AND PROCESS
Change settings on 5 process with just changing it on one...

There's a think that happens on the brain when you start to work with 6 process like me. When that happens you are sometimes afraid to change stuff like temperature, fan speed, and for example bed size.

The think, that's its' quite amazing imo, it's that with S3D, when you Group X number of process, something really beautifull happens. And that's that you can actually ummm let see if this example it's easier to explain.

You have 5 process, all with different nozzle sizes, different layer heights, and even different infills. But all of them, have the same temp, fan speed and ofc bed size. Ok, what do you have to do to change the temperature of the whole print? You might have to go one by one writing the new temps, or new fan speeds. And that's a MESS...

But the beautifull think it's that if you select your Process and GROUP them (ctrl+g) ALL the settings that are in common at that moment become CONNECTED! So... You group 5 process, change the temperature on 1 Process, and Instamagically all the grouped process have that temp changed, the bed size changed, etc. AND THAT's soo beautifull.

S3D guys might lack in documentation, but sure they know how to make a program.

It's very badly explained (well it's quite ok, but it's quite hidden!) Link to the video at 03:22



So with this, I can open a FFF file (format S3D uses to pack a full bed with objects, positions, process) and group 5 process, change the temperature, bed size. Without going one by one. For example I can change my profiles from 3.2mm retraction (umo+) to 2.5mm (um2 1.75mm) retraction in just a few clicks.

EDIT: 30/04/2016

Some info about coasting and wipe + retraction while wipe

Coasting distance, works much better with very very very short distances like 0,04-0,20. Using like I used before distances of 0.40-0.60 creates an error on the print, when doing a TON of retracts and extruding very small amounts of material, like my little texts that are on a process that uses 0.32-0.36. There's a point that makes it under extrude the text after the 3-4layer because there are errors on the restart after a retract since some material has been lost on the wipe/retract. Specially when printing more than 1 at the same time. With just 1 it happens but ... well... depends on the material mostly.

About wipe:

If you activate Wipe nozzle and you have 'Perform retraction during wipe movement' then the distance you set for 'Wipe nozzle' it doesn't matter. It will wipe as much time as the retracts takes place. So if you retract faster the wipe distance will change. Also it will only wipe if the minimum travel for retraction kicks in, so it won't wipe always, but only when he can.

To be able to control wipe nozzle, you must deactivate the perform retraction during wipe, but that also removes the retraction. So... It's quite like juggling balls.

Ofc the amount of filament lost could be controlled with extra restart distance. But that would need a very fine tune with a big amount of print tests.

Resuming:
a) Save coasting for very drippy filaments
b) Wipe nozzle + advanced 'perform retract during wipe' cancels the distance of the wipe with as much as he needs to retract (so retraction speed + distance defines this)
c) Wipe alone without retraction can be controlled.

This it's how the retraction speed affects how much distance will the wipe do when te option 'perform retract during wipe' it's enabled.

Image

Image

Edit 2/5/2016

A good starting gcode for um2 machines:
https://ultimaker.com/en/community/1607 ... ply-107897
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by ChrisR »

That's a very handy link. S3D has got a lot of settings and sometimes it's tricky figuring out just what may need tweaking. Thank you Neotko.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by LePaul »

I made the 3DVerkstan link a stick in the troubleshooting areas :)
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by ChrisR »

+1 Thumbs up! :-)
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Izzy »

Quick question :-)
Is simplify3D worth the $149 usd cost?
And if it does slice that much better than Cura then why the hell hasn't Cura been improved as well, I was impressed with the difference between the 2 versions of the part in the video above is this typical for Simplify3d to be that much better on problem parts.
Has anybody compared the UM robot sliced in S3D?
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

That's a complicated question.

First. Do you make money with your prints?

Second. Do you need complicated projects where you need to swap pieces, without having to rebuild the whole slicer.

Third. Do you need to assign, easy, and fast, different settings to different objects.

Ok, most of this new cura will do but...

S3D allows you to group objects (like on illustrator for example) and move them as group, it also always keep tracks of the origins x/y/z of the object. So for example.

A customer ask me to change some texts of an object. I make the text on Rhino, knowing that the x/y/z of that will be the same that on S3D (on cura beta you can't place objects on the air or bellow z since they love autoadjust stuff). On S3D when I load my project file, where it has 5 process assigned to each part of the different stls, I can reset the x/y/z introduce the new stl and group it again. So in a matter of seconds I have change a part of the print without having to reprocess, reasign, align or many boring stuff.

This also means, that like on new cura (tested the beta, it's a pain the user interface) and it can be done, but it's just too imprecise. I can't relay on the mouse to set a 3d object (unless it's something I don't care).

Ofc, the custom supports (something I don't use much) are quite nice to have, but also when you make your own stuff you learn to make your supports.

So it's worth 150, if you need to produce, and keep track of a gazillion settings and you want to keep 1 file for each job that contains everything (stil, settings, position, etc). Well, yes it's worth :D

The other side of S3D it's the print quality. You can print with the same quality on cura, but cura doesn't have a precise control on the flow settings. They introduced on the new beta the 'Coasting'. Well S3D has that from a time and it's wonderfull. But cura doesn't have 'wipe nozzle' that allows you to clean the nozzle before moving to another location. Also and the most important of all, it has a very clean retract before move parameters. Retract while combing it's the plugging for cura that does that, but it's far from ok. S3D retracts are just great to keep a print clean. And one of the most important aspects that cura it's light years atm, it's the movement planing. S3D focuses on filling the areas on the less movements posible, cura tries to do it fast, and fast isn't beautiful.S3D path planer always fills the largest area when it can, so you can (no without learing a lot of settings) get top flat layers that don't have marks.

Image

Also S3D has a very ok (it should be much more powerfull) scripting system, you don't need to edit anyfile outside, you make the script on the process. But it's quite limited, if you learn python language you can do much more on cura ofc).

Downside, S3D forum support comes from their users, and mail support it's the most horrible experience.

But it's worth, the learning curve to do really interesting stuff it's a bit high. Cura prints, with S3D you learn to make it print your way.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

Oh and btw Robot sliced with Cura or S3D ain't the point of S3D. Cura prints quite nice. With S3D you can go beyond what the slicer use to offers and make something else, and that's the high point of S3D. S3D vs Cura it's a matter of how you can make your work flow, and custom settings for parts, high, fans, z offset. The list it's quite long. But no S3D won't print a better robot, that's not the stuff it can do. Check for instance that keychain I print for my shop. That's 5 process with each object with different nozzle extrusions and speeds, and even fan settings. And because each one it's a process, I can make the top layer totally flat fill and get a nice finish. I won't be able to sell stuff if it had scratches. And when you do a upper area, you can't even think about using a paper to clean inside texts.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by PeggyB »

very tempted to buy S3D, because of the layer preview: to see what path the printhead makes for each layer.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Izzy »

Cheers Neotko, that goes back to you get what you pay for, your prints look great.
At the moment I don't sell prints but that is also because I'm not totally happy with some of the results, not getting a Z lift so nozzle drag or fillament trace across a surface.
Their video showed quite a difference between the legs of their test piece and on the top point too, so that was interesting. I may see about doing their trial use in a few months when I have some time available to test.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

The option that does that, and it's quite interesting it's this.

On cura you set a minimum for each layer and the head 'stops' in mid-air. (If you want ofc)

On s3d you set a minimum time for layers and he changes the print speed proportionally so all the layers reach that x time.

I never use it, unless I need to print small towers or the horn of a unicorn (for real). :D
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Izzy »

Cheers, when I tried that with Cura on the Robot it paused on the part without moving away, perhaps a glitch ;-) .
I liked some of the infill patterns in the beta version and hoped they would be in the new version but...
Does Simplify3d have different infill pattern options?
I'm just testing nGen now, I use the same gCode for all the tests and see how the materials cope, then play with the temperature, flow, speed, fan settings etc to see how it ends up. :ugeek:
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

Image

Image
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by Neotko »

I used this options to create a flat surface to make the top surface of a print for one of my pain customers. I could simulate the pattern of a skateboard. Can't show the photos until the customers shows it first. But it's for a handbag brand.
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by LePaul »

It's too bad they don't offer a Trial version.

I got mine for a discount/bulk purchase with the BB-8 Builders Club. I think we got the price down to $140 that way
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Re: Simplify3d basic guide

Post by ivan.akapulko »

Anyone need a cracked version for trial? And, of course, if you like it, buy it.
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